I woke from a deep sleep to the sound of an alarm. Half-conscious, I wriggled my arm free and slapped at bedside table, searching for the clock as its relentless brrrrrrring burrowed into my brain. My knuckles knocked against something cold and unfamiliar, something which clanged like hollow metal, and it jerked me more fully awake. What on earth had that been?
Consciousness crept over me, confusion coming with it. The mattress felt weird; harder than usual. The air smelled cloying, with a tang like blood. Her breath caught in my neck as I opened my eyes, feeling the sharp pull as a layer of encrusted… something broke apart, tugging at my eyelashes.
Everything was dark.
I blinked, but the darkness stayed absolute.
Then, like I was inside an egg being cracked with a silver spoon, light
