Chapter 19

ABDUCT

Darkness. That's all I could feel at first—just pure, suffocating darkness. My body feels heavy and weighed down, and my limbs refuse to move. I’m stuck in this in-between, not quite awake but no longer fully unconscious. Slowly, I started to come to—first the pain in my head, a dull throbbing like someone hit me over and over. Then there’s the cold. I’m lying on something hard, something rough and unwelcoming. Concrete maybe? The air feels thick and stale. It smells like damp stone, and my throat feels dry.

I try to move, but my body doesn’t respond right away. Everything feels distant, like I’m underwater. My arms, my legs—they're sluggish like I’m still fighting off whatever sedative they gave me. The memory of being drugged rushes back in small, panicked bursts. The drink. The room. The faces… Then darkness.

I blink slowly, my eyes trying to adjust, but everything’s a blur. Shapes blend into shadows, and nothing makes sense. Where am I? I can’t see anything, just hazy ou