Chapter 28: Gossip and Slaps
Alex
The next morning came far too soon.
I woke up in the same cramped cellar room where I had spent so many unhappy nights. The cracked stone walls seemed to be pressing in around me from every side, making the small space feel like a tomb. For a long moment, before my memories of the previous night fully returned to my mind, I just lay perfectly still on my mattress. I stared up at the low ceiling and listened to the silence. My entire body ached with a deep, throbbing pain. My knees felt stiff and frozen, my muscles were sore from the cold, and my head was pounding with a dull rhythm.
For one very dangerous heartbeat, a dark thought flashed through my mind. It was a tempting idea that felt bright and easy.
I thought about just ending it all.
I wanted t
