I came awake slowly by degrees. Firstly, I began to be aware of familiar smells- leather, earth, and a faint whiff of perfume that seemed very familiar. I tried to figure out who or what that scent belonged to but thinking too hard sent a sudden jolt of pain through my skull. Then I became conscious of sounds- the slow ticking of the clock, the hum of the air conditioner, the vibration of a phone somewhere in my room as a message probably came in. There was someone at my bedside too. I pressed myself gently into the mattress. Yes, it was definitely a bed I was lying on. Opening my eyes felt like too much work but I had been in the dark for too long- though I had no idea for how long.
I had drifted out of consciousness, only getting vague glimpses of what was happening to me by listening
