The Escape

A short story set in a barn.

Photo by Peter Herrmann on Unsplash

I slowly succumb to consciousness, a piercing pain radiating on the upper left side of my head. I groan in pain as I slowly attempt to open my eyes. My left eyelid crackles painfully as I force it open. After finally opening my eyes I see…. nothing. It’s pitch dark, wherever I am.

“Hello?” I whisper painfully, wondering where I am. As I go to get up I realize I can’t move very well. ‘What’s going on?’ I wonder. As I continue to try to get up I realize that my arms have been tied firmly behind my back. I didn’t notice before because my arms have gone numb.

“Hey, what’s going on?” I manage to croak out. I don’t hear anything at first. I stop struggling to escape and listen carefully. All I hear is a gentle cacophony of insects buzzing outside of… wherever this is. Again, where am I?

As I sit there listening for anything at all, the reality of the situation comes crashing down. I don’t know where I am. I’m trussed up and unable to move more than a few inches. The left side of my head really, really hurts! I must have been kidnapped!

I try to think back to how this might have happened and I come up…. blank! Wait, what’s going on? I can’t remember… anything! Nothing at all! Never mind where I am, who am I? Wait, no, just because I can’t remember who I am doesn’t change that the situation I am in is drastic.

I suppress my fear and begin to try and figure things out again. Of course, I don’t have any more information now than when I began. I don’t even know who I am! Okay, okay, calm down. You can get out of this. Whatever this is…

I start to fumble with my bindings and realize that I’m on my back. I try to roll over and all of a sudden I feel myself falling! With a crack, I slam into the ground after several feet, the new pain in my head nearly causing me to black out. I stop moving for a bit and let the pain slowly abate.

As I do, I realize that it isn’t just my arms that are bound. So are my legs. The fall seems to have revitalized some of the feeling in my legs and arms. Once the pain subsides I begin to struggle with the ropes. It’s no use! They’re not giving an inch.

As I’m struggling with my bindings I notice a sliver of the palest light. As I lay on my belly, trussed up…