Chapter 6Raphael
The lingering memory of a stranger’s unmovable hands holding him down, pressing a damp rag against his nose and mouth, spread like a fog in his mind. Raphael couldn’t see their faces. Everyone was in shadow. He claimed a moment of consciousness before his awareness shut down. His subconscious marinated in shock and confusion for a long while.
Then, the heaviness gradually subsided and Raphael tried to open his eyes. His eyelids did not move. It was like trying to lift a boulder. He picked up vibrations from the wooden floor on which he was lying, caused by steady movement. There was also an unmistakable horse prattle on a paved road.
Raphael took a deep breath, then exhaled it all in a single moment. Again, a long inhale and a fast exhale. Breathing exercises were a par
