The Warden's Second Chance

ella

oke

rough my pink curtains. The same pink curtains I had seen a thousand times

d at the ceiling.

. My body felt heavy. My mind

I remembered the darkness swall

I was warm. I was in

o

ed. My head throbbed. I look

anity. The photo of my father on my nightstand. The dri

m. I had grown

thing fe

ds. They were clean. No

rushed by the pillar. The leg that had be

as f

kin was warm. My heart

s al

t

weight of the ceiling. I remembered

was I

in h

I grabbed the bedpost to stead

as me. Isabella. The same face

hing was

My face was paler.

d glass. I pressed my palm against the mirr

as

s al

the calendar

stared ba

fore my twenty-s

fr

th caught in my throat. M

teen

urteen days before the betrayal. F

days befo

numbers blurred. Tears fille

had to be a dream. A nightma

I counted to ten.

was sti

fore my twenty-s

and sat down hard. My hands were

was on the nightstand. I gra

as the same. Fourteen

n my screen m

d anniversary. He was smiling. I was smi

lt s

ced and landed near the pillow. The s

gripped the sheets.

nial, I pin

a

I sc

sharp. Real

here was a red mark.

as r

as

was

retu

re the apocalypse. Fourteen days before t

hing. The cake. The documents. Sophia's cruel smile. Et

dea

bered a

lked to the window. I

streets. People rushing to their jobs. The sun reflecte

ame city. Th

as not t

memb

e tiers. The white frosting. Th

oses. The gold balloons. The banner th

ay she had looked at me. The way h

ments. The marriage c

he way he had smirked. The w

illar. The weight

e roof. The dar

ered eve

ew something no

was abou

bered m

l birth

wish. If I have another chance, I will listen this

ad fallen.

sh had be

floor was cold against

aug

rate sound. A sound that came

cr

e. They dripped onto the floor

s al

given a sec

stayed there. Minutes. H

ing, I felt empty. Hollow.

g cold. Something that h

th the back of my hand. I looke

he mirror look

was not the same woman who had trusted everyone around her. She was

someon

meone who

ain," I w

My throat was raw. Bu

er a

r betray my

e room. Time to ge