Picking my head up, I try to make sense of my surroundings. There is something big; I think it’s a sofa, but it’s a different color than the one I spend so much time sitting on.

What the…?

With my palms flat on the floor, I haul myself to my knees, and my head throbs.

I was drugged. Our food was poisoned! What is wrong with them? Our room was always a safe space before, but I can’t trust anything now. Not even food.

My head is fuzzy, but my vision slowly sharpens. The old-style TV and sofa. I’m in the orientation room.

Evan.

I gasp.

He’s in here, too, but we’re alone. Where is everyone else?

He’s lying on the floor, and he’s so, so still that it sends chills down my spine.

“Evan?” I whisper.

His face is pressed into the floor, but I can see his eyes are closed. My gaze homes in on his chest, seeking confirmation. Please be alive. Please, please.

His chest rises and falls.

Grimacing, I get to my feet and glance up at the camera. You will not break me. Whatever you have planned, bring it.

I turn back to Evan and stumble toward him. My head is spinning, legs not quite cooperating like the way I felt after having a bad case of the flu last year.

“Evan? Evan, please, speak to me.”

His hand twitches.

“Evan, can you get up?”

His head turns to me, and he flicks his eyes open, but they don’t focus on me. Instead, he stares ahead blankly, pupils dilated. “Evan!” I screech, my heart racing. “Come on, talk to me!” Is he in shock?

I crouch down and brush my fingers across his forehead. “Please, Evan. Look, we were drugged but we’re okay now.”

He blinks heavily, and his eyes meet mine. “Piper?”

I smile as a sob of relief escapes my mouth. “Yeah. Hey, it’s me. Let’s get you to your feet.”

I wrap my hands around his waist and help him up. He leans on me and grips my upper arm. “What happened? They drugged us?” His voice is filled with disgust.

“Yeah, they did. We’re in the orientation room. I don’t know where the others are.” They could be somewhere out of the common room, too. But unless they’re in one of the torture rooms, it would be harder to control all of us out here. There are places we can run and hide and the main door we can escape out of.

News of us being outside the common room seems to perk him up, and he stands on his own and looks around the room. Rubbing his forehead, he asks, “Where are they?”

“I don’t know. I only woke up a minute ago, right before you.”

He grits his teeth. “Why do you think we’re in here?”