Satin and Twine

I was rising, spinning and floating through a haze. The Sun above me was bright and beautiful. Its warmth drew me closer and closer. Below me the Earth spun on. Its cold wind pushed me further and further away. In between I rested in a bleak gray fog. The mist was uncomfortable but I wouldn't be there long. The sun pulled and the wind pushed. But though the wind pushed me something made me stop, even in that desolate and unpleasant smog. Howling and shrieking in my ears the wind nearly deafened me to the voices rising from the Earth. They were faint, barely a whisper of words I couldn't quite hear or understand. There seemed to be quite a few of them whispering, (or where they yelling?) their voices like strands of rope reaching into the clouds around me. I wanted to grab hold, but the Sun was so warm, the Earth's wind was so cold, and I was floating near the edge of the fog. I was fading, slowing rising into the Sun's embrace even though I looked onto Earth.

And then another voice joined them. He was deep and smooth like silk washing over me as he whispered. I couldn't understand him but that didn't matter. His voice was a rope I so eagerly took hold of. The wind and the Sun tried to pull me back. The Sun got warmer and the wind howled louder but it was too late. I held the satin threads of his voice in my hands. I would go nowhere but to their source even as it took me back into the mist.

And so I did. I pulled and struggled my way back to the earth. With each haul the whispers became a little clearer. With each tug the more I understood the voices that begged me come back. Loudest of all was the voice in my hands. Though he was more demanding as his tone vibrated through me. His voice throbbed in my head and pulled me further down the rope. I could hear them now. I could hear their voices and understand their words as if they were next to me. Freya, Freya, Freya. They whispered over and over again. Freya. My name; they were calling my name, calling me back to Earth, back to them!

And then the voice in my hands vibrated again. His low sweet tone was echoing around me and covered me with warmth. He wasn't just next to me, he was wrapped around me. He was holding me; holding me with his lips pressed to my neck as he whispered against my skin, Dyre, Dyre, Dyre. My name, he was calling my name. Dyre, the name he wrote on my heart and carved into my bones. Dyre… the name he gave me burned on my skin and sent me racing down the rope.

I was halfway through the haze when I stopped. Before me was a wall. It looked like glass but moved like water when I touched its surface. It was all that stood between me and the whispering but when I pushed against it pain shot through me. It was an icy pain that spread over my body and sent me flying back away from the wall. I didn't want to go back there, I would feel only pain I didn't want that. But the voice in my hand vibrated again and sent a rush of warmth through me that brought me back to the wall. Dyre! He growled the name now, making my still blood pump again as I was pulled heart-first through the wall. Wake up!

I sat up in a bed gasping for breath and people raced to my sides. "Freya? Are you with us?" One asked taking hold of my head and shining a light in my eyes. I nodded weakly as I shivered and tried to curl up for warmth. "No, Freya, I need you to lay still. I know you're cold but don't curl up. Can you do that?"

I whimpered and nodded, closing my eyes to the blinding light. I must have passed out because the next thing I remember was the silence. No more voices, no more wind only the faint beep of a heart monitor. And I remember how hollow I felt because of it. It was like the quiet was gutting me, tearing apart my soul as I let out a small whimper.

"Dyre?" that voice, I faintly remembered it. Something about fog and a rope but the memories wouldn't solidify in my mind. But there was something about that voice, like something out of a fairytale.

Slowly, I opened my eyes. The room was bright and white and rather boring. So it was no wonder my eyes drifted around until they fell on the one interesting thing in the room. A man stood near the side of my bed. I could only describe him as dark. Dark curly hair, a dark coat hung near the door, and a dark suit fitted to his thin frame. His skin was pale, his eyes were cold and grey but there was more, I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

"Hello?" my throat was sore and scratchy as I spoke. I started to cough and soon found that I couldn't stop. My lungs hurt, my throat hurt, hell everything hurt!

"Just breathe, Dyre," he said moving to sit beside me on the bed before shouting out the open door, "John! Mary! She's awake!" he turned back to me, long piano fingers touching my skin gently as he turned my head to examine me. "Who did this to you, Dyre?"

"My- name-is Freya," I wheezed out between coughs and his fingers froze on my face.

John and Mary entered the room and John moved to my other side. "Hold your hands up above your head, Freya." He said helping to raise my left arm. My eyes stayed on the man next to me who looked like he'd been turned to stone. He was so still, his grey eyes watching mine. His mind was racing, anyone could see that. But it seemed like Mary and John didn't, they both watched me while I stole glances at the man to my right.

My couch subsided and the man stood up. He turned his head to the side and spoke again, "Who did this to you… Freya?" John and Mary's heads snapped around to look at him. He kept his eyes on me.

I frowned, "I don't know."

"Someone put you in a freezer; you must know something."

"Someone put me in a WHAT?" I panicked looking between the three of them. "What happened to me?!" They all paused, looking at me with varying expressions of fear and confusion but for the third man. He looked like he was concentrating very hard on putting together a puzzle. A million piece puzzle for him to complete. The silence wore on and I looked at them with horror. A freezer?! How could I have been put in a freezer?!

"Freya, what do you remember?" John asked taking my hand into his warm palm and momentarily distracting me from my horror. There were bandages on his face, like he'd gotten into a fight. I ran a finger over one of them, a question asked in the frown on my face. "Later, right now I need you to remember."

I dropped my hand and opened my mouth to answer him, "I-" I frowned looking down at my blankets as I tried to think. What did I remember? "Y-you were showing me around that old Baker Street flat. The one you're friend lived in before he died-"

"What?" Mary cut me off and I turned to look at her.

"What?" I asked looking around. John and Mary looked at me like I'd grown an extra head. The man only blinked before turning his eyes to the floor. John glanced from me to him and I frowned slightly in confusion.

"Freya-" John started, squeezing my hand. "That-" he stopped when the man turned and marched out the door. "Sherlo- Sherlock!" he shouted running after him and I watched them both go.

"Mary?" I whispered as she sat beside me. I was shaking, my whole body vibrating with fear and confusion. I tore my eyes away from the door and looked at her. Something was wrong, something was very wrong.

"Freya, you should rest," she said reaching up with her free hand to smooth out my hair. "You've had a long couple days."

"No," I growled, "Tell me what happened."

She hesitated a moment more before giving me a weak smile. Her face fell, her eyes held fear as she opened her mouth to answer me. "You saw the marks on John's face, yeah?" I nodded. "Well you both were taken yesterday. You were put in a freezer filled with ice water and John was put at the bottom of a bonfire. I was sent a coded text telling me John would die sooner, but… you would be harder to find."

"Mary?" I whispered grabbing hold of her. "Mary, did I die?"

The silence told me everything.