It was dark when the man slowly opened his eyes. He had no idea where he was and his lazy eyelids barely followed his command to open. His mind tried frantically to work but he could bring none of his thoughts to completion. They constantly interrupted each other, straying without focus. He was unable to put together a single, clear train of thought.

Eventually, he realized he was lying on a flat surface. It did not feel cold under his clothes, merely hard and solid. Vaguely he was able to make out some movement in the dark. A shadowy figure was standing a few feet away from him, unmoving. Putting his full concentration into this trivial task, he tried to raise a hand. At first, he failed. Eventually, he noticed that it was shackled tightly to the hard surface underneath him. Anguish grew within him and he tried to move his other hand, his feet, his torso. All failed. He was tightly strapped to the surface and no matter how much he put his mind into it or how much he willed his limbs to move, he was completely immobile.

The man slowly began to interpret the symptoms of his sluggish body’s behavior, his unfocused mind. Drugs, it occurred to him. Most likely Laudanum.

He had trouble remembering. How? Why? Where? Helpless he lay in the darkness with the dark shadowy figure looming by his side, fear reaching out its icy fingers to force him to shiver beneath its chilling touch. At first, the fear lingered under the horizon of his emotions. Then, it grew like the rising sun and broke through the surface with all its power. He tried to let out a scream but when his body betrayed him again, he simply contorted his face in an open-mouthed grimace.

Sweat began to build and trickle down his forehead. The salty liquid ran down into his eyes, stinging. His breath came in labored puffs as he tried to calm himself without having the desired effect.

I remember now!