YELENA

I woke up tired.

Not the normal kind of tired.

This one sat deep in my bones, heavy, like something inside me refused to move. My eyes stayed on the ceiling for a long time, blank, empty, like I was still trying to remember how to feel.

Work.

I was supposed to go to work.

I let out a slow breath and turned my head to the side. No… I couldn’t. Not today. My body wasn’t ready, my mind even less though I didn’t even tell the director. I would send a message later.

Just ...