Chapter 101

"As sunlight trembles in enfeebled eyes, calling to mind how sweet to me her smile was, itself deprived my mind of memory."

-Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy

My head throbbed with pain. How many times had I been knocked unconscious in the past several hours-or according to hell standards-days?

So far I'd lost count and I hated waking up again, feeling like I had been hit by a racing truck. Things were going from bad to worse, but I wanted to lift my spirits up telling myself that at least I was still alive. My mind seemed foggy, limbs were stiff and I tasted blood in my mouth. No one in hell would pity me and no one around here was my friend.

I opened my eyes and then found myself in yet another prison cell or some sort of chamber.

Hell must have welcomed a new day, because my stomach felt empty again. There were only so many days I could go without food or water.