After I finished the cereal, I lay back on my bed and stared at the ceiling.
I waited for sleep to come.
It didn’t.
Minutes passed. Maybe longer. Time felt strange when my mind refused to slow down. I turned onto my side, then my other side. I pulled the blanket up to my chin, then kicked it off again. My body was tired, heavy in that deep, dragging way, but my thoughts refused to rest.
They kept circling.
Faces. Names. Places I didn’t want to remember.
I groaned quietly and shoved my pillow over my head, pressing it down hard, like I could smother the thoughts if I tried hard enough. Darkness. Muffled sound. My own breathing was too loud in my ears.
It didn’t help.
The memories slipped through anyway, stubborn and sharp. My chest tightened with frustration. I ripped the pillow awa
