LEXI
My breath caught as soon as I entered the room. Ash covered everything, and a gray, lifeless pile sat in the center of the floor. The smell of char, bitter and sour, clung to the air so thick that I thought I might choke on it.
My stomach twisted violently as my eyes locked on the only thing that had survived the flames: the tip of River's guitar, blackened and snapped, sticking out from the heap as a cruel reminder.
"No," I said quietly, stumbling forward and dropping to my knees, my hands uselessly hovering over the ash. It did not feel real. It could not be real. I scrambled and lunged for the closet, flinging open the door.
My breath caught again. The closet was half empty, and the hangers swayed gently as if mocking me. “No, no, no."
I turned, tears in my eyes, and there i
