Betty woke before her alarm.
Her body ached in a way that felt deeper than muscle, like the soreness had settled into her bones overnight. She lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling, breathing through it. The room was cold.
She swung her legs off the bed slowly and stood, steadying herself until the dizziness passed. Her palm rested on her lower stomach without thinking. The ache softened just a little.
She moved quickly after that. A short bath. Loose clothes. Her jacket pulled tight around her shoulders. She checked the time once, then again, before slipping her feet into her boots. The house was quiet, the kind of silence that made every floorboard creak sound like a gunshot.
The air outside bit at her skin the moment she stepped out. It was that gray, biting morning light
