Chapter 17: Poisoned, Part 1

Jack woke, his head throbbing painfully. There was a hand on his head and his pillow was rather- hard and made of muscle? Opening his eyes, he saw a yellow rag in front of him with pink chunks on it. It smelled like vomit and his throat burned. He knocked the rag away. Beneath, were two knees covered in dark denim. Alex. He patted one knee and rolled on to his back. Alex's jacket covered him and his feet hung off the edge of a couch.

She had her head leaned against the wing of the couch arm. Her right arm was on the arm rest and her left hand fell to her lap as he moved. Alex's navy blue shirt was buttoned to the bosom. The white tank top underneath was splattered with tiny specks of blood. The splatter marks ran all the way up the porcelain skin of her delicate neck.

Memories faded in and out. He remembered the underground lair of the Antarians. Then the festival. Flashes of women's faces. The smell of sex and vomit. Alex and - a bubble bath? That can't be right. Then running in the