LAURA 

Beep.

Beep.

Beep. 

That was all I kept hearing. The sound wouldn't fucking leave my head.

I tried to open my eyes, but they remained firmly shut. My lids felt like two lead weights and lifting them felt like a herculean task. When I finally did, I must have been looking straight at the sun because it was so bright, I winced and shut them immediately. 

The second time when I opened them, I did so slowly, and that was when I realized that I hadn't been staring at the sun. The room I was in was bright, painted with white all round, but it shouldn't have hurt my...