THROUGH HER DARKNESS

‎THE SILENCE AT HOME ‎ ‎Karly’s alarm had been ringing for nearly five minutes before she finally reached over to silence it. ‎ ‎5:12 a.m. ‎ ‎The room was still dark except for the faint orange glow slipping through the thin curtains above her bed. ‎ ‎For a moment, she stayed still beneath the blanket, staring at the cracked ceiling above her, listening carefully to the silence around her. ‎Silence was important. ‎Silence meant the house was calm. ‎Silence meant her younger siblings were still asleep. ‎Silence meant she had at least a few more minutes before reality returned. ‎ ‎Karly slowly pushed herself up, ignoring the ache in her shoulders from yesterday’s double shift at the diner. Her body felt heavier these days, like exhaustion had settled permanently into her bones. ‎ ‎She grabbed the oversized hoodie hanging from the chair beside her bed and pulled it over her head before quietly stepping into the hallway. ‎ ‎The old wooden floor creaked beneath her socks. ‎ ‎She paused instantly. ‎Her heartbeat stumbled. ‎Then silence again. ‎Karly released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. ‎ ‎The hallway smelled faintly of coffee and cigarette smoke from the night before. She hated that smell. It clung to the walls of the house no matter how many windows she opened. ‎ ‎She moved quickly toward the kitchen. ‎The clock above the microwave blinked 5:18 in dim green numbers while she tied her dark hair into a messy bun. The sink was still full of dishes she hadn’t gotten around to washing last night after work. ‎She swallowed the irritation rising in her throat and turned on the faucet quietly. ‎ ‎ ‎By six o’clock, pancakes were warming on a plate, "Lily’s lunch was packed, "Jayden’s homework was signed, and two mugs of coffee sat untouched near the stove. ‎Karly checked the hallway again. ‎Still quiet. ‎Good. ‎“Please tell me those pancakes are for actual humans this time,” a sleepy voice mumbled behind her. ‎Karly looked over her shoulder to find seventeen-year-old Jayden stumbling into the kitchen with tangled curls and tired eyes. ‎ ‎Despite herself, she smiled faintly. ‎“You ate six last time.” ‎“Exactly. Evidence they were good.” ‎“They were frozen pancakes.” ‎“And yet… life-changing.” ‎Jayden stole one off the plate before she could stop him. ‎“Jay.... ‎“Too late.” ‎He grinned before stuffing half of it into his mouth. ‎For a second, things almost felt normal. ‎Almost. ‎Then "Lily appeared quietly at the kitchen entrance. ‎Unlike Jayden, her ten-year-old sister looked fully awake already, dressed neatly in her oversized school sweater while clutching the straps of her backpack against her chest. ‎Lily always looked nervous in the mornings. ‎ ‎Karly noticed it every single day. ‎“You okay?” Karly asked softly. ‎Lily nodded too fast. ‎That wasn’t an answer. ‎Karly walked toward her anyway, adjusting the younger girl’s ponytail gently. ‎“You forgot your jacket.” ‎“It’s not cold outside.” ‎“It’s October.” ‎Lily sighed dramatically. “You sound eighty years old.” ‎“I feel eighty years old.” ‎That finally earned a small smile from her sister. ‎Karly lived for those smiles lately. ‎Tiny things. ‎Small moments. ‎They made the heaviness easier to carry. ‎At least for a little while. ‎By 6:45, they were out the door. ‎The cold morning air hit Karly instantly as she locked the front door behind them. ‎ ‎ The neighborhood was still waking up, the streets quiet except for distant traffic and the occasional barking dog somewhere nearby. ‎Jayden shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie while Lily walked close beside Karly. ‎“You working tonight?” Jayden asked. ‎Karly nodded. “Until eleven.” ‎“You worked yesterday too.” ‎“And?” ‎“And you’re gonna turn into a zombie.” ‎“I already am one.” ‎Jayden laughed softly, but his expression faded after a second. ‎“You should sleep more.” ‎Karly looked away before he could notice the change in her face. ‎Sleep... ‎ ‎If only it were that easy. ‎They reached Lily’s middle school first. ‎Karly crouched slightly in front of her sister. “Text me when you get inside.” ‎“I always do.” ‎“I know.” ‎Lily hesitated before hugging her tightly. ‎Karly froze for half a second. ‎Then hugged her back. ‎“Have a good day, okay?” Lily whispered. ‎“You too.” ‎Karly watched her disappear through the school entrance before standing again. ‎Jayden was already staring at her. ‎“What?” ‎“You worry too much.” ‎“No such thing.” ‎“Pretty sure there is.” ‎Karly nudged his shoulder lightly before they continued walking. ‎The city looked different in the mornings. ‎Cleaner somehow. ‎Less lonely. ‎People moved fast with coffee cups in their hands and tired expressions on their faces, too distracted by their own lives to notice anyone else. ‎Karly preferred it that way. ‎Being unnoticed was safer. ‎By the time she arrived at campus, the familiar exhaustion had already settled behind her eyes. ‎ ‎Students crowded the sidewalks laughing loudly, talking about assignments, relationships, parties she would never attend. ‎Karly kept her head down as she walked through the halls of the business building. ‎She could feel people around her without really seeing them. ‎Voices blurred together. ‎Lockers slammed. ‎Someone shouted across the hallway. ‎Her phone buzzed inside her pocket. ‎WORK TONIGHT? ‎"Maya" ‎Karly typed quickly. ‎Yeah. ‎A second later another message appeared. ‎You seriously need a day off. ‎Karly stared at the screen for a moment before locking it without replying. ‎A day off sounded dangerous. ‎Days off meant staying home longer. ‎And Karly hated being home. ‎The lecture hall was nearly full by the time she slipped into her usual seat near the back corner. ‎Far enough to avoid conversations. ‎Close enough to leave quickly. ‎Perfect. ‎Her professor droned on about financial projections while Karly stared blankly at the notebook in front of her. ‎Words blurred together. ‎Her head hurt. ‎She barely slept last night. ‎Not because of nightmares. ‎Because of the sound. ‎That same sound she kept hearing almost every night lately. ‎A door opening somewhere down the hallway. ‎Slow footsteps. ‎Silence afterward. ‎Karly gripped her pen tighter. ‎Stop thinking about it. ‎A sudden movement near the front entrance caught her attention. ‎ ‎A tall man stepped briefly into the lecture hall speaking quietly to the professor before handing him paperwork. ‎Karly barely looked at him at first. ‎He looked older than everyone else there. ‎Maybe early thirties. ‎Dark coat. ‎Sharp jawline. ‎Expensive watch glinting beneath the fluorescent lights. ‎Definitely not a student. ‎Something about him felt out of place. ‎Too composed. ‎Too observant. ‎And for one strange second… ‎It felt like he was looking directly at her. ‎Karly immediately looked away. ‎Her stomach tightened unexpectedly. ‎By the time she glanced back again, he was already gone. ‎Weird. ‎The rest of the day passed slowly. ‎Classes. ‎Work calls. ‎Headaches. ‎By the time Karly clocked out from the diner that night, her entire body felt numb from exhaustion. ‎Rain poured heavily outside as she pulled her hoodie tighter and walked home beneath flickering streetlights. ‎The neighborhood looked emptier at night. ‎Darker. ‎The kind of darkness that made every sound feel louder. ‎Her keys trembled slightly in her hands as she unlocked the front door. ‎The house was quiet. ‎Too quiet. ‎Karly stepped inside slowly. ‎The hallway lights were off. ‎Only the faint television glow spilled from somewhere deeper in the house. ‎She swallowed hard. ‎“Jayden?” she called softly. ‎No answer. ‎“Lily?” ‎Nothing. ‎Karly’s chest tightened. ‎She moved farther into the house carefully, her pulse growing louder with every step. ‎Then... ‎A sudden sound upstairs. ‎A loud thud. ‎Karly froze instantly. ‎Her breathing stopped. ‎Another sound followed. ‎Not footsteps. ‎Not voices. ‎Something else. ‎Something heavy dragging across the floor above her. ‎Karly stared toward the dark staircase, every nerve in her body screaming at her not to move. ‎Then came the knock. ‎Three slow knocks. ‎From her bedroom door upstairs. ‎Even though no one should have been inside it. ‎