In Between by Rizonne Alexander (the reading strategies book .TXT) 📕

My mother once told me that when you meet the love of your life, you will know. She explained that it is a feeling way beyond your control. It will control your mind, your heart and your soul. She also told me it would not last forever too, heart breaking but true. I never really believed in love because I was so career driven. I was so obsessed with being the best at what I do.

My name is Amber, I’m currently a fashion designer for my own line Sheeky and I stay in France. My whole life that I’m currently living is what I always dreamt of. I always wanted to be a fashion designer, I always wanted to stay in the capital where the latest trends evolved from. Originally, I am from Miami where both my parents stay, my mother Alyssa and my dad Reagan. I’m the only child and as you can imagine I got only the best. My mom has her own legal firm and my dad is the CEO of some stock market company. The choices I have made, they always supported. Never stood in my way and always went the extra mile to get where I am today. Unfortunately, love was never on my to-do list. My dad was okay with that, but my mother has always been on my case for grandchildren after I turned twenty-four years old. I always explained to her that I don’t have time for marriage and kids while I’m busy dressing VIP’s and celebrities from across the world. My life became even more busier when I opened up my store in France. My Sheeky line went international and the demand was more than what I expected. I eventually appointed a manager, store assistants and my very own personal assistant. After two years of success and amazing profits, I was able to open up a branch back home in Miami. France is always cold, snowy and icy. The house that I bought is close to the mountains and forest, so the temperatures in winter is very extreme. My fire place is always full of wood for the night to warm up the place. Households in France is not what people think they are, I met a few people from across the world who always assumed that our houses are modern, our equipment is the latest but in fact, we don’t have central heating and other temperature controlling equipment. Our homes are more fire controlled, like what you see in the movies. Going to the forest, chopping up wood especially for Christmas trees. I swear Christmas tree hunting is bad, the forest basically becomes like a massive shopping mall. The noises, the machines cutting and shouting. I rather just put an order in for a tree through a company I found online. This time of the year is in any case recruitment for models for my new winter line and getting the clothes done before Christmas. I usually have my run way in mid-September in the fall, but I decided to have a Christmas themed run way and booked it in two weeks before Christmas. All preparations have been going very smooth and tomorrow I will be starting the interviews for new models, sometimes I use the same models from my previous fashion show but because I’m introducing a men’s line too, I need male models. Before I get too busy, I decided to check out the Christmas trees today just for fun and maybe further inspiration for some props for my fashion show. I quickly got dressed as I already ordered a taxi to pick me up in front of my house. The moment I tied my laces to my sneakers the taxi hooted outside. I grabbed my bag and bolted out the door to the taxi. I hopped in before I got too wet from the rain that just started. “Haute Tree’s please. I need to be at that location.” I instructed the driver. We drove off towards the forest. The rain was picking up and I already regretted coming out today, if I knew it would be raining today, I would have stayed in rather. Luckily, I was thickly dressed. We stopped at the entrance of the forest and I hopped out after making payment. The place was already crowded, I could not believe my eyes! The cutting machines was already starting to mould up my brain function, not to even mention all the shouting mothers to the kids and the squealing in response. I pulled my hoodie just above my eyebrows, hands in my pockets and walked around the forest. Bark crushed below my sneakers with every step I took, eventually the rain stopped, and it was just a slight drizzle. The bark caught my eye, I think I can use this. I picked up a piece that remained from a cut off Christmas tree. I could scatter this on the run way, I picked up another piece and that is when everything went dark around me. At first, I felt a hand around my mouth that did not give me a slight chance to shout, then darkness.

I woke to my feet shackled to some hospital bed with my arms tied down to the bed as well. My arms lay next to my body filled with drips and small pipes that have been inserted into my veins. Every vein that was pierced is burning. I don’t recall how I got here but my current drowsy state is not allowing me to feel any form of fear or anxiousness. Through my blurry vision I turned my head to the side of the bed and noticed a coffin next to me, this made my heart jump. All the pipes and drips connected to me is going into the coffin. I try to mouth the words fuck but I can’t. I can’t speak, I’m numb and basically I feel like a vegetable. I closed my eyes again to try and focus my eye sight but I slumbered into a deep sleep once again. Once I woke up again, all of this just happened again. I can recall that this situation right now has been happening a few times already. In the end I always just slumber back into some deep sleep until one moment all of it disappeared and I was faced with reality. As I lay on the bed with beeping sounds all around me, all I can remember is entering the forest to pick out a Christmas tree and some props for the show, then a hand grabbed my mouth shut and everything went to dark. My mind told me to just stay calm, but my heart would not align and immediately I let out a scream and yanked at the chains that locked me down onto the bed. My eyes flew open and I was surrounded by medical machines, drips and the room I was in was plain white with no windows at all. I continued screaming for another few minutes until the door rattled and opened. A man walked in, he looked around about in his early thirties. “Why am I here? Who are you?” I shouted at him crying. He walked around to the other side of the room towards one of the machines, he picked up a paper that was being printed from the machine. “Answer me damn it! Who are you!” I shouted once again. He brought the paper towards me and smiled, I glared at him and not losing any eye contact. He reached for my forehead and I flinched. “Your vitals are really great; your body is strong.” He stated. “Why am I chained? What happened to me?” I asked more pleadingly. “You fell and knocked your head.” He lied, I could tell he was lying. “You are lying to me! This is clearly not a hospital, I have seen the coffin that once stood next to my bed and the drips that went into it from my arms! Look at my fucking arms!” I shouted at him. All he did was give one deep sigh and walk out the door shutting it closed. My frustration has clouded the fact that I should be scared. I lifted my head up slightly and saw my feet were bare, I was also dressed in a hospital gown. What hospital chains a patient to a damn bed? I thought to myself. I yanked further on the chains but no luck, the beeping of the machines was extremely irritating me. Once again, the door rattled and opened. A different guy walked in, early thirties too. He took the chair that was in the corner of the room and placed it next to the bed. He took a seat and had some sort of clipboard to which he was looking at me up, down and made some scribbles on it I would assume. While he was checking me out, I checked him out. His skin was as white as snow, raven black hair with peach coloured lips. “Amber, my name is Dregicht. I’m currently overseeing your stay in the castle and making sure you are strong enough after the transfusion that has taken place.” He explained. “Excuse me? Transfusion? Castle? My stay?” I proclaimed in utter shock. “I can understand your confusion and your many questions. This all will be answered in due time however, for now a nurse will be assisting you into getting dressed and escorting you back to your room.” He said and stood up making his way towards the door. “Dregicht! Wait! Before you go, where am I?” I asked pleadingly. “Czech Republic” he replied and walked out. I gave out a huge sigh, I don’t understand any of this. What mess have I gotten myself into. All I knew is that I was supposed to be doing interviews for male models for my new line. Is this some sort of vindictive revenge from another designer? Is this a way of silencing my success in fashion? I know its demanding but to go to this length! All these questions ran through my head. A few minutes later a nurse walked into the room, well she was fully dressed as a nurse. She looked much older, late fifties. Her hair too was black as a raven and skin as white as snow. Who are these people I thought? I know Czech is a really cold country, but it too gets a little bit of sun. she checked the print outs and then turned around to start unlocking the chains. I kept my eye on her and she every few seconds peeked at me too. Once my feet were free she looked at me and smiled. “Amber, do not run. Do not try and escape. This will cause you many consequences that you do not want at hand. All I need you to do is get dressed and follow me to your room where you can bathe and get cleaned up okay.” She explained in a husky deep voice. I nodded, and she moved towards my hands and unlocked them too. She kept her hand flat on my arm and slowly pulled the needles out of my veins. She taped them down with some cotton wool and a sticker. I slowly sat up and scanned the room even better, the door was slightly open and that is when I saw my chance to escape. I steadily got to my feet to give off no suspicion as she got my clothes from the other side of the room. Once I was on my feet I bolted for the door. My heart nearly stopped when she had me by my throat and stood in front of me. My eyes grew