Bitter Grapes
Jana's big green eyes popped open. Disoriented, she sat up, alarm bells ringing in her mind. She squinted trying to make sense of her surroundings. It was pitch black and she was shivering. "I'm not at home," she thought "Where am I?" She wracked her memory, but nothing was coming, only a wave of dizziness. Jana tried bringing her hands up to her face to wipe her eyes, but she couldn't, well, at least not with her left hand. Her left hand jerked and there was a sharp pain. She cried out and then froze, holding her breath, listening to see if she had woken anyone or...anything. Silence. Reaching over with her free right hand to see if she could feel what was binding her left: a rope? Jana also felt something tacky and wet. Jana moaned realizing when she yanked her arm up, she had cut herself and now her wrist was bleeding. Panic began to build in Jana's chest again as she frantically searched her mind for memories of how she had gotten here, who had tied her up, and how to get out when she couldn’t see anything.