A Forgotten Tomorrow by Teresa Schaeffer Page A

dream-like state. I can’t fight it, even though I try. And it’s like I’m taken somewhere else, somewhere that is not here, not in this park.
    Wherever I am, this place has a musty smell to it, along with the scent of cigar smoke and mothballs. The lighting is dim, but I manage to see three large shadows against the wood-panelled wall. The men aren’t in the room with me, though – I don’t think. They are cackling with one another in the adjoining room, hacking and coughing fit to bring up a lung.
    I can’t make out what they are saying and don’t want to find out either – what if they don’t know I’m here?
    Something, maybe dust, flies into my nose without warning, bringing forth a loud sneeze. I cover my mouth, trying to force back another that is on its way. It’s too late. The large men must have already heard me, because their cackling abruptly stops. There is silence.
    I realise that I’m backed into a corner. I’ve been here the entire time, not realising it until now. My arms are tied behind my back and my cry is muffled by a gag that’s in my mouth. What’s going on? Oh my God! Here they come.
    The man that appears in front of my face is very unclean and extremely large. His tank top looks ten years old. At one point it was probably white, but not anymore. It’s covered with stains, most likely because of his nasty perspiration – he reeks of body odor. His long, tangled beard covers most of his mouth, but when he smiles I notice that he is missing a lot of his teeth. Those that remain appear to be rotted, judging by his breath, which smells like halitosis.
    His long, chubby arms reach down towards my face. What is he doing? I can’t move. I can’t scream. Leave me alone! I feel his grip on my shoulder. I try to shrug him away, but cannot move…

    I convulse, shake and vomit uncontrollably. I don’t think I’m dreaming any more, but still cannot move. My eyes are fluttering. I can’t see anything of my surroundings, but briefly I notice a man standing above me.
    He looks exactly like the man I just saw in my dream – with no teeth. He appears to be upset. Why does he keep shaking me?
    “Hang on. I’m gonna call an ambulance,” he says.
    I can barely understand what he’s saying. Everything is muffled and unclear.
    I don’t want an ambulance. Why would he be doing that? I’m okay. I’m just resting for a minute, dude…
    Everything is black. My body is convulsing, yet I feel completely numb. There is silence. What’s happening?

CHAPTER 12
    It’s pitch black.
    I can’t open my eyes, nor can I move. My body feels paralysed and the sound of people chattering in the distance is starting to make my skin crawl. I can’t see them. Where am I? What is that beeping sound and why is my mouth so sore? Can anyone hear me?
    I try to force my eyes open and after much effort I can see, but with fuzzy vision. I’m in a white room, surrounded by an odd-looking curtain and stainless steel cabinets.There is an overwhelming smell of surgical alcohol too. I start to gag. My hands are strapped to a gurney so I can’t sit up.
    “Help!” I scream as loud as I possibly can without gagging and vomiting all over the blue gown that I’m wearing. “Get me outta this room!”
    Two female nurses dressed in light blue surgical scrubs run into my room quickly. One of them is young, in her mid-twenties maybe. The other looks like she is fifty at best. They don’t say much at first, but they are calm and attentive.
    “What the hell is going on?” I ask, still gagging and mildly panicking.
    “Calm down, calm down. You’re at County Hospital,” the older nurse says.
    “What? Why?”
    “You overdosed.”
    “On what?” I cough, gag. “I want to sit up. I can’t move my arms.”
    “Try to relax.” She tries to reassure me.
    I’m panicking, but at least they untie my hands. “What’s this?” I ask the young nurse, pointing to the bandage wrapped around my head.
    “What’s your name?” she