Everything was still pitch dark, but I realized that it was more because I had my eyes closed than as a result of the shroud of sand that had enveloped me after my fall. I slowly regained consciousness and tried to move, but a sharp, agonizing pain shot through my abdomen, making me stop immediately. I blinked groggily at the white ceiling. Everything was bathed in semi-darkness and I couldn’t see clearly. My thoughts were hazy, as if I had been drugged, and I had this strange sense of déjà vu which made my heart start pumping considerably faster. The lurking images I thought I had put behind me were brought back to my mind. Memories I wished I could forget for ever – Jarvis’s truck, a dark warehouse, the cold knife close to my face – they all flashed in my imagination, making my stomach clench. I knew I shouldn’t need to worry about Jarvis any more. Or ever again. He was gone, for ever gone. I didn’t need to be scared now. Right? I felt something tugging at my hand and my heart rate sped up.
