33
Elle
When I wake up, my head’s all groggy, like my skull’s filled with cotton candy. And not in a good way, either.
Little by little, I become aware of my surroundings. I lay on a moldy mattress. Condensation drips from the cracked ceiling to make patterns on my prairie dress. Some random water bottle sits nearby.
Memories reappear.
That’s right. I was dressed up as Laura Ingalls Wilder for the Autumn Masquerade. Alec and I ran after the Cheshire cat. That bit was cool. Then Alec got dragged away by his parents and a bunch of gem casters. Thus began the crappy part of the evening.
The room comes into clearer focus. I’m in a bare basement made from concrete. A short flight of stairs is the only way in or out. A thin beam of light peeps out from under a wooden door.
My heart sinks.
