Life is but a Dream... (A Sherlock Fanfiction)

*The Great Game: Part Eleven*

Chapter Thirty-Two: With Death Himself

I woke in room so dark I doubted my open eyelids. My back was against a wall that chilled me to the bone, and I had a memory of that dream from a few days ago. Was this even real? I looked up to see that blue window again, but not a crack in sight. I stood, muscles achingly looked out the window to see black lines in a "T" form at the end. Suddenly it came to me: I was at a pool. No wonder the air smelled strong of chlorine. How'd I get here?

"Didn't mommy ever tell you not to talk to strangers?" I heard a chilling voice echo in the room. I shut my eyes tight with my fists to condense my fear that began to build. I swallowed nothing from my dry throat, staring at the wall in terror. I should've known... I had a flashback to when I first encountered Jim, and felt his fingertips on my wrist even now.

"Just leaving you a present." Jim said, and I heard something hit the floor gently.
"Byee." he sang in a voice that made my bones curl.
I heard a door close, the sound making me fall to my knees in fear, holding back a sob. I picked up what he had given me: my phone with a note on the back:

Call John and tell him you're alright.

As I sat against the wall, I opened my phone to see it was late in the evening. I would have been home by now. I saw the messages from John, and even Wyatt.

Where'd you go? You okay?
~Wyatt

Missed Call(2)
John

Aspen where are you?
~John.

I tapped the John's name and the phone rang as the invisible line made its way to John's phone.
"Aspen?" I heard his voice ask with concern.
I took a deep breath before speaking, with a feeling that Jim was watching me.
"I- I'm fine, John. Just w-with Molly." I said, trying to hold back tears.
"Are you sure?" John asked.
"Yes, just- I have to get back to work." I said, pouring what little confidence I had into my words.
"Okay... Love you." He said, then hung up. I took another deep breath while pulling my knees to my chin. Was I supposed to stay here at the mercy of Jim?

I leaned my head on my jeans, feeling silent tears roll down in the chilling air. I heard a what sounded like two doors open, but saw only one, with a sliver of orange light from the crack, telling me it was sundown. I couldn't see whose silhouette it was, but I wiped my tears anyway. Finally, I could tell who it was by his hair: it was Lestrade.
"L-" I started, but a cold hand snaked from behind and covered it. My eyes widened to an impossible size before I could make a sound.

"Shh." I heard Jim quietly say to me as we were kept in the shadows. His hands covered both my lips and nose, but what made me feel more helpless was he could feel what small tears had escaped.
"The kid isn't in here." I heard Lestrade say, and a small spark in me lit, but I felt Jims hand slack. He cursed under his breath before the door shut, then threw me to the floor. I felt my head collide with concrete as his foot hit my stomach.

"Will that make you shut up?" He asked, them adjusted his suit. Though I was on the floor, I felt my shoulders trembling like a dog in the snow. My heart ached as if the hit had pushed my rib age against it, also blocking my windpipe. Jim walked out, leaving me once again at his mercy under the pool.
*
It had to be late at night when I tried turning on my phone. Dead. I wanted to believe a sound from above, somehow miraculously traveling through the concrete or through the water and the window. Then, I thought I heard Jim yell from above.
Never have I heard a room so quiet when I strained to listen to hear from above. The floor was too thick, dang it.

But, then after a while, the door opened to Jim, who had an angry, yet smug look on his face. He grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the door. I finally saw a set of stairs that led to a for to the pool. When I opened it, he tightened his hold on my arm so much I felt the circulation cut off.

"Sorry boys! I'm so changeable! It is a weakness with me, but to be fair, it is my only weakness." He shouted when we came in. He stopped at the opening next to some changing rooms but kept me against the wall.
"I'd try to convince you, but everything I have to say has already crossed your mind!" He continued, then pulled me out.

My heart almost stopped when I saw Sherlock and John, whose eyes grew wider than I would imagine.
"Probably my answer has crossed yours-" Sherlock said, but when he turned around, raising his gun, it looked like he almost faltered when he saw me.

At the sight of his gun, Jim pulled me in front of him, his arm around my throat and waist, quite abruptly, I might add. I've never seen John so upset then now as well. I tried to control my short breathing as his warm arm contrasted on my shivering neck.
"Careful now." he said softly.
Sherlock lowered his gun to a jacket with bombs on the floor. I knew what he was doing: he planned to blow us up.
I could sense Jim smiling slightly, as Sherlock
narrowing his eyes a bit. John's gaze never left me.