Fifty-six: Restful Darkness

Temperance

I'm conscious, but I keep my eyes closed as I realize the all-too-familiar sensation of pain littering my body.

My head pounds, and I'm suddenly fearing that my brain is going to explode and then leak out of my ears and nose.

With my eyes still closed, I try to make myself aware of my surroundings as much as possible. My legs are cold; whatever I'm sitting on is made of cement. My arms are stretched above my head, my wrists locked in cuffs that dig into my skin.

I don't know how long I've been here, but my arms ache from the low amount of blood circulating through them.

I slit open my eyes, trying to see through my eyelashes as I fear that someone else is in this room with me.

Through my blurred vision, I see that I am still in my dress and I'm sitting on the ground wherever I am.

I try to keep my breathing calm. Every time I inhale, my ribs ache, which makes my face tense slightly. I move my neck slightly. My hair brushes across my shoulder. I can feel the dry blood emb