Chapter NINETY-ONE

Lusia Three days later. The darkness was uncomfortable and I was struggling to wake up. I was numb to my surroundings and couldn’t move a muscle. It felt like I was frozen in a particular spot plagued with a darkness I couldn't overcome. Then slowly, I felt warmth around me, and above me, a light shone on me. I could feel my body moving. My once-frozen muscles felt alive as I moved them. It looked like the light made everything feel better. And then, the light became brighter and it blinded me. *** I blinked awake, my body heavy, as if it had been hollowed out and filled with lead. My muscles felt stiff like I had been in a particular position for hours. Maybe days. I tried to move but my muscles cried out in pain, pinning me down to the bed where I found myself in. The room around me was a blank slate, stark and unfamiliar, with bare stone walls and a single window that let in a sliver of pale light. My head felt foggy like I’d been wading through mud, and a dull ache throbbed somewhe