River
Noel had finally fallen asleep after hours of restlessness, her face soft and peaceful in the dim glow of the bedside lamp. Rain, Roman, and I sat quietly in her room, our chairs scattered around like silent sentinels. None of us spoke; we just watched over her, waiting for the signs of her restlessness to disappear. I don’t know when my eyes started to droop, but I heard her first, the sharp intake of breath that turned into a strangled cry. Noel shot upright, her hands trembling as she clutched at her chest, her breathing shallow and panicked.
“Noel!” I was on my feet in an instant, Rain and Roman moving just as quickly. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
She blinked, her wide eyes darting around the room, as though searching for something—or someone—that wasn’t there.
“It... i
