Darkness.
That was the first thing she noticed.
Dark... and cold.
Darina's eyes fluttered open slowly, her vision blurry and heavy. For a few seconds she didn't move. Her head throbbed painfully, and her body felt weak—like every bone inside her had turned to water.
The air smelled damp.
Dusty.
Cold enough that her breath came out in faint white clouds.
She blinked again, trying to focus.
The room around her was barely visible, lit only by a weak bulb hanging somewhere far above. The light flickered slightly, throwing long shadows across rough concrete walls.
Darina was lying on the floor.
Her cheek pressed against freezing cement.
A violent shiver ran through her body.
"...h—"
Her voice barely came out.
Her throat felt raw.
She tried to sit up.
The moment she pushed onto her elbows, the room spun.
Her stomach lurched and she quickly squeezed her eyes shut, breathing shallowly.
The fever hadn't left.
Her skin burned, but the cold around her bit into her bones at the same time, making her tremble uncontrollably.
Her hands shook as she slowly pushed herself upright.
"Where..."
Her voice cracked.
Memories came back in broken flashes.
The garden.
The car.
A hand grabbing her.
The cloth.
Her heart started beating faster.
Her breathing grew uneven.
Darina wrapped her arms around herself instinctively, trying to stop the shaking.
It didn't help.
Her teeth chattered slightly.
Her coat was gone.
She was still in her thin sleep shirt and soft pants.
Barefoot.
Cold seeped through the concrete floor straight into her skin.
Another shiver tore through her body, stronger this time.
"Mom..." she whispered weakly, the word slipping out before she could stop it.
Her head dropped slightly as dizziness washed over her again.
She pressed her hands to the floor to steady herself.
The room looked like some kind of storage space.
Metal shelves.
A rusted door.
Old crates stacked in corners.
No windows.
No sound except a faint humming from somewhere far away.
And her own shaky breathing.
Darina tried to stand.
Her legs immediately buckled.
YOU ARE READING
Blood Between Us
Teen FictionHer mother's sons. Her father's sons. Her half-brothers raised to rule, raised to destroy each other. To them, she isn't just blood-she's possession, weakness, leverage... and the one thing neither side will surrender. As rivalry turns ruthless and...
