False fear.

Sitting quietly in the lounge, watching tv. The day is overcast, cold. I can hear the tv burring away, the sounds of cars outside, people chatting, dogs barking. It was Saturday. But the ordinary Saturday disappeared in a flash. Through the back door come three cloaked figures, two with balaclavas, one with a blanket draped over the face. Identity unknown. Aiming for my shocked figure, breathless, wide open mouth evident of my shock. As my flatmates watch on, I have a blind fold pushed over my eyes and my arms are tied behind my back. Forcefully pushed out the front door, I am bundled into an unknown vehicle. Sounds being my only known conscious. I'm aware of laughter, talking. Joviality. Leaving the city behind, I am allowed to take off my blind fold for 5 seconds, doing my best to scan every inch of the horizon. Drinking in where I am, who I'm with. My every surrounding. But 5 seconds are gone and the blind fold is back on, the threat of handcuffs looming.

Stopping for the first time, the country air hits me, my smell and sound making up for my lack of sight. Two figures on either side of me, I am guided into a building. A dairy od some sort. Voices which once filled the air, have stopped. The silence hangs, like an evil demon waiting in anticipation. Approached by an old man calling me a 'bride to be', my disguise tricking him into a false illusion. A boy stops to hug me. Unaware, I obide. The stop passes and I am bundled back into the vehicle.

Another stop, more strange movements. I am forced to step this way and that, my actions are forced, not my own. But I continue. Back into the car. More driving. Feeling the corners of the road, I have lost all sense of direction. East and west are blurring, merged into the same direction. Stopping again, I am ordered by direction. I follow instructions. I do not step out of place. As if a dream, I no longer control myself, I am a puppet, a marionette to someone else's desires. Planned mavouevres of manipulation.

As the car slows, I know another stop is coming. By now we are hours from where I was before this happened. Before I lost control, before my sight was removed. Feeling cool air on my face, I am launched out of the car. Hands propping me up, guiding me forcefully. I understand not to fight. Cars sounds close by, like I am perched in the middle of the road. But the sounds weaken as we move on. Cars are replaed by water. The lapping of water fills my ears. Water? I grapple with my location. Aware we drove west, but unsure of how far, I am still unable to grasp my whereabouts. I could have been driven around in circles. I surrender, admit to my gap in geographical knowledge.

Walking on, I feel planks of wood beneath my shoes, the sound of water continues. As the hands aroun my arms tighten, I am forced to walk down steps. Slowly. I don't want to slip as the sound of water strengthens. Gains magnitude. I am immersed in the sound, unable to escape it. As the voices direct me, I oblige. Take off your blindfold, is my order. Finally allowed to control my limbs, my arms falter, slowly gaining strength with my continued movement. Reaching my blindfold, I pull it backwards.

Light seeps in. The black cover now failing to remove all my vision. My eyes blink hastily, the strong, bright light blanketing my eyes. But they adjust.

I am sitting on a wharf, three steps away from the sea, inviting me in. Three figures are apparent in the distance, safe from the chill-binding water, laughter escaping their lips as the heads tilt backwards with delight.

They are my friends.

Slowly, gaining strength. I shout, I laugh. I curse at them.

My heart rhythm returns to normal.