LEILA
.
.
The soft, distinct click of the door made my eyes snapped open, wide and immediate in the darkness.
My entire body went rigid beneath the blanket.
The door creaked open while the sound felt so loud and in a more terrifying way in the absolute quiet of the room, a sound that seemed to tear through the stillness like a physical thing.
A sliver of dim corridor light spilled into the room.
A guard.
I could make out his silhouette in the doorway, a bulky shape, his head tilting slightly as he peered into the gloom, checking if we were sleeping, if everything was quiet, normal.
I held my breath, every muscle in my body screaming with the effort of remaining still.
My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic, terrified drum that I was convinced he must be able to he
