When she awoke the room was pitch dark. Sarah didn’t move. There was something definitely different about her room. She could no longer hear the waves crashing on the shore or smell the fresh, crisp ocean air. The room was humid and warm, and her bed was lumpy. It occurred to her that she could be just dreaming, and she carried the thought for quite a while before being confident that she was indeed awake. The musing triggered her mind to remember her dreams. She recalled voices of men, and being carried somewhere, the sounds of an airplane. Something about being lost in a jungle and there had been wild animals. Andrew was there. She thought it strange that he was in her dream. She was in trouble, but no one would help her. It was all she could remember, and she drew her mind back into the present. The last thing that was definitely real was the shot she had received from the doctor. Then the feeling of dizziness, which would logically mean that she had fallen asleep, but for how long? She silently moved her legs against one another and felt some small stubble. At least a day, maybe two, she determined. What was she wearing? She could feel the socks on her feet and her shoes, her pants, her blouse and bra. Her hair was touching her face and her hands were at her sides. She moved her fingers to touch the bedding. It was coarse, and felt ragged.

 Sarah strained to see some kind of light. The darkness was heavy, like a cloak, and she blinked her eyes several times to see if she had lost her sense of sight. She couldn’t tell. A sound barely broke the silence. Something, or someone, was sliding over the floor underneath the bed. She couldn’t tell how far away the sound was but it was definitely moving toward her. She braced herself for some kind of contact, but the sound stopped and she willed her fear away. Her mind needed to be in control, not her emotions.

 A voice broke through the stillness and it made her heart jump, which physically hurt her, but it also allayed the fear that she was alone.

 “Hello?” it was Andrew’s voice.

 “Andrew?” Sarah asked softly.

 “Are you ok?” Andrew asked.

 “I think so. I haven’t really moved yet,” she replied.

 “Me neither,” he said.

 “Any idea where we are at?” she asked.

 “Only a guess. The doctor slipped up in giving me the shots. Sounds like we were inoculated for tropical jungle types of illnesses,” Andrew said.

 “Oh. That doesn’t sound too promising…” Sarah’s voice drifted off.

 “My bet is either Africa or South East Asia. He specifically mentioned Dengue fever,” Andrew said.

 “Is anyone else here?” Sarah asked.

 Andrew paused, “I don’t know.”

 “Do you know what that is on the floor?” she asked.

 “Only a guess, and it’s not something I’d really like to deal with,” he said.

 She didn’t either.

 “Any idea how long we’ve been here?” she asked.

 “I think a day or so. My beard is only stubble,“ he said. The comment brought an unseen smile to her face.

 “I agree,” she said.

 “How long have you been awake?” he asked.

 “I just woke up.” It was Ralph.

 “Don’t move, Ralph,” Andrew said.

 Ralph was silent.

 “Did you hear me, Ralph?” Andrew said.

 “Uh…yes. We’re not at the house anymore are we?” he asked.

 “No. Kansas is long gone, Ralph. There is also something on the floor. Don’t move,” Andrew said.

 “Is anyone else awake?” Andrew increased the volume in his voice, and they all froze as they heard the sliding sound again.

 “Yes,” Kristen replied as softy as she could. “Where are we?”

 “We don’t know, Kristen,” Sarah whispered back.

 “Matt?” Sarah asked.

 “Matt?” The next time was a little louder.

 “Huh?” They all heard his voice.

 “Wake up, Matt.” Andrew said.

 “Huh…what’s happening?” Matt said. They all heard him move in his bed like he was trying to sit up.

 “DON’T MOVE!” Andrew hissed.

 “Huh? Why not? Where are we?” Matt said. They heard his feet hit the floor.

 “What the!…Where are – Damn! There’s something on the floor!” his voice shook in a vibrato and they could all hear him jump back on the bed.

 “Well, get off of it then!” Andrew was obviously ticked. “We told you not to move!”

 No one spoke as several creatures moved across the floor. They all listened until the movement stopped.

 “What was the floor made of, Matt?” Andrew asked.

 “Huh?”

 “Matt! Pay attention!” Andrew hissed again.

 “What is the floor made of?”

 “Oh. Dirt, sand, something like that” he said.

 “Can anyone feel an outside wall?” Andrew asked.

 “Yes,” Kristen said, “it feels like sawn timber. It’s splintered, and rough.”

 “Can anyone see anything?” Sarah asked.

 No one spoke.

 “Does anyone have any idea where we are?” Kristen asked.

 There was silence for a moment.

 “Not really. I think in a jungle somewhere,” Andrew said.

 “I’m getting a bad feeling about this whole thing,” Ralph said.

 “You’re not the only one, bro’. Told you we should have taken the money and ran,” Matt said.

 “That’s great hindsight, but what do we do…” Ralph said.

 “Any one have something on their wrist?” Sarah asked.

 “A watch…no, I don’t know what it is, but it’s not my watch,“ Andrew said.

 “Everyone?” Sarah asked.

 “Yes.”

 “Which wrist?” She asked.

 “Right,” they all said.

 “Anyone left handed?” she asked.

 “Me,” Kristen said.

 “Do you wear a watch on your left or right hand?” Sarah asked.

 “I don’t wear a watch…” Kristen said.

 “There are some buttons on mine. Should I press them?” Matt asked.

 “NO!” everyone replied.

 “We don’t know what it is. Don’t do anything until it’s daylight and we can see what we are dealing with,” Andrew said.

 “Fine,” Matt said. They could all hear the irritation in his voice.

 “Hey. I have my GPS,” Matt said, “they didn’t find it. Cool.”

 “What?” Sarah asked.

 “I bought a small GPS unit and put it in my cigarette pack. They didn’t find it.”

 “Matt – that’s a violation of the rules…” Kristen said.

 “Does anyone really give a flying rat’s ass about the rules? I mean, come on – we don’t even know where we are…” Matt said.

 No one answered him.

 “Let’s just all wait until morning and we have a better idea of what we are dealing with,” Andrew said.

 Sarah tried to close her eyes and rest. She knew she would need it but sleep never came, and morning arrived several hours later. Someone was snoring...

Four Crows by Author Andrea Peters, Four Crows Book, Excerpt