When I came to, the world felt wrong. My head throbbed with a dull, persistent ache, and my mouth tasted like copper and something bitter. Nausea rolled through my stomach as I tried to focus my vision. Everything seemed to tilt and spin before settling into a dim, unfamiliar reality.
My hands were tied behind my back, the rope cutting into my wrists. Both my legs were bound together. Tape covered my mouth, the adhesive pulling at my skin with every shallow breath. I was still wet from the rain, my clothes clinging uncomfortably to my body, indicating I hadn't been unconscious for long. My hair was plastered against my face and neck, cold and stringy.
I was lying on a bed in a small, cramped bedroom. The air smelled stale and musty, with an underlying odour of cigarettes that made my sto
