Enter Our "Heroes"

Tanner woke to a pounding headache. He lay there, refusing to open his eyes, relishing the softness of the sheets and pillow. He'd been through enough hangovers to know better than to face the morning light. I can't remember last night for shit, he thought. What fucking rager... he cast his thoughts back, trying desperately to remember what had happened. He'd gone for a bike ride, and then...

His headache intensified. Maybe the sun had messed him up. He'd been dreaming of tigers.

He heard an unfamiliar sound. Time to face the music, I guess, and steeled himself for the pain of the sun. He cracked his eyes.

An unfamiliar room greeted him, and he sat up suddenly, which made his head throb more. What the fuck? He tried to remember who he'd hooked up with, but couldn't remember at all. The room was neater than his, the curtains pulled back to show a completely different view than he was used to. He squinted as the headache burned behind his eyes. His neck hurt.

He saw an envelope on the desk, a bill of some sort, and he stumbled over to it. At least I have boxers on. The name on the envelope swam up at him. "Elias," he read out loud. Elias. Memories from yesterday slammed into him. He died. The game. The tiger. He put his hand to his neck and felt it, heart racing. It seemed to be fine.

"Elias?" he called out. Dizziness overtook him and he moved back to the bed.