The darkness shattered and I dragged in a shuddering gasp of breath, snapping open my eyes. My head throbbed with excruciating pain and every breath I took grated at my lungs. I had no idea what had jolted me awake, in fact I struggled to remember what had thrown me into unconsciousness in the first place.

 My whole body prickled with pins and needles, a numbness that made my limbs feel heavy and dead save for the white hot stabs of pain that pierced my skin. . I tried to sit myself up, only then realising that I was led flat on my bed, legs slung over the side. I could feel my feet gain some purchase against the floor and tried to push myself up to relieve the uncomfortable numbness that gripped my body; but I couldn't move. I pushed, ineffectually against the dusty old carpet, but I had no strength, no feeling at all above my knees. What the hell had happened to me?

 I started to panic, kicking out with the only part of me that I could still move. My feet thudded limply against the floor, calves bruised as I bashed them against the bed frame. Strangled cries of fear and frustration escaped my lips as I struggled in my futile effort to move.

 I whipped my head from side to side, thrashing it back and forth, seeing only the mess of clothing that still littered my bed and the pale glow of the street-light as it filtered in through my windows, lighting the darkness a touch. Someone had turned off the lamp.

 “Ah, Sarah. Back in the land of the living I see. Good, good, for a while there I was sure you were going to be out all night. That would have been no good at all.”

 I heard Leon's voice trickle through the air from somewhere near my kitchen, but from my reclined position I couldn't see him. The sound of his voice did little to comfort me and soothe my fears. What was going on? Somehow I just knew he didn't intend to help me, but I struggled to understand why.

 I tried to speak, to shout out for help, demand to know what was happening to me, but I couldn't make my tongue form the word. Incoherent noises fell from my lips and I struggled yet more in panic. The fuzziness in my mind that I'd felt earlier in the evening, back at the restaurant, had cleared - I was thinking and seeing everything with a renewed clarity - but my body felt disconnected, completely out of my control; and I was terrified.

 “Shh now, Sarah. There's no need to struggle, just relax and this will all be over soon.” Leon cooed.

 I could hear footsteps moving towards me, padding softly across the threadbare carpet and I shuddered, I didn't want him to come near me, didn't want him to touch me. When he reached out a hand and made to stroke my face, still shushing me like I was a frightened child, I flinched. But my inability to move my limbs did me few favours and I felt the cool caress of his fingers as they traced my cheek.

 I froze beneath his touch. Shivers of revulsion rose on my skin and I head a whimper of fear escape my throat. What the hell happened tonight? Was all I could think. How did that nice, normal dinner date turn into this? But there was the word, normal. What exactly was normal these days? Because, whatever it was, it felt impossible to know for certain.

 I feared what was going to happen to me. Rape was the first thing that came to mind, those were all the horror stories you heard of after all. Woman's drink gets spiked, the date rape drug they called it; and that's when it hit me. The wine.

 I felt sick again. Something wet trickled down my cheek but it was several moments before I realised that I was crying. Leon brushed away my tears with a tender swipe, I wished he would stop being so nice and just get this over with, not draw it out any further. But he just kept up with the soothing words.

 “Now, now, Sarah. There's no need for crying, not any more. Soon this will all be over and you'll be on your new path, the path to your salvation.”

 He spoke with such eagerness, but the words confused me. What was he talking about? Those weren't the sort of words I had been expecting and their strange, righteous tone baffled me. I shook my head and tried to speak, my mouth was dry and my tongue stuck to my teeth, but I eventually managed to croak out a couple of words.

 “Don't understand.” I rasped, my voice a harsh whisper I barely recognised.

 I saw Leon shake his head. “I know, but you will, soon. You've been led astray, that's all, but I could see it in you. Your soul has yet to be tainted, there is still a chance for you Sarah, don't you see? This life you've been living hasn't managed to corrupt you yet, not completely. I found you just in time and it is a great honour for me to be the one who sends you to your salvation.”

 “What?” I gasped, confused beyond all comprehension.

 Salvation, there was that word again, and corruption? Something about my soul? I knew the crucifix I'd found around Leon's neck and unnerved me, but this wasn't Catholicism, this was some kind of extremist sounding cult craziness and I still didn't understand. Leon wasn't that sort of a person, was he? Trolling strip clubs in search of girls whose souls he could save? It sounded insane. But perhaps that was the problem.

 Was I just the unfortunate one? I was the new girl at the club, my soul had less taint that then other girls, was that it? I just hadn't been there long enough for work as a stripper to corrupt me, I could still be saved. But I didn't want to be saved, not if this is what it meant.

 I shook my head, “No!”

 “I know you don't believe it is possible Sarah, but, trust me, I can show you the way. It will be a hard road, yes, there will be trials, but be assured that I know a good soul when I see one. Have a little faith Sarah and you'll see that this was all for the best.”

 Leon reached over me, above my head, to grab something as I shook my head some more, small traces of feeling had started to return to my body and I struggled some more in my panic. It would be futile, I knew it, I was still to weak and incapacitated to fight him off, but I couldn't just give up. The stubborn, determined part of me that had gained me admittance into Cambridge in the first place wouldn't let me, how could all of this have been for nothing?

 “Come on now, Sarah. Calm down. There's no need to be afraid, not any more. This will go quicker if you don't struggle, but worst will soon be over, I promise.”

 I struggled to control my breathing, hyperventilating I could only take in short gasps as I panicked and felt my head grow light and dizzy through its lack of oxygen. A painful tightness gripped my chest as I watched Leon hold a pillow in both hands close to his chest. I knew then what was coming, I already couldn't breathe properly and figured he was right, it probably wouldn't take long. That, perhaps, was one blessing.

 “Have faith Sarah.” Leon said once more, “And go with God.”

 The movement was quick and the darkness descended on me quickly as Leon pressed the pillow firmly down over my face. The little air I had quickly grew hot and stale as breathed too quickly in my panic. Every cell that encompassed my body started to scream in pain as I drained the oxygen and found it too little to sustain me. I needed to fight, needed to breathe, needed to survive. I tried to struggle, I batted at Leon ineffectually with my hands. I could never have hoped to throw him off, but I wasn't going to go down without a fight.

 Stars twinkled in front of my eyes and my head swam, even in the dark of my suffocation I could feel the room twist and spin. I could feel death, mere inches away. I scratched at Leon's arms as they held the pillow pressed firmly against me in one last ditch attempt to fight him off before I slipped into deaths icy fingers.

 But they caught hold of me and pulled me down, spiralling into the depths, and I had to let go. There was no more fight left in my body, no more breath left with which to scream, and I lay still. Lost of hope, nothing left to save.

 “Find your path Sarah, and be at peace."