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I laugh, but it doesn’t hold any humor as I’m unsure of the reason why I’m even laughing. I lean up against what I think is a door, while I’m waiting for the light to return. I may be foolish to believe a light is going to save me, but it gives me hope, something I don’t have enough of at this moment. I’m cold, tired, hungry, and thirsty all at the same time. My wrists throb with an intense stinging sensation; even though the bleeding has stopped, the pain lingers. I’ve tried to drift off to sleep, but the incessant chattering of my teeth keeps me wide awake, the noise echoing in the silence of the space around me. And why is it so cold? It’s baffling how despite wearing a pair of snug tracksuit bottoms, a cotton T-shirt, and a thick hoodie, I feel a cold wrapping around me. Normally, I would be sweating in this much clothing.

Frantically, I attempt to cuddle into myself, searching for even an ounce of heat, but when that proves to be useless, I close my eyes tightly, trying to block everything out. Am I going to die here? I've been straining to hear any kind of noise, but I haven't heard anything at all. I don't even know where I am or how long I've been here, but I suspect I know who brought me to this place.

I’m miserably failing at getting comfortable, when I hear something in the distance, but I can't clearly make out what it is.

I sit still, trying to listen, but the sound of my own heartbeat is so loud that it drowns out everything else. Terror shoots through me. I'm scared of dying here, and I'm afraid that if I do, it will be slow and agonizing. Dread and worry overpower my thoughts. What if I never see my loved ones again?

The noise comes through louder, and I panic. What if it's Jack?

A wave of nausea washes over me, and I lean over, heaving. Unable to recall the last time I ate, nothing comes up, yet the heaving doesn’t stop.

Low sobs escape me as I sit back up. I can still hear the noise low in the distance, and I wonder what it could be. Overwhelmed, a heaviness settles in my chest, a suffocating weight that seems to drain the last of my strength. I don’t have any energy left to hope. More sobs escape me, each one a mix of despair and frustration as a crushing realization dawns on me. I’m not getting out of here, am I? Hopelessly, I curl up into a fetal position on the cold, hard ground, and I continue to sob, the tears flowing freely now. It feels as if I'm unraveling, thread by thread.

Suddenly, the noise gets louder, pulling me from my thoughts. Desperately, I pick my head up, straining to listen. Is it a voice? A vehicle? My heart is racing with curiosity. I don’t want to move again if it’s unnecessary; every motion feels like a huge effort, but I probably only have one chance of getting their attention before I pass out. So, with every last piece of determination I can find, I focus on the sound, willing my body to respond, to find the strength to call out, but my throat feels dry, and the words get stuck, trapped in fear and exhaustion. Depleted, I close my eyes for a moment, trying to steady my breathing, listening intently for any sign of what’s coming.

With a newfound strength, I pull myself up, until my back is leaning against the metal. With both hands on either side of me, I start banging and I don’t stop. I try to shout, but I haven’t spoken in what feels like ages; the words get caught in my throat, and my voice comes out weak and hoarse. As I bang, I notice a light, like a flashlight and it’s moving around opposite me, so I keep banging, praying someone hears me. But just when I’m about to give up, I am blinded by a bright light. I hold my arms over my eyes. I’m absolutely terrified, what if this is the person who took me? I try to scream, but no sound comes out, but as I attempt to move, I slip and bang the back of my head against the hard metal. Confused, I think I hear someone say my name before everything goes black.