Lifting my heavy eyelids, I look around the empty cell, trying to recall where I am. It all comes crashing down on me, visions playing like a ruined film reel. The strange guy that took me, then appearing in another world and now here I am locked up in a cell. I have no idea what the hell is going on. Closing my eyes again, I go back and replay what happened.

It had been months since my Dara disappeared. I’d done everything in my power to find her in those first few days. The letter she left behind when she went for her hike gave me the first and only lead - to search the Wet Tropics. I tried to search the whole area over those first few days, but there was too much ground to cover. Each time nothing showed up, nothing at all. I had a suspicion that those guys I let her leave the club with had something to do with her disappearance, but I had no proof.

Eventually I called the local police, and even though they searched for her, they always came back empty-handed. I put posters up all over town. News reporters came to interview me, blasting her disappearance around the state, hoping she’d see it and come home, or someone would know where she was, but after months with no leads, everyone had given up the search - everyone except me. I knew she was out there somewhere - she had to be.

Everyone else may have given up, but I didn’t, I couldn’t. Dara’s my best friend, and I wouldn’t stop looking until I found her. I knew she would do the exact same for me. I can’t believe I let her leave with those guys that night at the club. I should have fought and gone with her. I kicked myself every day for that mistake. I could blame the alcohol, but it all came down to being a shit friend. If I had gone with her, I may have gotten a better lead and had insight into what happened. But I couldn’t change what happened now. It was done, and I was stuck here picking up the pieces, trying desperately to find Dara.

I was out putting up new posters when I heard someone clear their throat behind me. I spun around, coming face to face with a man whose eyes were as black as an inky pool. He was sporting white pants and a black jumper. I had a bad feeling about him, something that sent warning bells through me. The way he looked right through me. That alone should have had me running for the hills.

I turned around to leave but stopped when he said, “I have a lead on your friend. I can show you where she was last seen.”

“Excuse me?” I asked.

“I said, I know where your friend was last seen,” he repeats “Do you want me to show you?”

I try to process what he’s just said. Could I even trust this freak? Everything about him screams evil, the dark shadows under his sunken eyes, his harden features. I just knew something wasn’t right with him and my conscious tells me I should turn and run. But he is the only lead I have on Dara. I needed to find out what he knows. Dara’s my number one priority right now. I owed it to her to never give up until I found her.

“Where did you see her? Have you reported this to the police?” I ask cautiously.

He ran his hand through his hair, clearly getting frustrated. “Yes, it was reported to the police not long ago. They’re on their way now, we need to meet them there,” he explained, walking away towards a car.

Warning bells go off. “Wouldn’t they have called me already?” I ask, causing him to stop and turn around to face me.

“How the hell would I know?” He snapped back.

Stumbling back at his words. Turning around I start to run but something hard strikes the back of my head that’s when everything went black.

Cool air hits my face, I struggle but I manage to open my eyes. Looking around, I noticed a sign that said Wet Tropics.

“What’s going on?” I asked, just as the guy forcefully grabs a hold of my arm pulling me forward.

“You and I are going for a little walk.”

He pulls me into the forest with a force, I try to hold back the tears; confusion taking its hold. What the hell is going on? My head kills and I have no idea what’s going on. Is he leading me to Dara? Why is he being so rough and why does my head ache? We walked in silence for hours, or minutes, I have no idea.

Another several hours passed in a blur. My feet were killing me - I couldn’t think straight. Where are we going?

The guy stopped abruptly, and I slammed into his back. Shaking myself off, I looked around him to find several men, all dressed in white. Warning bells went off yet again, I am in trouble. But how the hell did I get here? Everything is blurred, I couldn’t recall anything that’s happened.

I turned around and tried to run as fast as I possibly could, but my body stopped instantly, like it’s hit a brick wall. I tried to push forward, but I was stuck in place.

What the hell is going on?

I can’t move my body at all. I was turned back around, forced to face the men. My pulse rate rose when I realised someone else was in charge of my body.

The evil guy laughs out loud and it pierces my ears. “Let me tell you, Kayla, it’s magic and I’ll be teaching you a thing or two right now,” he says.

Did he just say magic? It couldn’t be. No one believed in that. I must be completely out of it right now or in a deep sleep. This couldn’t be real.

My heart dropped. What did I get myself into?

I’m done for. They may as well just kill me here and now.

Evil man shook his head, apparently reading my thoughts.

“I have plans for you, Kayla - plans that I need you very much alive for. You’ll be my bargaining chip, the answer to all my problems. Now, enough time wasting. Let’s get this over with, shall we?”

I don’t get a second to process what he said as the bubble around me shatters. I fell hard to the ground, pain engulfing my whole body. He lifted up his arms, chanting, then when he thrusted his hands towards me, I’m thrown backwards. My body burns and freezes simultaneously from my head down to my toes.

“Now let's go to Silva, shall we?”

That’s the last thing I heard before everything closes in around me turning to darkness.

Now here I am stuck in this stinky cell. Having no idea what’s going on. The only visitors I have had are those creepy guys that wear all white. I can’t recall how long I have been in here rotting away. It could have been hours, could have been days. I had no idea. I just desperately wanted answers. To find out what this Silvia place was. That’s the only thing I remember hearing before it all went black.

After waking up in this cell, everything about me feels different. I am different. Like a whole new person. I have no idea what that guy did to me or where I am. I just know that I am different now and I am somewhere else. I had been mulling over my own thoughts and truth be told I am going a little crazy. Being alone here, listening to all my own theories and beliefs. The only thing keeping me going is that one guy that comes to visit me every few hours. He’s different to the others. There is something about him that makes me feel safe. The aura that shines off him makes me trust him. He seems to care about me but tries hard not to show it in front of the others. His tanned skin shines out from the white of his outfit, his hair is slicked back sporting one of those man buns - that I swore I hated until I saw him. His face clean-shaven, his smile shows me he cares about me. About my wellbeing. Where everyone else wears a scowl, he doesn’t. He’s the only one I trust in this hellhole.

I doze off thinking of him, of his smile.