The room was small
and sparsely furnished. Besides bare walls, she saw a narrow bed, a metal
table, and two metal chairs. Not until the door closed behind her did Patricia
realize Travis hadn't followed her in, and she sank down on the edge of the
bed, finding it anything but comfortable. "This place really sucks. Oh, you can probably hear me, can't you? I mean,
don't get me wrong, it's much better than the cell, and I am grateful, I guess.
I mean, the cell is even scarier than YOU are. Is there a shower? Why didn't I
ask if there's a shower?"
The sound of her
own voice was somehow comforting, and she got back to her feet, wanting to find
that closet filled with clothes from possibly deceased strangers. Travis
picking out clothes for her seemed creepy, but investigating would give her
something to do.
When she approached
the first wall, it didn't move at all. The second turned out to be a completely
unresponsive computer terminal, and the third opened to show a small and
peculiar restroom. Her next attempt rewarded her with a long row of clothes
approximately her size, of very different colors and models. Holding one up
against herself, she muttered, "Does he really expect me to wear this?"
After tossing the
dress to the side, she ventured over towards the little restroom, where she
poked the peculiar faucets and controls, wondering what they might do. Over to
the side stood a metallic tube attached to both the floor and the ceiling, and
when she stepped closer, the front part slid to the side. "Hmm, I wonder if
you're the garbage disposal or the sauna?"
She jumped when the
metallic voice she'd once heard on the bridge echoed in the little room.
"Please remove your clothing, step into the personal cleanser, close your
eyes, and hold your breath."
Looking around, she
was both surprised and relieved not to see anyone. "I thought you weren't
real. Who are you? Where are you?"
As Travis's words
of them being completely alone on the large ship surfaced in her memory, she
added quietly, "Are you a figment of my imagination?"
The voice offered
no explanation; it just repeated its command. "Remove your clothing, step
into the personal cleanser, close your eyes, and hold your breath."
Standing in a steel
tube didn't seem appealing, especially not if it required closing one's eyes
and holding one's breath, but personal cleanser did sound a little like shower,
and she felt disgustingly dirty. She stuck her hand in cautiously and wiggled
her fingers. When she withdrew the hand it was still there, and she decided to
obey, dropping her clothes in a pile on the floor.
As soon as she
stepped in, the opening in the tube closed automatically behind her, and she
was trapped. She barely had time to remember closing her eyes and holding her
breath before a smelly solution attacked her from all sides, spraying her from
top to toe. Less than a second later, it was sucked off with enough force to
make her hair stand up, and another solution drenched her.
She wanted to
cough, or maybe scream, but there was no time. Hot air blew over her, drying
her off with near hurricane strength. It only took a few seconds after she
entered the tube before the door opened to let her out, and she staggered back
into the restroom, gasping for air. "Personal cleanser? That's a freakin'
carwash!"
Taking a look at
herself, she made a little face of reluctant approval; she was clean. She
lifted an arm up and smelled it, and even if the scent wasn't exactly coconut,
it was acceptable.
Bending down to
pick up her clothes gave a little shock; they were no longer there. She
squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again, but every little piece of
clothing, every trace of everything that tied her to the person she once was
and to the world as she knew it was gone. Not even a thread of her old self
remained.
She yelled,
"What the hell! Who took my
clothes? I was only gone for like five seconds!"
No one answered.
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Jessica
Simply Infatuated
Kidnapped
by Maria Hammarblad
Blurb
It's a late winter night when Patricia Risden heads home in her car, on a road she's driven many times before. She doesn't have a care in the world, that is, until a man appears from nowhere, right in front of her.
The next thing she knows is being a prisoner of the unscrupulous Alliance Commander Travis 152; an intimidating man who demands information and complete cooperation. Travis soon realizes his mistake; Tricia doesn't know anything, and she is incapable of even getting a glass of water from the ship's computer.
Infamous for being a ruthless executioner, conditioned since childhood to feel nothing besides fear and pain, he still deems her harmless, and finds enough pity for the lost young woman to let her out of the cell; a decision that will change both their lives forever.
Brief "about the book" from author Lynette Endicott
Kidnapped is a well-written Science Fiction story of a woman kidnapped from earth and taken on a whirlwind tour of the universe with a captor whose heart is thawed by her innocence. This does not please his commander, who pursues, captures and loses both characters. In the process there is fun, adventure, sizzle, and an introduction to different worlds and their impact, one day, on our own. Be sure to pick up Kidnapped by Maria Hammarblad available from Desert Breeze Publishing.
Biography Maria Hammarblad
Born in Sweden in the early 1970's, Maria showed a large interest for books at an early age. Even before she was able to read or write, she made her mom staple papers together into booklets she filled with drawings of suns and planets. She proudly declared them, "The Sun Book." They were all about the sun. She also claimed, to her mother's horror, that her being on Earth was a big mistake and that her alien family would come and bring her home at any moment. This never happened, but both the interest in space and the passion for bookmaking stayed with her.
As an adult Maria's creativity got an outlet through playing bass in a number of rock bands, and through writing technical manuals and making web pages for various companies and organizations. She did write drafts for a few novels, but the storytelling muse was mostly satisfied through role playing online on Myspace.
It was here, while writing stories together with people from around the globe, she stumbled onto Mike. They started talking out of character, and she moved over to Florida to him late 2008. Today the two are married and live in the Tampa Bay area with three rescue dogs.
Besides writing and playing bass, Maria enjoys driving off-road, archery, and Tameshigiri.
Website: http://www.hammarblad.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariahammarblad
Twitter: @mariahammarblad
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4114780
Maria_Hammarblad Publisher's website: http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com
Books by Maria Hammarblad:
The Goddess's Saga, a series of novels consisting of Touch of the Goddess, Wrath of the Goddess, and Return of the Goddess.
Embarkment 2577, a series of novellas consisting of Brand New World, High Gravity, and Adam and Eve.
Invasion and other short stories
Kidnapped Upcoming releases: Undercover, to be released by Desert Breeze Publishing September 11, 2012.
Youtube book trailers:
Kidnapped: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPsVFxWCtJo
The Goddess's Saga: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hSYB3kkXx4
Embarkment 2577: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8stZVGieh1g
1 comment:
Thank you for featuring my book! I'm delighted to see it on the blog! =D
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