Natalie's car came to a stop near the ocean. She stumbled out, her feet carrying her unsteadily toward the beach.
The fierce wind lashed at her hair, but she remained oblivious to its assault.
Her vacant eyes fixed on the churning sea before her, its turbulent waters matching the chaos in her heart.
The waves crashed against the shore with a thunderous roar, nature's cruel mockery of her suffering.
She crumpled to the ground, drawing her knees to her chest and burying her face between them.
Her tears flowed freely, darkening the fabric of her dress.
"Why?" she whispered brokenly into the wind. "Why did everything fall apart like this?"
At that moment, she resembled nothing so much as an injured bird, lost and alone in the vast emptiness of the world, searching in vain for warmth and
