HAZEL

Something didn’t feel right. I woke in a panic, bolting straight up in the bed with a hand clutched against my heart as my eyes searched the dark room. I saw nothing. No one holding a gun to my head or little pinging bullets forever ringing in my nightmares.

Something was amiss, however. The bed beside me was empty and cold, as if nobody had lain there for a while. The panic rose again, and I continued to clutch my chest, my eyes searching the empty room for ...