Cathy opened her eyes and stared up at the unfamiliar ceiling. ‘What are you doing here,’ she asked herself. She lay there with her eyes glazed over, not really seeing anything around her for what felt like hours. A million thoughts raced through her mind. Fear, confusion, and doubts mingled with an overwhelming sense of freedom and security. Tears prickled her eyes, and she tried to hold them back, shake the dog, and focus on getting out of bed. Slowly, the tears leaked from the corners of her eyes and trickled into her hair and ears. She didn’t bother trying to wipe them away. She didn’t really have the strength to do it. Her arms and legs felt heavy. The tears turned into heaving, sobbing screams into her pillow. She was so lost in her thoughts that nothing around her felt real.
A sud
