I’m alone in a darkened room. Above me, a dim beam of pale light streams across the ceiling. I follow it until it melts into deep shadow. A faint, pungent odor of some cleaning agent wafts in the cool air. Where am I? “Monie?” I say, but my voice is swallowed in silence. I lick my lips and try again, but there’s still nothing save the sound of my exhaling breath. My heart thumps. A heavy weight presses all over me. I try to turn my head and look around, but I can’t, and what’s more, my arms and legs refuse to move. Nothing works. I sift my fractured memory. The only thing I remember is decorating the tree in the mansion last night. How did I get from there to here?
Where am I? Monie? Monie! Where are you? I need you, I cry, but the panicked words just bang around in my head. Terror grips
