@@@@@“Tomorrow's bound to be a tough one The
@@@@@“Tomorrow's bound to be a tough one
The shivers passed after a time–maybe half an hourWhen they were gone, I felt exhaustedI
decided to take Jeb's adviceThough the floor felt even more uncomfortable than before, I was
unconscious in seconds
The smell of food woke meThis time Iwas groggy and disoriented when I opened my eyesAn
instinctive sense of panic had my hands trembling again before I was fully conscious
The same tray sat on the ground beside me, identical offerings on itI could both see and hear
JebHe sat in front of the cave in profile, looking straight ahead down the long round corridor
and whistling softly
Driven by my fierce thirst, I sat up and grabbed the open bottle of water
“Morning,” Jeb said, nodding in my direction
I froze, my hand on the bottle, until he turned his head and started whistling again
Only now, not quite so desperately thirsty as before, did I notice the odd, unpleasant aftertaste
to the waterIt matched the acrid taste of the air, but it was slightly strongerThe tang lingered
in my mouth, inescapable
I ate quickly, this time saving the soup for lastMy stomach reacted more happily today,
accepting the food with better grace
My body had other needs, though, now that the loudest ones had been satedI looked around
my dark, cramped holeThere weren't a lot of options visibleBut I could barely contain my fear
at the thought of speaking up and making a request, even of the bizarre but friendly Jeb
I rocked back and forth, debatingMy hips ached from curving to the bowled shape of the cav