Chapter 31 - Ciara

I wake up slowly, one sense at a time.

First is sound, a whirring susurration. A low, steady hum. Constant and consistent. For a while, I think it might just be my own heartbeat. It takes several more senses coming online for me to figure out what it is.

The second sense is taste. A sour, stale taste in my mouth. The taste of your mouth after you’ve vomited and then fallen asleep without brushing your teeth.

The third sense is smell. A clean, antiseptic smell of a place that is well cleaned and artificial. It’s then that I realize that something isn’t right.

It’s not that I think that I’m in danger. No, it’s more like I’m not where I expect to be. I had expected to still be in the woods. To smell earth and damp and fresh air.

It’s then that I start to feel. Not just the aches and pains of the long journey that I’ve undergone. It’s also the feeling of a cushion beneath me. A bed? And the feeling of cool, almost cold air.

Finally, my eyes flutter open. And that’s when my