Welcome Home

Derek's head was throbbing as he awoke, feeling as though his brain would crack his skull from the pressure. He felt wet all over as if he slept in the rain. There was a faint, musky scent in the air around him and even as his eyes opened and his blurred vision cleared, there was darkness around him. He grasped his head as he sat up and looked around.

A single streetlight cast an orange glow over him, spread in a narrow cone past him. He blinked his eyes a few times and looked around. There were no silhouettes of buildings or a starry sky. No streets glistening with the same dampness he felt over his body. No sounds of distant traffic or owl hoots or Everything else was just black, a void. Nothing, but Derek and the street light, which he now saw had a folded note tapped to it.

He pushed himself to stand and taking a deep breath, glanced around and then stepped towards the metal pole of the light. He reached for the note and peeled it away from the pole, not seeing any tape or glue residue. He then unfolded the paper and swallowed as he read the contents.