POV: Dre — Present Tense

There’s a noise before the light.

A low hum, familiar in the way a nightmare lingers—like something I’ve heard a thousand times but can’t fully place.

The world tilts.

I open my eyes.

The ceiling above me is unfamiliar. Cream-colored. Smooth. Too quiet.

“Dre?”

Her voice hits me like gravity snapping back into place.

Karen sits on the edge of the sofa, rain dripping from her hair, her eyes sharp with worry and determination.

I try to sit, but my ...