Chapter 49 - 48. Sneaking Void
"Ugh..."
Sarah groaned; the headache came before she could even open her eyes. When she did, it felt heavy and rather sticky, as if she had been crying too much the night before. Thankfully, the room had a dim light, so she didn’t have to fight more incoming headache.
Massaging her temple groggily, Sarah suddenly became aware of the itchy feeling on the back of her hand. With a frown, she squinted her eyes at a small, circular adhesive bandage plastered there.
"What...is this?" Sarah looked around, belatedly realizing she wasn’t in her own room--not in the annex nor the hotel room connected to Helios. "Where am--ugh!"
Sarah curled up again when the headache came like an assault, clutching her throbbing head. Not only that, her throat was parched and aflame, as if she hadn’t touched water for days. Half-conscious, she scrambled to fetch a glass of water someone had generously placed on the nightstand.
Water splashed onto the sheet and down her throat as she gulped the water greedily. It felt cold against her skin, steadily pulling her mind out of the gutter.
And with it, the flood of memories from last night.
The memories of her attending the Circle’s meeting, exchanging her drink in fear it had been spiked, without knowing that the new drink was the one actually spiked with something.
It was ironic and disastrous. Sarah had no idea how she was able to hold on until Daniel came and ushered her to a safe space. Having been free of alcohol for years, she had no built-up resistance against it--or drugs, for that matter. Just a mouthful, and it wrecked her system already.
What would happen if she couldn’t hold on? If Daniel was stuck in his meeting and came later? Would she succumb to the effect and willingly follow the sleazy men and become a subject for their dark desire?
"Urk--"