Noir
Chapter 4

As I stared around me, curiosity slid through me like a water-moccasin slid through the water, and though my sight was still a bit off, I made my way unsteadily to the door. Afterward, reaching out, I grasped the knob in my hand and gave it a turn, or at least tried to. When it didn't budge, a frown crossed my lips, and I tried again. However, I got the same result.

"What the hell?" I mumbled, before giving the knob another try. But when the third attempt resulted in the same outcome as the first two, I stepped back several feet, uncomprehendingly gazing at the knob. Was the knob broken? Decision made that the knob was most likely just stuck, I placed a foot against the doorframe, and gripping the knob with both hands, I twisted and jerked at the same time.

As if a cork was being released from a bottle, my hands slipped loose from the doorknob, and I shot backward before landing on my butt on the floor. Immediate pain shot through my head and my body, but it was the horrible pounding inside my skull that had me gripping my head in my hands and moaning out every vulgar expletive I could think of. The pain was so intense it held me weighted to the floor, immobile as seconds turned into minutes as I prayed for the pounding to ease.

Time ticked excruciatingly slowly with each throbbing pulse of pain until finally, the ache lifted enough I didn't fear my head was going to shatter into a thousand pieces and land all around me like the pieces of a puzzle. When I felt able, I pushed off the floor, and though I dreaded the misery, I was going to bring to myself with my next actions, I started pounding on the door.

Each blow of my fist was torture, and I prayed my effort would pay off. Finally, I couldn't handle it anymore, and I lowered my arms, listening, but only silence greeted me from the other side.

Despondently, I rubbed at the bruised outer edges of my palms, moisture coating my eyes.

After a few minutes I blinked away the tears, and placing my forehead against the smooth surface of the door, I rolled it against the coolness of the wood, gaining a little relief.

I was in mid-rotation when thinking I'd picked up on the soft fall of footsteps, I paused, as positioning my head to where my ear was pressed against the door, I listened to the quiet thud of the footfalls as they became more distinct. Finally, when the steps came to a stop just on the other side of the door, I lifted my head and called out to the person on the opposite side. However, confusion swamped through me when, though I could hear the shuffling of shoes on the other side of the door, I didn't receive a response, so, dropping to my knees, I flopped down on my stomach. Pushing my face against the gap at the bottom of the door, I peered out at a pair of child-size pink tennis shoes with blue, sparkly laces. "Hello... Can you open the door for me? I think it's stuck." I called out, overjoyed that someone had come even if it was a child.

Seconds passed, and after still not getting a response, I tried again. "Please, can you get me out? Or maybe replace someone who can?"

On the other side of the door, I watched as the shoes of the little girl shuffled once again, before, voice hushed, she murmured, "We are forbidden to."

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After the words had fallen from the girl's lips, I passed several seconds of stunned silence, thinking, What? Forbidden to? What on earth? Then, as the small shoes disappeared, I cried out, "Wait! Oh, please don't go!" afterward uttering a small wail of dismay when the little girl didn't return.

With a breath of confusion and despondency, I climbed back to my feet and laid my head against the wood of the door again. I was being held hostage, and I didn't know by whom.

Why? Why was I being held here? I felt as if I'd fallen down Alice's rabbit hole for nothing made sense! I didn't come from money, so it wasn't as if they were holding me for a ransom. So, what could be gained by holding me here? The thumping of my heart grated on my already distraught nerves, increasing the volume of the persistent headache clinging to my brain and sinking to my knees, I lay down again on the floor. Rolling into a tight ball, great, gulping sobs escaped from between my lips as fear and anxiety took over.

I didn't know how long I lay within my misery, only that it must have been for some time, before with a sniffle, I pushed off the floor, beginning to pace. Seconds, minutes, hours-all became meaningless as locked away within my cell, I paced, ranted, raved, begged, and pleaded. What had happened to Noir? I wondered. Was he being held hostage as well?

More time passed, and when I was about to break from the unknown, I heard the unmistakable sound of a key turning in the lock before the door swung open to reveal the figure of a woman.

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Barely had she stepped within the room, before self-preservation kicked in, and raising my hands-prepared to claw my way to freedom if necessary-I flew at the woman. It didn't matter to me if I had to run over, under, or through her, I was getting the hell out of this room! However, things didn't go as planned, for in an instant I was flat out on the carpet, staring up at the other woman. Baffled and in shock, I tried to come to terms with the fact she'd put me on my ass in less than a minute. Me, a bad-ass huntress, had just been laid low. Jesus, what was she... A Kung-Fu master?

With a grumble and my pride stinging, I climbed to my feet and tucking a shoulder I dove at the woman again. I hadn't even made contact, before with another unexpected move, she grabbed my hair, twisting me around by it until my back was against her, then grabbing my arm, she jerked it upward, muttering, "Please, stop before you make me hurt you!"

Screw this... If I had to burn the fucking place down, then so be it, and closing my eyes, I began summoning Hell's fury, then gaped incredulously when nothing happened. In the name of all that's holy, what the fuck was going on? How had she rendered my skills to less than useless?

Within minutes of our tussle, she began pushing me toward the door before ushering us from the room into the dimly lit hallway. As I was pushed down the hall, Kung-Fu Master remained silent behind me, even as I plied her with questions. "Who are you? *What the hell are you? And *why* am I being held here against my will?" But the woman just kept marching me down the hall without a word.

Minutes later, I was standing before another door; balking, I refused to take another step. Yes, I'd wanted out of my cell, but I now feared what might be behind the door I now faced.