Chapter 1 - A Rude Awakening

Chapter 1 - A Rude Awakening is the first Chapter in The Haven, and introduces us to the protagonist, John Doe.

Synopsis
John Doe wakes up in a strange prison, and realises that he has no memories, and that he is completely unable to speak - he is overcome with shock and grief.

Transcript
His eyes flew open. Looking around, he came face to face with a dirty and decrepit room he had never seen, furniture he had never seen. He shot up, and loudly climbed out of the poorly maintained bed.

There were rusty bars covering the cracked and dirty window. Peering out, he saw what looked like an old and dilapidated city, enveloped in fog. He wandered around the room, looking for clues on how he got here. The paint on the walls was peeling off, and the wooden door was rotting, however when he went to open it, it was securely fastened, and no matter how much he pushed against it, it stayed resilient, refusing him advancement.

Vague flashes of a man with a mask appeared before his conscious, followed by a child screaming and surgical tools drifting to the forefront of his mind. Pondering these strange thoughts, he continued to assess his situation, at a loss as to how to escape.

How did I get here, he asked himself. He attempted to call out, but no voice escaped him. He clawed desperately at his throat, willing for any audible noise, but only a slight and pathetic wheeze leaked out.

Panicking now, he kicked and shouldered the wooden door at full force, but it still didn’t give in. He ran into it, and felt the hinges buckle, but it still stayed intact. He could feel hot and thick tears flowing freely, encasing his face in a mask of suffering and fear.

He felt trapped, encaged, like a prisoner on death row, livestock about to be harvested. What is my purpose here, he asked his brain, willing it to come up with an answer. Eventually, he slid down the wall, sobbing in silence, silently considering his suffering. He sprung up, and in a last burst of energy he jumped full force into the door, wishing, pleading, begging it would just open, and obey his commands. Exhausted, he fell to the floor in an odd mix of rage, exhaustion and overwhelming sorrow.

Who am I? What am I doing here? Why can I not speak, he screamed in silence to no one in particular. He felt his energy slipping away, as his eyes drifted to a close. His face in his hands, he began to cry once more, stuck in his cage, his only company his inner demons and the thoughts of what awaits him.