Waking up with a headache and the enormous urge to ralph was not something new for Sam. Arizona was a party school and she tried to attend as many as she could. But as she struggled to open her eyes--each eyelid felt like it was glued shut--she started to remember. She hadn't been at a party. She'd been...where?
It came back to her in bits and pieces, like the images between flashes of a strobe light, each one progressing, but a stillframe all the same. An art exhibition. Most of it not to her taste. Bronze sculptures of nudes. Mostly old men. Paper-machete icons of toilets and dishwashers. The kind of art that was trying so hard to be edgy that it was stupid. Meaningless. She'd decided to leave early, to head back to campus. The bus stop was deserted. And then suddenly...suddenly there was an arm around her chest. And a hand clutching a wet cloth over her mouth and nose.
Chloroform!
Sam's eyes popped open, which was a mistake immediately. Dazzling overhead lights glared down at her, momentarily blinding her and sending a shooting pain to the base of her skull and her temples. She felt sick all over again and wanted to throw up, but there was nothing but bile churning in her stomach. A few dry heaves and the pain began to lessen to an aching throb. Greedily, she sucked in the air-conditioned air. It felt good. Soothing. And it helped clear her senses.
( She started to become... )
It came back to her in bits and pieces, like the images between flashes of a strobe light, each one progressing, but a stillframe all the same. An art exhibition. Most of it not to her taste. Bronze sculptures of nudes. Mostly old men. Paper-machete icons of toilets and dishwashers. The kind of art that was trying so hard to be edgy that it was stupid. Meaningless. She'd decided to leave early, to head back to campus. The bus stop was deserted. And then suddenly...suddenly there was an arm around her chest. And a hand clutching a wet cloth over her mouth and nose.
Chloroform!
Sam's eyes popped open, which was a mistake immediately. Dazzling overhead lights glared down at her, momentarily blinding her and sending a shooting pain to the base of her skull and her temples. She felt sick all over again and wanted to throw up, but there was nothing but bile churning in her stomach. A few dry heaves and the pain began to lessen to an aching throb. Greedily, she sucked in the air-conditioned air. It felt good. Soothing. And it helped clear her senses.
( She started to become... )