14 Sean When I wake up, I have no idea what’s going on around me. All the sounds are harsh, too loud. I can hear all sorts of things and it feels like I’m drowning in sounds. As I open my eyes, it’s much too bright, too much light. I close my eyes again, covering my ears with my hands as I let out a groan. What happened? What’s going on? I remember darkness and fire and a stabbing pain in my chest, but after that, there isn’t much in my memory to tell me where I am now. “Sean?” That’s Jules’ voice! “Hey,” I ground out, feeling a little too overwhelmed for more. “Good morning.” Then his touch is on my arm, slowly sliding to my hand. Even his touch feels more overwhelming than it did before. How can I still hear him so well even though I’m covering my ears? The sounds are a little

