Chapter 137 Price of Progress

• As Meredith stirred from unconsciousness, she was greeted by the throbbing ache of her head, a relentless pulse reverberating through her skull. Every inch of her body protested in discomfort as she attempted to orient herself.
• Struggling against the haze of confusion, she attempted to move about, only to be met with resistance. Panic seized her as she realized her hands and feet were tightly bound, rendering her immobile.
• Her surroundings came into focus, revealing a scene of rustic simplicity. She found herself lying upon a bed of straw within a weathered shed, its walls fashioned from ancient mud bricks. Sunlight filtered through a lattice window, casting intricate patterns of light and shadow upon the earthen floor. The wooden door, bearing the scars of a forced entry, remained steadfastly closed.