The sound of running water slowly pulled Iva from the depths of sleep.
At first it was only a distant noise in her mind, something soft and rhythmic that blended with the warmth surrounding her. She shifted slightly beneath the blankets, still half lost in dreams, before the sound grew clearer.
A shower.
Her eyelids fluttered open.
For a moment she simply stared at the ceiling, disoriented, her mind struggling to catch up with reality. The soft morning light filtering through the large windows painted pale golden patterns across the room.
Then she moved.
And instantly regretted it.
A soft gasp escaped her lips as her entire body protested at once.
Every muscle felt sore.
Every inch of her skin felt strangely sensitive.
It was as if she had been hit by a sledgehammer… yet beneath
