Memory 17

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I come to with a yelp. I'm glad to be alive until I remember what happened, and fear grabs hold of me. I do a quick scan of my surroundings, but there's no sign of Scar Lady.

I'm alone. And I feel great. No bruised ribs from my assault. No sore neck from nearly being choked to death. Not even a scratch. That can only mean one thing.

It wasn't real.

I'm relieved but disappointed. I thought I had overcome whatever was making me insane. Clearly, I was wrong.

I spend the next few hours doing whatever I can to pass the time. I count the items in the room. I draw patterns in the foam with my finger. I even stare blankly ahead.

After a while, I discover I'm hungry. It's been so long since my last meal I can't remember when that was. I'm struggling to find a way to communicate my hunger to my captors when I notice a platter by the wall where my visitors appeared.

I don't know how it got there, but I'm too hungry to care. I leap off the bed and grab the platter. My meal consists of a bowl of soup, a slice of bread, a plate of veggies, and a mysterious red dip. For dessert, there's a slice of pie with orange filling. The lack of meat indicates my captors know I'm vegetarian.

I start with the soup. It's delicious. The bread tastes odd, but it's quite filling. The vegetable platter is also unusual, but each mouthful is a delight. The best part is the pie. It tastes sweet, yet somehow refreshing. I wash it down with a glass of water.

It's not until I ingest every last morsel that I notice the note stuck to the bottom of the bowl. I pull it off and read it.

You'renot crazy. Help is on the way.

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