the room’s dim light to his brain. With the light now registering—however poorly—he realized he was staring at a wooden ceiling and that he was flat on his back, unable to move. Some unknown object—heavy and warm—lay across his chest and draped over his legs.
Sam ’s mind searched his most recent memories. He remembered an evening outside the hospital. Last night? The distance in time seemed to have no meaning and yet the memory came back as if it were happening once again. The shrubbery in his mind again swayed with the wind. Odd disembodied voices from multiple directions echoed in his head. It was his memory, of course, but it was no less real in the moment.
Mentally retracing his steps, his last memories before waking were disturbing. The black hooded creatures in front of him had vividly returned to his mind ’s eye, startling him every bit as much as they had the night before. He remembered a prick in his neck and relived that instantaneous sense of complete loss of strength.
They took me someplace. They took me here.
Sam began to panic or at least he would have panicked had it been possible. His fingers and toes trembled but failed to move beyond a nervous, twitchy motion. He needed to sit up and find a way to escape, but his body simply ignored his commands.
After dozens of attempts and with great effort, Sam managed to fling his right arm over his belly. His muscles seemed to have atrophied; even simple movements required the utmost concentration and strength.
His eyes looked down. The heavy, warm object on his chest appeared to be a blanket. A blanket? The weight of his two arms, now on his left side, helped twist his torso vertically. Sam found himself on his side. He also managed to drop the left side of his face into a pillow he hadn’t known was there.
Sam heard the sound of running water stop. There was the screech of metal upon metal. It must be knives —it had been knives being sharpened.
Sam, knowing his survival rested on stealthy actions, paused a few seconds, drawing in long but shallow breaths. Sucking in air was a chore. His throat felt constricted and his tongue was swollen, filling his mouth. His lips were dry, and his tongue, despite its size, felt just as dry.
He was someone ’s prisoner and he had to get out of there. He thought it remarkable that they hadn’t taken the time to chain him to the bed. Perhaps they knew the drug would still be rendering him helpless?
After another great exertion, he felt his legs begin to drop off the side of the bed. A fleeting sense of joy was quickly replaced with horror. There was a momentum to the movement that had his upper torso uncontrollably following his legs. Panic coursed through his body as he realized he couldn’t manage his arms well enough to prevent his whole body from falling flat to the floor.
A painful moment after the loud thud, Sam heard the sound of feet rushing from the other room, then the sound of a now familiar voice.
“ Sam! Are you all right? Please don’t try to move.”
It was Suteko. Sam couldn ’t see her, but he had no doubt it was the voice of the woman of his dreams—an angel to his rescue. As she came into sight, he realized he had been crying streams of tears which flowed down and across his cheeks and then over the bridge of his nose. Like the rest of his body, he could not control his tears.
Her voice continued, filled with concern. “They gave you something inducing paralysis. It will take some time, but it seems to be wearing off.”
She scooped him up into her arms and placed him back in the bed as if he were as light as a feather. The blanket that had fallen with his body was quickly draped over him once more. Sam’s mind was foggy and his body had no control and yet, his only thought was of wonder at her amazing show of super-human strength.
Suteko , Sam thought, but could not speak.
She leaned over, her hands caressing his cheeks gingerly. She saw the terror in his eyes and that he
Sam ’s mind searched his most recent memories. He remembered an evening outside the hospital. Last night? The distance in time seemed to have no meaning and yet the memory came back as if it were happening once again. The shrubbery in his mind again swayed with the wind. Odd disembodied voices from multiple directions echoed in his head. It was his memory, of course, but it was no less real in the moment.
Mentally retracing his steps, his last memories before waking were disturbing. The black hooded creatures in front of him had vividly returned to his mind ’s eye, startling him every bit as much as they had the night before. He remembered a prick in his neck and relived that instantaneous sense of complete loss of strength.
They took me someplace. They took me here.
Sam began to panic or at least he would have panicked had it been possible. His fingers and toes trembled but failed to move beyond a nervous, twitchy motion. He needed to sit up and find a way to escape, but his body simply ignored his commands.
After dozens of attempts and with great effort, Sam managed to fling his right arm over his belly. His muscles seemed to have atrophied; even simple movements required the utmost concentration and strength.
His eyes looked down. The heavy, warm object on his chest appeared to be a blanket. A blanket? The weight of his two arms, now on his left side, helped twist his torso vertically. Sam found himself on his side. He also managed to drop the left side of his face into a pillow he hadn’t known was there.
Sam heard the sound of running water stop. There was the screech of metal upon metal. It must be knives —it had been knives being sharpened.
Sam, knowing his survival rested on stealthy actions, paused a few seconds, drawing in long but shallow breaths. Sucking in air was a chore. His throat felt constricted and his tongue was swollen, filling his mouth. His lips were dry, and his tongue, despite its size, felt just as dry.
He was someone ’s prisoner and he had to get out of there. He thought it remarkable that they hadn’t taken the time to chain him to the bed. Perhaps they knew the drug would still be rendering him helpless?
After another great exertion, he felt his legs begin to drop off the side of the bed. A fleeting sense of joy was quickly replaced with horror. There was a momentum to the movement that had his upper torso uncontrollably following his legs. Panic coursed through his body as he realized he couldn’t manage his arms well enough to prevent his whole body from falling flat to the floor.
A painful moment after the loud thud, Sam heard the sound of feet rushing from the other room, then the sound of a now familiar voice.
“ Sam! Are you all right? Please don’t try to move.”
It was Suteko. Sam couldn ’t see her, but he had no doubt it was the voice of the woman of his dreams—an angel to his rescue. As she came into sight, he realized he had been crying streams of tears which flowed down and across his cheeks and then over the bridge of his nose. Like the rest of his body, he could not control his tears.
Her voice continued, filled with concern. “They gave you something inducing paralysis. It will take some time, but it seems to be wearing off.”
She scooped him up into her arms and placed him back in the bed as if he were as light as a feather. The blanket that had fallen with his body was quickly draped over him once more. Sam’s mind was foggy and his body had no control and yet, his only thought was of wonder at her amazing show of super-human strength.
Suteko , Sam thought, but could not speak.
She leaned over, her hands caressing his cheeks gingerly. She saw the terror in his eyes and that he
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