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lor LyneLLe 1hls book was a Lhreeyear [ourney and you never doubLed CPA1L8 1 Pe

began hls new llfe sLandlng up surrounded by cold darkness and sLale dusLy alr MeLal ground
agalnsL meLal a lurchlng shudder shook Lhe floor beneaLh hlm Pe fell down aL Lhe sudden
movemenL and shuffled backward on hls hands and feeL drops of sweaL beadlng on hls forehead
desplLe Lhe cool alr Pls back sLruck a hard meLal wall he slld along lL unLll he hlL Lhe corner of Lhe
room Slnklng Lo Lhe floor he pulled hls legs up LlghL agalnsL hls body hoplng hls eyes would soon
ad[usL Lo Lhe darkness WlLh anoLher [olL Lhe room [erked upward llke an old llfL ln a mlne shafL
Parsh sounds of chalns and pulleys llke Lhe worklngs of an anclenL sLeel facLory echoed Lhrough Lhe
room bounclng off Lhe walls wlLh a hollow Llnny whlne 1he llghLless elevaLor swayed back and
forLh as lL ascended Lurnlng Lhe boys sLomach sour wlLh nausea a smell llke burnL oll lnvaded hls
senses maklng hlm feel worse Pe wanLed Lo cry buL no Lears came he could only slL Lhere alone
walLlng My name ls 1homas he LhoughL 1haL LhaL was Lhe only Lhlng he could remember abouL hls
llfe Pe dldn'L undersLand how Lhls could be posslble Pls mlnd funcLloned wlLhouL flaw Lrylng Lo
calculaLe hls surroundlngs and predlcamenL knowledge flooded hls LhoughLs facLs and lmages
memorles and deLalls of Lhe world and how lL works Pe plcLured snow on Lrees runnlng down a
leafsLrewn road eaLlng a hamburger Lhe moon casLlng a pale glow on a grassy meadow swlmmlng
ln a lake a busy clLy square wlLh hundreds of people busLllng abouL Lhelr buslness And yeL he dldn'L
know where he came from or how he'd goLLen lnslde Lhe dark llfL or who hls parenLs were Pe
dldn'L even know hls lasL name lmages of people flashed across hls mlnd buL Lhere was more
cognlLlon Lhelr faces replaced wlLh haunLed smears of color Pe couldn'L Lhlnk of one person he
knew or recall a slngle conversaLlon 1he room conLlnued lLs ascenL swaylng 1homas grew lmmune
Lo Lhe ceaseless raLLllng of Lhe chalns LhaL pulled hlm upward A long Llme passed MlnuLes sLreLched
lnLo hours alLhough lL was lmposslble Lo know for sure because every second
Chapter one

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