But then it all went South. It nearly got me killed. I saw nothing but darkness. The man in my hospital room. Reaching a hand toward me. To grab me. Take me. Stop it. Stop it! Stop it!

"Wake up." A voice whispered.

My eyes opened, banishing the darkness.

***

I took a breath of the crisp air.

Where? Where am I? My cloudy mind was struggling to catch up to reality. Slowly turning my head, I looked around.

The first thing I noticed was the hardwood ceiling above me. Rough and splintered. To my left was a window pouring in the morning light showing speckles of dust floating in the air. Under it was a small cushioned reading nook. The walls were completely wooded. A softer wood than the ceiling. More polished.

I shifted my head to the bare left wall. My stiff neck groaned in protest. Along the left side of the bed I was lying on was a small end table and lamp.

I looked down at myself and saw that I was wearing someone's old shirt. The smell was nice and somehow familiar although I knew I'd never smelled it before. There was a homey smell to the whole room. Written on the front of the shirt was some tattered lettering that was impossible to read. Under the covers, I felt myself wearing a pair of thick pajama pants and socks.

Where did I get these from?

Suddenly, I realized there was someone holding my right hand. Looking down, I saw Sam kneeling at my side with her head down, grasping my hand with both of hers. She was muttering to herself. She still wore her uniform, but it was wrinkled and wasn't as fresh as before.

Behind her was a door leading into a dim hallway. A small, open closet lay in the other corner of the room. On the shelves inside the closet were blankets and pillows, but no clothes. Strange for a closet.

Straight ahead across from the bed was a perfectly organized white work desk. A cup held colorful pencils and pens. On one corner of the desk was a stack of lined paper. Pushed into the desk was a folding chair.

Looking to Sam, I gently squeezed my right hand. Her head shot up. Concern resided in her eyes and a worry line creased her brows. How long had she been kneeling here? Suddenly relief colored her worried face. "Lynette," she sighed. "Thank the stars. Do you feel sick at all?" She pressed the back of her hand to my forehead. "Do you need to vomit?"

"Sam." I choked out. Her name got caught in my dry throat.

"Here, honey. Drink this." she urged, helping me sit up. She grabbed a blue plastic cup from a side table to the right I hadn't noticed and put the straw to my lips. I drank the warm water greedily. "Slow down. It's not going anywhere."

I took a breath. "Where are we? How long was I asleep?"

"About two days," she answered. "You needed to rest and I needed time to think of where to bring you."

"Where are we?" I asked again, reaching for the cup.

She put it to my lips. "I have a friend who has a cabin in Northern New York. He's helping us for a little while until I can figure out somewhere safe for you."

I had a lot of questions, but first. "My mom..." I started. Tears pricked my eyes. "What about my mom?"

She looked down. "She's still at the hospital. That piece put her to sleep and nothing more, but she's awake by now. For all she knows, you just left."

I cracked out a sob. The last thing she heard me say to her was to let go of me. The last thing I did was hit her. "I have to call her! Tell her that I'm okay at least. I can't-the last thing I did..." Tears streamed down my cheeks.

Sam contemplated for a minute, but finally nodded slowly. "We can't have her worrying about you now, can we?" She looked up and gave me a sad smile, wiping away my tears with her thumb as she cupped my face with her hand. "But listen to me, Lynette. There are a couple things," I nodded intently. "One. You can't tell her where you are. We need to come up with excuses as to why you've gone, where you're going, and why you're okay,"

"Right." I said. I could figure that much out.

"Two. You need to wait until I can get a disposable phone. Probably not until tomorrow. It's not likely, but I don't want to take any chances on anyone tracking us down," I knew she wasn't just talking about the police. "And three," She gave me a long look. "Tell her you love her. I-I don't know the next time you'll see her again."

"Okay," I whispered. Looking at her, I asked, "Wait, what about you? Won't it be suspicious that you disappeared the same time I did?"

"I never existed, Lynette," Her copper eyes bored into mine. "There never was a Sam Lorey at that hospital. As soon as you left, I disappeared from their records and staff list.

I talked to very few people." I gave her a questioning look. "I-" Sam started. "There's a lot for you to know. How about we get you some breakfast first and we can talk about it then, okay?"

My stomach rumbled in response. I couldn't remember the last time I'd eaten. But still, I was hesitant. I couldn't stand being left in the dark more. "Promise?"

She smiled. "Promise," She patted me on the top of my head comfortingly. "I'll be right back. I'm going to grab something for you to eat. Try to think of some questions while I'm gone." she grinned, walking into the hall.

That wouldn't be a problem. I had so many questions, I didn't know where to start.

I leaned into the bed, trying to sort out my thoughts. What did that monster want with me? Who's Xyphrus? What was that light from your eyes? There was a bustling in the kitchen. Who is your friend?

What were we going to do next?