Behind Locked Gates

My head throbbed.

A dull ache spread through my body as I slowly opened my eyes.

The ceiling above me was unfamiliar.

White.

Decorated with intricate gold patterns.

For a moment, I thought I was dreaming.

Then I sat up.

The bed beneath me was impossibly soft, covered in silk sheets that smelled faintly of lavender.

"This isn't my room..."

Panic rushed through me.

I threw the blanket aside and stumbled to my feet.

The room was enormous.

Dark wooden furniture lined the walls. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked a sprawling garden.

I ran to the nearest window.

Iron gates surrounded the property.

Beyond them stretched miles of forest.

No neighboring houses.

No roads.

Nothing.

"Help!" I screamed, pounding against the glass.

No one answered.

The room was silent.

My breathing became uneven as I searched for my phone.

Nothing.

My backpack.

Gone.

Even my shoes had disappeared.

The bedroom door clicked open.

A woman dressed in a black uniform stepped inside, carrying a silver tray.

She couldn't have been much older than forty.

Her expression was kind, but tired.

"You're awake," she said softly.

"Where am I?" I demanded.

She placed the tray on a small table.

"You should eat."

"I asked you a question!"

She looked down.

"I can't answer that."

"Can't... or won't?"

She hesitated.

"I'm sorry."

I grabbed her arm before she could leave.

"Please."

"My parents..."

"Are they okay?"

For a second, I thought I saw guilt in her eyes.

"I don't know."

Those three words shattered me.

Tears blurred my vision.

The woman gently pulled away.

"If I were you..."

She glanced toward the hallway before lowering her voice.

"...I wouldn't try to escape."

"Why?"

"Because these gates were built to keep people out."

She paused.

"...and to keep someone in."

Before I could ask what she meant, the door closed behind her.

A key turned in the lock.

I was alone again.

I looked back toward the window.

Far below, a black car rolled through the front gates.

The same black SUV.

It stopped at the mansion's entrance.

A tall man stepped out.

Even from this distance, I recognized him.

The stranger from school.

He looked up.

Our eyes met.

And for the first time...

He smiled.