Natalie~
The room was quiet when I opened my eyes. It wasn't the kind of quiet that made you nervous, but rather the kind that held you close like a soft blanket. A stillness that whispered, You're safe now.
The pillow under my head was warm, molded to the curve of my cheek, and even though I'd somehow managed to sleep for four hours straight—a miracle on its own—I still felt like I'd been dragged through the woods backwards. My limbs were heavy, as if my bones had been replaced with stone, and my eyelids threatened to close again.
I let out a long, shaky breath and pushed the sweaty strands of hair off my forehead. My skin was clammy, my limbs felt like they were made of sandbags, and my whole body buzzed with exhaustion that ran bone-deep.
"Jasmine?" I called out in my mind, my voice groggy, like I hadn't spoken in days. It came out hoarse, slurred with leftover fatigue that refused to let go.
Silence followed.
But not too long.
