Alina

Sleep had become a punishment.

I lay awake long after the dream faded, still clutching the pillow like it could shield me from smoke that wasn’t there. My body trembled with remembered heat, phantom flames licking at my skin even though the room was cool, even though dawn crept pale and soft through the curtains.

The fire had felt too real. Too close. The smell of it clung to me like it had seeped into my pores. My throat ached as though I had breathed in ashes. I curled tighter ...