The chapter opened with an unknown narrator regaining consciousness in pitch darkness. The air smelled of mildew, their head throbbed, and they felt dizzy and nauseated, with no clear memory of what had happened the night before. They wondered if they had drunk too much or taken drugs like LSD or ecstasy.

Calling out for help yielded no response. As the narrator stood from a thin spring mattress, a metal scraping sound came from the floor, and they were yanked back by something fastened to their ankle. Feeling down, they realized a metal shackle was clamped around their ankle and attached to a chain, sparking a panic attack marked by rapid heartbeat, sweating, and desperate screams for help.

The narrator collapsed back onto the mattress and violently pulled at the chain, injuring their hands, but the restraint held. Tracing the chain, they found it anchored to a thick metal pole embedded in concrete, likely a support beam extending to the ceiling. The available slack was about six feet, severely limiting movement.

Feeling their way through the darkness, the narrator identified a concrete wall within reach. They collided with a hard object and, by touch, determined it was a heavy-duty plastic bucket. Continuing to probe, they encountered a rough wooden surface that nicked their palm, drawing blood, which they tasted while soothing the cut.

Overwhelmed, the narrator returned to the mattress, curled up, and cried. While doing so, they found and wrapped themselves in what felt like a sleeping bag. The scene ended with the narrator cocooned in the sleeping bag, shivering and weeping in the dark, damp room, still chained to the pole and unsure where they were or how they got there.