Agnostic By Default, Awakened By Design

Chapter Four: A Flicker of Hope

I woke up confused, my head pounding and my body cold. The first thing I noticed was the green suit I was wearing—thick, heavy, and suffocating, like those X-ray blankets they drape over you at the dentist. I was naked underneath, and the chill of the room seeped into my bones. The concrete walls were unyielding, and the bulletproof glass window in front of me felt like a cruel joke. People walked by, glancing in at me like I was some sort of animal on display.

My mind raced as I tried to piece together where I was and how I’d gotten there. The events from the night before were fragmented, like bits of a dream that refused to come into focus. Then, like a bolt of lightning, the thought of Elijah hit me.

Elijah. The accident. The hospital.

My chest tightened, and memories began to flood back—running in the rain, banging on car windows, the flashing lights of what I thought was an ambulance. But now, I was here. In this room. Cold, alone, and stripped of everything, including my dignity.

Before I could make sense of it all, the loud metallic clang of the door flap jolted me. A guard’s voice barked, “Get out here.” I stumbled to my feet, my body weak and trembling. As I stepped into the hallway, the guard informed me, “You’re being released. Call someone to come get you.”

Relief washed over me, momentarily numbing the cold. Finally, I thought, I could leave this place and figure out what had happened to Elijah. Maybe there was still time to say goodbye.