Chapter 13: The New Reality
A new day began with the loud, angry blast of a motorcycle horn down in the dirt yard. The bright morning sun cut through the iron bars of the window, hitting the dark metal plate that Jeremy had screwed into the frame. That plate was a solid reminder of what had happened. Every time I looked at it, my stomach twisted into a tight knot. The wild panic from the night before had left me, but it left behind a cold, heavy weight.
I sat up slowly on the mattress. The sharp pain in my chest was gone, leaving only a dull ache that made me feel incredibly tired. I looked down at my hands. The small cuts from the metal screw were red and angry, but they had stopped bleeding.
The suite was far too quiet. Usually, by this time of the morning, I could hear the television
