*Genevieve*

Even though I had barely gotten more than a few hours of sleep last night, I woke up feeling more rested than I had in weeks. My fingers and toes stung, and my arms and legs were sore from the climb, but I felt an overwhelming sense of pride at having been able to survive the climb in the first place. I was rusty, but I wasn't ruined.

I rolled over as I tried to convince myself to get up for the day. Something cream-colored caught my eye.

I rubbed ...