I woke up to a stabbing pain behind my eyes and the sensation that someone had shoved cotton into my mouth. The sunlight streaming through the window was blinding, and I groaned, throwing an arm over my face in an attempt to block it out. Despite the placement of the window, even the lingering rays that found their way into the room were overwhelming and might as well have been a spotlight.
"Ugh, what hit me?" Mara's groggy voice came from beside me.
I turned my head slowly–testing the waters, feeling my brains slosh around in my head with even the slightest movement—and saw her sitting up in bed, still nude, a red mark on her breast where I may have clenched too tightly, her hair a tangled mess and eyes squinting against the light. She clutched her head with both hands, immediately regretting her choice to sit up.
