The first thirty minutes of sleep were peaceful and dreamless. Shea was out cold, her mind and conscious blank. But then the beautiful peace was painfully interrupted by sharp, flashing images and blips of oh-too-familiar sounds. She saw glimpses of Kyoki, the man who had kidnapped and tortured her, and his maniacal laugh rang through her head. There was his daughter and her golden blades, with each swing she etched a new scar into Shea's complexion. She heard her brother screaming her name… her parents' final words…
And Shea woke up. Her hair was plastered to her forehead with sweat and her heart pounded in her chest. "Can't get one damn hour of rest." She groaned and raked her fingers over her scalp. Deciding that sleep would refuse to return, Shea got to her feet, thanking whatever deity there was that Hailstrom was asleep and didn't see her panicked state.