CHAPTER ONE Maggie struggled to open her eyes, but the pain was so excruciating she couldn't do it. She tried to remember what happened. In her mind she frantically searched for a rational thought she could hold on to, long enough to try to understand. Finally she pried her lids open and concentrated on driving the pain from her mind. The odor of filth and urine filled her senses and she fought to keep from gagging. The bile rose in her throat and mingled with the already bitter taste on her tongue, and she had to fight to keep from vomiting. “Where am I?” she whispered aloud. A movement in the corner caught her eye. Her skin crawled when she saw a rat run across the floor. She tried to raise her head, but again the blinding pain stopped her attempt. Slowly she tried to raise her arms to rub her forehead but they wouldn't move. The realization that she was lying on a small bed and her arms were bound to the posts at the head of the bed became all too real. She looked down and saw a sheet draped over her, and felt ropes around her ankles. Maggie began to understand that someone must have brought her to this small room against her will. Continue reading