Katelina knew that the sun was shining outside but, in the small, locked room, the ever present darkness weighed on her like an iron mantle. Besides the black and the stench, there was a thick, sticky silence that reminded her of a tomb. That thought disturbed her even more.
Though paranoia kept her awake and sharpened her senses, with no immediate danger, boredom eventually made her eyes heavy and her brain sluggish. She had no way to measure time and it felt like an eternity passed before sleep finally stole over her. At last, the terrible darkness was relieved by her dreams, though peace was still elusive.
She woke to impenetrable dark, no different than when she'd gone to sleep. She waited, for what she didn't know, and held her breath. Something moved beyond the confines of her cell
