THE GROUND BENEATH her head was hard and smelled like dirt. Traffic roared by in the distance, its drone a constant pulse in her head. She had a sweet, slightly metallic taste in her mouth and her shoulders hurt.
Pleasance tried to roll onto her back but something was stopping her. She realized she couldn’t move her arms. Panic sent adrenalin through her system, flushing the last trace of fogginess. The roar! It’s the waterfalls. She had to be in Hani’s cave. She opened her eyes and realized she couldn’t see. Something scratchy abraded her cheek. Pleasance drew her legs up and shoved at the ground, trying to push herself upright.
Her foot glanced off the hard ground and she fell, smacking her head hard.
Stars swum before her gaze. Nausea flared. She stilled as footsteps approached, soun
