The Neighbor

Tessa crushes me in a breathless hug, nearly knocking the wind from my lungs. Her arms lock around my shoulders in a vice grip of pure relief. She trembles against my chest, her voice shaking as she babbles in a rushed, frantic whisper. She tells me how sick with worry she had been, rambling on about the brutal hunt. She confesses her terrifying fears that I would not make it back to the dormitory