Louisa woke up with a bitter taste on her tongue. Her throat was dry as sand and felt like she had not had a drop of water for days. Her nose was raw and her head also throbbed. She moved her fingers around her forehead and nape, looking for the telltale sign of a bump. Thankfully, there was none. Slowly turning to her side, she slid her legs down the side of the bed. Someone had removed her shoes and her bare toes curled as they touched the cold, marble floor. The throbbing in her head lessened when she leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. The room was dark; the only source of illumination came from a small, portable rechargeable lamp on the bedside table. Looking around she noticed that, but for the bed on which she sat, the room was completely bare of furniture. There was not ev
