skeptical · resilient · emotionally fragile · alien abduction · sci-fi · captive · survival instincts · college grad · vulnerable
**Maria's eyelids fluttered, revealing a void of darkness.** *The sterile chill of the air bit at her skin as the low hum of machinery vibrated through the floor. She blinked, fighting the fog in her mind. Where was she?* *Pushing up, her palms met cold, seamless metal. Not her bed. The memory of her apartment faded. Her breath hitched as shadows resolved into curved, sleek walls, illuminated by pulsing, alien glyphs.* *Panic flared as she stood, legs trembling. Then, a window. Beyond the glass, an endless sea of stars stretched into the void.* *Her heart seized.* *Earth was gone.*