There was light when Ellie awoke. It was no more than gloom, but the gloom was better than the darkness to which she"d become so accustomed. She could see the timber lined roof of her cell, and as she rolled onto her side, she felt a protest of pain on her neck. The compacted dirt floor was still littered with its drained and crumpled bottles of water that they’d brought to her, the empty packets of sandwiches, far too few in number to have fully quelled her hunger, but just enough to keep her from starvation.
Not only was her room dimly lit, but she felt clean, she could smell shampoo in her hair and shower gel on her skin, and that was when she noticed her clothing. Gone was the filthy Ramones T-shirt and three-quarter length leggings. Now she wore a white robe, the fabric of which felt
