The Unsolved k********g

Astrid sits up in her bed with a start, her body covered in a thin sweat, the room around her still shrouded in darkness. She glances over at her alarm clock on her nightstand confirming that its 3am. She sighs, and throws back her quilts tossing her legs over the side of her bed. Standing up she stumbles sleepily toward her tiny bathroom cautiously stepping over the large lump of a dog laying in the bathroom doorway. Earning a sleepy look from her English mastiff Ferdnad. She squints as she flips on the bathroom light; turning toward the bathroom sink she turns on the water sticking her hands into the cold stream of water and running her hands over her face. Turning the water off she looks up into the bathroom mirror above the sink. Her shoulder length curly hair is sticking up at odd angles,her hazel eyes are bright but the bags under them are darker than useal. Deciding she felt worse then she looked she makes her way to her desk. The moon light from the window shown brightly through her open blinds casting a sickly light across the desk. Sitting down in her swivel chair she reaches across the desk to turn on her desk lamp knocking a handful of things off her desk. Bending over she begins to pick up the things on the floor. A few pencils and knickknacks and a picture frame. Picking up the frame she turns the frame over gently in her hands looking at the smiling family within. The faces that are the source of her dreams and her sleepless nights. The memories with them that are pushed aside but at the same time cherished. She runs a thumb over her parents faces as if her touch could somehow bring them back from wherever they may be. She sighs heavily as she feels Ferdned rest his large head on her thigh. She reaches down scratching him behind his ears as she feels the tears running down her cheeks she let's them fall.