Crumbling Barriers

POV: Astrid

Laughter spills warmly from the cracked wooden planks of our house, cutting through the biting winter air. It is a stunningly rare sound in the gloom of Miretown. The bright, fleeting noise wraps around me, bringing a genuine smile to my face. I stand outside in the freezing cold night, my arms crossed tightly over my chest to trap whatever meager body heat I have left. Through the di