Rachel gasped into consciousness. The air was tight. The darkness, suffocating. She tried to move and found her arms and legs bound and stuck. s**t, s**t, s**t. As her heart raced, her breath quickened. This was how she died, strapped to some rusting hospital gurney, choking like a beached fish. She gulped in air and flailed against her restraints. There was an unexpected give, and she started to roll. She slammed into a warm body to her right. He grumbled and elbowed her back into her own spot. Rachel gasped again, the nightmare dissipating with each glug of air.
For a moment she lay motionless, calming her heart. You"re free. You"re free. You"re free. She repeated the phrase over and over, a mantra of reassurance. With the clarity came a flood of tears. She stifled the reaction and wrig
