I sit on the edge of the king sized bed, the silence of the room pressing against my ears like a heavy weight. The sun has long since vanished, replaced by the deep, ink-black shadows of the evening.

I have been in this room for hours, trapped behind the heavy door. My stomach let out a long, low growl, a sharp reminder that I haven't had a real meal since before the hospital drama. The hunger pangs are starting to feel like tiny claws scratching at my insides.

I stand up, my legs feeling a ...