"She said it so softly Nicole hardly heard her. They drove in silence for a long time after that. Each lost in her own thoughts.During their last meet...ng only a few weeks earlier, Michael had sat next to her on the big couch at her apartment at The Redwood as she cried. They were supposed to be discussing the property settlement. She knew this was the final act of their marriage. The end of their union and the loneliness without Michael filled her with dread. She desperately needed to feel his. I placed my hand on the doorknob and turned it. Inside, Monica was sitting on the edge of her bed crying. I sat down next to her and grabbed a tissue out of the box, bringing it up to her face and wiping gently at the tears as they tracked their way down her cheeks. I slid an arm around her waist as I dabbed at her eyes. She was a beautiful women and it felt good to be touching her. With one long last sniff and blow of a tissue she turned to me and tried to smile. I moved a hand above her brow. . centered directly over the hole. Once I was centered I watched as he methodically placed cuffs all over my body, securing me in place. My legs were fastened to the legs of the chair in four different locations, my arms cuffed behind me and fastened in place. Another two straps went over my lap, holding me down against the base of the chair snuggly. More straps held my chest against the back of the chair as one final strap went over my forehead and around the back, holding my head in place,. It would be such bliss to let go of the pain and float back down. She tried to push the cloth away but her hands weren't working right.Her eyes were open, mere slits in the glaring light. She heard a snap and then the acrid, burning smell of ammonia flooded her nostrils, making her jerk her head back. She twisted away from the smell, but it persisted, following her until she opened her eyes. The dizziness threatened to overwhelm her and she fought back waves of nausea, swallowing hard as the.