Aliyah’s eyes shot open. Her chest heaved rapidly as her hand pressed against her damp nightgown, soaked through with sweat. A faint cry escaped her lips, the last fragment of her nightmare still lingering in her ears. She forced herself to sit up, clutching the sheets tightly, her breaths shallow and uneven.
Her legs trembled as she swung them off the bed. The wooden floor felt cold beneath her bare feet as she walked slowly toward the washroom. She turned on the basin’s faucet, letting the cool water run, and splashed her face repeatedly.
Droplets slid down her pale skin, but the heaviness in her eyes did not fade. She braced herself against the sink, her palms pressed flat against the stone as she leaned forward.
Her reflection stared back, hollow eyes, damp strands of hair sticking
