Utopia

Chapter-4

"How does this darkness make you feel, Hannah?" He asked. He sounded like a cunning snake in the inky darkness. 

"Like a protective blanket," I answered. "Familiar."

The darkness had taken down the barriers between us. It was not Mr. Scott I was talking to anymore. It was Adrian, a boy in the dark.

"Poor Hannah, " He murmured. His thumb touched my lips like a faint whisper. My lips shivered. "I think you'll do. But I have to make sure."

Suddenly an overhead light came on. It was yellow, completing the look of an old school interrogation chamber. Adrian was the intimidating CEO again. I blinked at the harsh light.

"There is one test left. I have to warn you that this is gonna be intense. This was what had left all those girls in tears. I understand if you want to quit now. I'm not responsible for what you feel next." He said propping his head in his entwined hands.

I felt like Hercules doing the twelve labors Hera had given him. And like Hercules I didn't want to quit until I passed every test. Now it was less for the job and more for his approval. It was strange that I wanted validation from this practical stranger. But then again everything was strange this fine morning. From that girl to this interrogation bulb.

"I want to take the test, Mr. Scott, " I said. 

"Good, " He smiled the faintest of the smiles. But it felt more genuine than all the grins he had given me until now. He stood up and sauntered towards the front of the desk where he opened a drawer. From inside it, he had drawn out a silk black cloth, a silver duct tape, and red ropes.  With those articles in his hand, he faced me, gauging my expression.

I must have looked blank. He frowned for a moment then his face cleared.

"I think you have a general idea of what I'm going to do with them." He said.

"I think I know but I am highly surprised they are in front of me in an interview," I spoke my mind. There was nothing wrong with speaking your mind when faced with ropes, blindfold, and duct tape. He was now standing behind me. If I would just tip my head back, I would lean on his hard stomach. I could see his long fingers holding the silky blindfold above my head. And then without a warning, he slipped the cool material on my eyes. It fit snugly, not leaving any space for the light to peek through.

As I was blinded, my ears became more vigilant, picking the most insignificant sounds. But the sound dominating all of the others was the collective breaths of Adrian and me. I could also hear the blood thrumming in my veins. I wouldn’t lie this didn’t frighten me. Being blindfolded by a stranger and being at his whim. No one knew where I was. Not even Millie. If he decided to kill and dispose of my body, no one would know. Before I could get my thoughts in order, he stuck the duct tape on my mouth. This was worse than getting blindfolded. My nostrils flared as they tried to get an extra breath in. I could feel the panic slowly settling in like water into a damaged boat. My chest heaved with an increased rate of breathing. Then his hands took hold of my wrists and crossed them behind the chair. The rough rope was looped around my wrists binding them together. He didn’t falter once while doing this. And that precision made me fear him. Any man who was that experienced in tying people up was not to be trusted.

I was now wholly his prisoner. I was blindfolded. My mouth was taped. I was bound to the chair I was sitting in. The ropes chaffed my hands when I tried to move them. I now understood why all those girls wanted to run away from here. I understood why Ms. Smith warned me not to go in. This was not an interview you would wish upon even your most bitter enemies. But I wished it upon myself. To prove to myself that I could do it. If I could do that orphanage and foster care, this was a cakewalk for me.

“Now your ears were the only sense working for you,” Adrian commented. “Ah, and your sense of touch.”

He ran his index finger along the length of my arm as he said it. 

“Now I am going to play a series of sounds for you, Hannah.” He said. I heard the sound of a click and then everything was quiet. Maddeningly quite. I couldn’t hear Adrian’s breathing or his footsteps. There was not a hint indicating that he was in the room. I felt like I was all alone in a dark valley.

“Mr. Scott,” I called hoping he would answer. It came out more like gibberish due to the tape. There was no answer. I didn’t know exactly how long I sat there but it felt like hours. I wanted to release myself and run out. I wanted to cry. I feared for a second that he forgot me. He was going to lock me in this office and go away for work. This irrational thought seemed so logical to my mind at that moment I wanted to scream. Scream until the receptionist came in and unbind me. But I kept my mouth shut. I told my panicked mind again and again that this was just a test. I had seen worse than this. Adrian was not going to kill me. This was just a job interview. But with every passing second, I started to lose belief in my own words.

Then I heard something. A wail. A heart-wrenching wail of a woman. A small squeal escaped my throat at that unexpected cry.

“Who is it?” I asked without even thinking about it. But the question didn’t come out because of the duct tape that closed my mouth. The wail raised, becoming shriller. I thought the woman might lose her voice any second if she continued like this. That wail pinched my heart and twisted it. I wanted to shut my ears and beg her to stop. Was it another girl who came here for the interview? Was she bound in a hidden place like me? Would I wail like that tomorrow? I couldn’t take it anymore. I was ready to yield. I was ready to scream for Adrian and tell him I didn’t want his f*****g job.

But I didn’t do that. I was still there. Bound and going crazy with that wail. A single tear escaped my eye and dampened the blindfold. My shoulders felt sore and my tongue felt dry. I lost feeling in my arms. I wondered if all the other girls stayed in for this long. They didn’t. That meant they yielded in the middle of this test. I didn’t blame them. I didn’t think I would have fared this long if not for my circumstances. 

Just when I thought this hell would never end, the tape on my mouth was peeled off. I doubled over coughing and taking in as much oxygen as I could. A dry sob escaped my throat raking my body. The ropes were untied and my hands were free, but I couldn’t move them without searing pain in my shoulders. The blindfold was the next to come off. The room was sunlit again. I had to close my eyes for a few seconds against that blinding light.

When I opened my eyes again, I saw Adrian as I saw him for the first time. His silhouette outlined by the sunlight. But he was facing me now. He looked like an angel who came to fly me out of hell. I forgot for the moment that this angel was the one who threw me in the hell in the first place.

“You are selected, Hannah,” He said before sweeping me into his arms. I closed my eyes and descended into blissful oblivion.