The room was too quiet.

Not the peaceful kind, no. It was the kind of quiet that pressed against Desiree’s ears until it felt like it was screaming back at her. The curtains were drawn tight, shutting out the world, but it didn’t matter. Darkness had settled inside her long before the sun dipped.

She sat on the edge of the bed at first, hands clenched in the fabric of her dress, breathing unevenly. Then the strength left her legs.

She fell back onto the mattress and curled in on herself, ...