Drugged

Lily meets eight strangers with memory loss just like her except for her brother Liam. The Game Master opens the door to the first game.

 Am I dead?

Slowly, I open my eyes, everything is so blurry, but my vision soon clears. I'm lying down in the bottom bunk of the bed against the wall. No light comes from the back wall with a circular window, but shadows dance around the room from a singular bulb on the ceiling in this metal box.

I get up without bumping my head on the top bunk. Am I on a boat? A ship? Why can't I remember anything?

What is my name...Lily?

Suddenly I hear loud snoring from behind me, I turn around to see a man with chestnut hair sleeping on the top bunk. Different from the red hair that flows down my back.

Liam! I remember that Liam is my twin brother.

I go to wake him up, “Liam! Wake up!” I shake him desperately. Hopefully he can answer all my questions.

“Huh?” I did not think seeing my brother's eyes opening can make me so full of happiness.

“Oh, thank God, Liam!” I exhale not realizing that I'm holding my breath. “Where are we?”

He looks around as he sits up with a puzzling look in his dark brown eyes. “Um, I don't know....”

“Do you remember anything?” I try not to sound like I am about to have a panic attack.

“I'm Liam, you're my twin Lily. We're 31 years old.” Liam pauses to think, “I'm a working electrician; I have a wife and two kids. Why? What's wrong?”

A electrician? I guess that's why he's wearing a red shirt with a company name in small letters on it and jeans. The company calls itself 'Solar Center'.

I try to calm my breathing, “I don't remember anything except my name.”

Liam's eyes widen in shock, he wraps his arms around me in a warm hug. “It's okay, Lily. I'm sorry, I'm here now.”

What did he mean by that?

“Are you a doctor?” My brother pulls away from me and stares.

I groan and hold my head in agony. A sharp pain hits me, it is like the my head is about to explode except it goes away as fast as it comes.

“Are you okay, Lily?!” He starts checking my forehead, but I move his hand away.

“I'm fine now. Why did you ask if I was a doctor though?” Liam points at me. I look down at my clothing to see that I'm wearing a pair of black pants, heels, a dark blue blouse and a white lab coat.

“Oh, well maybe.”

Liam sighs, “We'll get your memory back.”

I nod my head. “Either way we need to get out of here.”

Liam agrees and follows me as I walk to the heavy looking metal door on the opposite wall of the window. I push the handle down and open the door. It isn't as heavy as it looks. I glance left and right to see a long hallway of doors. There are small lights guiding both ways on the ceiling. At least it is not dark.

Another door opens across from us and Liam immediately jumps in front of me as a shield. Just in case the person behind the opening door is going to hurt us. We don't know where we are and how we got here. Caution is advised....

A man with graying brown hair and brown eyes comes out. He is also wearing a lab coat, but has blue scrubs underneath. This man looks as though he can be my father.

He looks as if he didn't expect anyone to be here.

“Who are you?” Liam demands.

The man puts both hands up in defeat. “Did you guys wake up here too? There's a bun-”

“Who are you?!” Liam yells cutting him off. His voice bounced off the walls.

“Dr. Alexander, pleased to meet you.” His face suddenly looks so serious. This looks like a man that I didn't want to piss off.

I rub Liam's arm to try and comfort him. Calming down, Liam lowers his guard.

Alexander sighs in relief, “Now, as I was saying, there are six others upstairs in the lobby. We all have partial memory loss.”

Liam and I look at each other in shock.

“Dr. Alexander...how is that possible?” I ask.

“Please young lady, call me Alexander. And I'm not too sure.”

“Oh, I'm sorry, I'm Lily and this is my brother Liam.” We shake hands and Alexander starts to lead the way upstairs.

“Are we on a ship?” I ask Alexander.

“I believe it is a luxury cruise ship from the structure.” Luxury? We must be floors below anything like that.

Liam looks over at the doctor. “So, this memory loss...I remember everything except how we got here.”

Alexander suddenly stops walking, “Really? How?”

“I don't know.”

Everyone continues as we become silent the rest of the way. We climb a staircase that leads to double white doors. After opening them, we see six other faces, just as Alexander had said.

The lobby has a grand staircase leading to another floor. There are paintings on every wall and vases on marble pedestals. A large, crystal gold chandelier is the centerpiece in this red and gold interior.

“So that makes nine of us then; what's going on here...?” A girl around my age whispers under her breath. She has long blonde hair and hazel eyes. Her clothes seem normal except the black gloves she wore.

“I don't care how many of us there are! All the other doors are locked and I have rehearsal for Swan Lake!” The brown hair girl says. Her brown eyes glares at the other girl. She looks like a ballerina in her pink leotard, white skirt and ballet slippers.

“Welcome aboard!” A robotic male's voice echoes through the ship. Everyone jumps out of their skin hearing the booming voice over the loud speaker.

“Who's there?!” A guy with black hair demands, but the voice didn't answer him.

“By now, everyone should have met each other. I have put together a series of games for the nine of you.”

Everyone stares at one another. A couple sitting on a red velvet bench sits closer together.

“I am known as the Game Master. I have injected you all including myself with a drug will wear off in 72 hours.”

“What?!” The ballet girl yells. Everyone starts whispering.

“Injected? With what?”

“The Game Master?”

“Who is he?”

“One of us?”

We all quiet down when the voice starts back up again. “But by the time the drug wears off, the ship will sink and all of you will die.”

Die? No, we can't do this. I can't...breathe. Can't breathe....

“Lily, are you having a panic attack?” Liam didn't seem to know what to do so he gets Alexander's attention. “Help her!”

I'm trying to catch my breath as Alexander stares at me and comes to my rescue.

“Repeat after me; 1, 3, 8, 10, 11, 15.”

What? “1, 3...” I gasp for air.

“1, 3, 8, 10, 11, 15.”

I try to focus more. “1, 3...8, 10, 11, 15.” I stare at Alexander in confusion.

“The human mind can't panic and count numbers out of order.” He says simply.

“T-thank you.” I say.

Once everyone is silent again the voice over the loud speaker starts to speak again as we hear a near by door unlock. We all look over at the door that opens up.

“The first game will be easy and each game will get harder. Enter if you wish to live.” Tension filled the air. “Welcome to the game, goodbye.”

Author's Note

Please Review :)

Reviews

[KCthelastboyscout]

An intriguing thriller in the making.this seems like the beginning of something more exciting to come.well written. Well done

[Brittany Defranco]

Thank you so much!