Next time I wake up I’m still tied to the bed. My wrists hurt, but they are bandaged under the ropes. So strange. What happened? I check myself. My ankles and head ache. I’m neither dizzy nor bleeding. My fingers and toes move. I’m fully clothed. It’s good to have clothes on when waking up tied to a bed. It would be even better if I knew where I was, but the place is unfamiliar. I fight down the raising panic.
There’s a window. It’s not barred. Judging by the light and the chirrup of the birds, it’s early morning. Their incessant chirping worsens my headache. I wish they’d shut up. What are they so happy about? Oh yeah, they’re not tied to this bed. That would make me happy too. I tug at the ropes experimentally. They don’t give. They chafe. I stop tugging. I strain to see how I’m tied, b
