Skylar woke up later than usual. The clock blinked a little past ten, and for a moment she thought her alarm hadn’t gone off. But no—it had. She had simply slept through it. That was strange. For days, her sleep had been restless, shallow, shattered by anxiety, humiliation, and a constant stream of tormenting thoughts. But last night was different. It had been heavy, dreamless, and almost peaceful.
She lay there staring at the ceiling for a while, the sheets tangled around her, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. Why today of all days? she thought. Maybe it was her body trying to prepare her for what she was about to do. Maybe it was exhaustion finally taking its toll. Or maybe it was because—for the first time—she had found a direction.
By the time she got up, washed, and d
