I didn’t even lift my gun to defend myself against Aaron. I didn’t have enough time and all the fight seemed to have seeped out of me now that Daniel was lying motionless at my feet. In the back of my mind, I realized that I could hear again. But what did anything matter if Daniel was dead?

I knew I should be angry and screaming with rage right now. But I felt paralyzed by my numbness. My brain refused to accept what I knew to be true. I wouldn’t even allow ...