*Five weeks later*
Nessa jolted awake, her heart racing as she struggled to catch her breath. Her hands clenched the bedsheets, a futile attempt to end the lingering panic that had followed her from the nightmare she'd just escaped. In her dream, she had plummeted from an enormous cliff into an unending abyss, but now, she was faced with a reality that seemed even more wretched.
Sweat coated her body, and her arm throbbed, the source of her anguish apparent as her blood seeped into the once-pristine white sheets. She tore away the inadequate bandage, briefly examining the bullet wound before summoning the will to rise from her bed.
Beyond her window, darkness still held the world in its grip. Bellpond, the once-vibrant town, had become eerily silent, its atmosphere heavy with an overwhe
