Lydia

I wake up in an unfamiliar bed. After being on the road for so long, sleeping in the back of a semi-truck, or on the hard forest floor, a mattress feels like heaven. My head rests on a pillow that might as well be made of clouds, I feel so comfortable. I open my eyes reluctantly, not eager to part from the best sleep I’ve had in weeks.

The harsh fluorescent lights sting my eyes. I reach up a hand to block the lights. Looking around my surroundings with the white beds and the sterile scent in the air, I surmise I’m in some kind of infirmary. It’s a...