Shattered Silence

DAPHNE

The living room was silent except for the rhythmic ticking of the clock on the wall, a steady, almost mocking reminder of how time was moving forward even when my world felt frozen in place. It was a little past eight, and I sat curled up on the couch, my knees pulled to my chest, the dim glow of the lamp casting long shadows across the room. The night stretched endlessly before me, heavy a