Twenty
Trinn’s Tenacity
Pain.
Trinn opened her eyes to excruciating light. An electric bulb shone brightly in front of her. Her head throbbed in aching misery. She was seated in a chair, her arms resting on a table in front of her.
“Ah, there she is,” a man’s voice cooed gently. She felt the touch of a warm damp cloth against her lips. “Take it easy,” said the voice. “You’re fine for now. Just a bit of blood.”
She struggled to remember. Where was she? How did she get here? She squinted into the light, but she couldn’t make out the face of the man sitting across from her. She started to ask where she was but found she couldn’t speak. Something was in her mouth, cold and firm. It seemed to be strapped around her head. A gag of some kind?
“Don’t try to talk,” said the voice. “It’s no us
