The Host Prologue Chapter 15 Part 16
CHAPTER 15 Guarded When I came to, there was no disorientation. I knew exactly where I was, roughly speaking, and I kept my eyes closed and my breathing even. I tried to learn as much as I could about my exact situation without giving away the fact that I was conscious again. I was hungry. My stomach knotted and clenched and made angry noises. I doubted these noises would betray me–I was sure it had gurgled and complained as I slept. My head ached fiercely. It was impossible to know how much of this was from fatigue and how much was from the knocks I'd taken. I was lying on a hard surface. It was rough and… pocked. It was not flat, but oddly curved, as though I was lying in a shallow bowl. It was not comfortable. My back and hips throbbed from being curled into this position. That pain was probably what had woken me; I felt far from rested. It was dark–I could tell that without opening my eyes. Not pitch-black, but very dark. The air was even mustier than before–humid and corroded, with a pecul…
