Ethan:
I woke up drenched in sweat again. My heart was pounding like I’d been running for miles. It was still dark outside, and the faint glow of the streetlights cut through my curtains. I had another nightmare—the same one that had been haunting me ever since I was eight.
I could still hear the screech of tires, the metal twisting, and my mother’s scream fading into silence. Every time I thought I’d moved past it, my mind found a way to drag me back in there.
I sat up and rubbed my face with my hands, trying to steady my breathing. “It’s been years, Ethan,” I muttered to myself, but my voice didn’t sound convincing. I looked at the clock: 4:32 a.m. Great. There was no point going back to sleep now.
I pushed the sheets off, got up, and headed to my mini home gym. Working out usually h
