Part 2
When she woke up again she was surrounded by compact darkness. At first she thought she had gone blind but seconds later she saw a flicker of light coming from somewhere below. She stretched out her hands in search of a clue to where she was. The feel of a soft fabric and the comforting pillow under her head made her deduct that she was in a bed. She lay flat on her back and she was covered with a blanket.
  Her limbs felt detached from her body as she made an attempt to roll over on her side. The pain she had felt before was still there but it had decreased markedly. She contemplated the thought of falling back into blissful unconsciousness but she was too afraid. She focused her thoughts and pushed herself into a sitting position.
  “You shouldn’t move just yet,” a deep voice said.
  Startled by the sudden sound she fell back into the bed, aching all over. She tried to determine where the sound had come from but the darkness made her disoriented.
  “Who are you?” Her voice was barely a whisper.
  “I am Dorian. Don’t be afraid, you will be safe here,” the deep voice replied. She found little comfort in his words.
  “Can you turn on the lights?” She was surprised at how small and scared she sounded and realised she was shaking.
  She was startled again by the sound of a striking match and the burst of flame that followed. Her eyes clung to the light as it lit a candle. Soon, the contours of the room were visible.
  Dorian was standing at the foot of the bed holding the candle. It was the same man that had picked her up previously. His eyes caught the reflection of the light and she was once again reminded of the cougar.
  The room itself was small and consisted of the bed she was laying in, a bedside table and a dresser. She could see a door and assumed that the flicker of light she had seen must have come from the gap under it.
  “Where am I?” She managed to keep her voice steadier but it was still almost inaudible.
  “This is a motel. Like I said, don’t worry. You’re safe now.” He picked up the candle from the dresser and walked across the room and put it down on the bedside table. She waited for him to continue but he kept silent.
  “Why am I here?”
  “I couldn’t risk taking you to a hospital.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry.”
  “But why am I here? What happened?” She began to feel a little annoyed despite her fear.
  “You don’t remember?” He gave her a surprised look.
  “I remember walking home. It was night…” She concentrated on the details but it was all a blur. “I don’t remember anything else.” Panic washed over her as she imagined what horrible things could have happened.
  “I know what happened.” He sighed deeply. “But, considering that you don’t remember anything I think you should rest a bit more.” He moved to blow out the candle.
  “No!” she yelped. “Please leave it burning.”
  He backed away instantly at the sound of her distressed voice.
  “I don’t think I can sleep until you tell me what happened,” she whispered.
  “I see I have no choice but to tell you now then. But first, tell me your name.”
  “Liv.” She was unsure if she should tell him her last name too but he murmured contently from where he stood.
  “Are your parents Nordic?” he asked.
  “No. Why?” Her heart beat had calmed down and she had stopped shaking. Moment by moment she felt more courageous.
  “Liv is a Nordic name.” He started pacing in front of the bed. His pale features were exaggerated by the dim lighting and every muscle in his face was visible. Liv noticed that he was dressed in a dark hooded sweater and dark jeans.
  “Are you Nordic?” she asked sceptically.
  “No.” He smiled slightly and his white teeth glistened. “I just have a lot of time on my hands.”
  “Uhm, could we get back to what happened?” Although she was intrigued at his knowledge of her name’s origin she was unable to concentrate on anything but why she had ended up in a motel room with a total stranger.
  “Fine. So you remember walking home in the middle of the night?” He had stopped pacing and moved to her side. She didn’t bother to reply, she just nodded. Dorian started telling her what had happened.