Warmth flowed through Mara. Her emotions were, for the first time in a long time, calm. Her head no longer hurt. It was like floating on a cloud, safe, protected, loved. She leaned into Billy"s hand, which gently stroked her cheek. Blinking, she opened her eyes to see his concerned face. He smiled down at her and she was aware of his worry and knew he was somehow responsible for helping her. She could feel his presence all around her and through her. The other voices were gone.
“What happened?” he asked softly, helping her to sit up.
“I couldn"t shut them out.”
“Who?”
“Anyone. Everyone. Everywhere I went, all I could hear was thoughts, voices in my head, demanding attention.”
“What would cause that?”
“It"s not the first time it"s happened,” she explained, taking a sip from the glass
