Drained though she was, Electra managed a brief illumination and summoned it, whereupon everyone tumbled dispiritedly inside, not even bothering to turn on the lights. Exhausted, trembling and in total darkness, Solace collapsed on the floor and closed her eyes. Unconsciousness came swiftly, but remained shallow: she slept restlessly, half-waking at each uncomfortable motion of hip or elbow on the hard surface, at the pins and needles in her pillow-arm, at the automatic grinding of her teeth. Raggedy slips of light began to punctuate her awareness, filtering in through a small and grubby window. She ignored it for as long as she could, but what little rest she'd managed was irreparably broken. Wincing at the stiffness in her body, she eased herself up and looked around. They were, as she dimly remembered being told, in a basement, which here translated to a single room with a tiny closeted sink and toilet off to one side. Except for where she and her friends had made room for themselves, almost every square inch of the floor was packed with junk, as though the whole room were one giant cupboard.
