Chapter 34
The snap of a crackling fire woke Alistair.
She was back on the floor of the shed, one blanket under her, the corner gripped in her fist, another blanket half-hanging off her body. She felt numb. No, not numb exactly. She felt warm, a little too warm actually, but the feeling she’d first mistaken for numbness was just a lack of pain, like nothing hurt for the first time in a while. She took it slow, pushing herself up from the floor and away from the fire until she was sitting upright.
She could tell from the light in the boarded-up windows that it was morning, maybe even afternoon. But the light was crisp, clear, not dull, and muddled like winter light. Alistair couldn’t remember how she’d gotten back to the shed.
Back to the shed . . . from where?
The caretaker. Her foggy
