Chapter 16

Hazel's POV

I coughed and sputtered as water gushed all over my face. I regained consciousness, but I was still weak enough to stand on my own. I rolled a little to my left, got hold of my bed, and dragged myself up to a sitting position.

To say I was wet was an understatement; I was drenched, and I could still feel water cascading down my bare skin on my back. The cool breeze from the wide open window caused involuntary shivers to run down my spine, stiffening it, and my body hairs weren’t excluded from this reflex action.

I could feel and literally see goosebumps like tiny, leechy parasites there to cling to my skin, stubbornly refusing to fall off. The sharp prickles I felt crawling along the whole of my being — from the crown of my wet, matted head of hair to the sole of my bare, dirty feet — caused my quivers to increase, and my teeth were slightly chattering.

I was yet to lift my head; I was yet to decipher anything tangible from the s