I open my eyes just as the first sliver of sunlight slices through the window blinds, casting golden lines across the floor. The light warms my skin, but the comfort is short-lived.

The scent hits me instantly. Blood. It’s thick, metallic and then I remember where we are.

It clings to the air like a suffocating fog, sinking into my nostrils and coating the back of my throat. I gag on it as bile rises into the back of my mouth. Then I smell bleach mixed in. The tang burns my nose, and for a ...