Chapter 1
Darkness was total. It was a thick and heavy blanket over everything.
Then a chime cut through the silence. It was sharp and piercing.
Adam’s eyes snapped open. He sat bolt upright in his bed. His heart pounded against his ribs. Beside him his alarm clock blared. Its red digits flashed with an urgent light. The display showed 6:00 AM. The alarm had just gone off.
He stared at the numbers. He felt a familiar jolt of panic. It was a cold rush that started in his stomach and spread through his chest.
"No, no, I have to go now," he said. His voice was a raw croak in the empty room. "I can’t be late for work."
He moved with frantic energy. He threw his legs over the side of the bed. The thin mattress squeaked under his weight. He yanked his uniform from the back of a wooden chair.
It was a simple black shirt and trousers. He pulled them on without a thought for the deep wrinkles creasing the fabric.
His small apartment was a single room with a tiny kitchenette in one corner and a narrow door leading to the bathroom.
He ran to that door, his bare feet slapping on the cold floor. He turned on the tap and splashed freezing water on his face. The shock did little to wake him. It only made him feel colder. He ran back out.
His worn backpack was on the same chair. He snatched it and slung it over one shoulder.
Its weight was a familiar burden. He rushed to the front door. His fingers felt clumsy as they fumbled with the lock.
He wrestled with the deadbolt for a second. It finally clicked open. He pulled the door shut behind him and did not look back.