Sadie.
Everything ached.
My limbs, my head, my heart.
Even with the quiet of the night, the silence wasn’t comforting—it was heavy. Like the world was holding its breath and waiting for something terrible to happen. And somehow, I was the only one who could feel it.
I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until I exhaled sharply. I made my way to the bathroom. I padded toward the bathroom, stripping off my clothes along the way and letting them fall to the floor. I turned towards the mirror, and it reflected a version of myself that barely felt like me—dark circles beneath my eyes, tension etched into my brow, my mouth a thin, tired line.
I turned away from my reflection and walked into the shower. The moment I turned on the shower and stepped beneath the stream of hot water, a sigh
