The first night I arrived in Maplewood, I lay on the unfamiliar hotel bed.
There was a pond right beside the inn, and frogs croaked endlessly throughout the night. Their calls echoed into the darkness, filling the entire area with a lively, buzzing atmosphere.
Suddenly, an angry man's voice came from the room next door.
"Stupid frogs! And this lousy place has zero soundproofing! It's so damn noisy!"
But I felt calmer than I ever had before.
No more late-night calls forcing me to report the weather.
No more dark figures standing beside my bed, silently watching me while I slept.
Surrounded by the noisy rhythm of the small town at night, I slept peacefully for the first time in five years.
*****
A month later, I stepped out of my new apartment.
It wasn't big, but it was warm and co
