After the Storm

At some point, Hazel in Clara's arms had managed to yank the gag out herself. She called out to Clara, her voice weak and shaky, still choked with fear and tears.

Clara looked down, meeting Hazel's eyes—brimming with tears, still haunted by everything that just happened.

The shock of surviving and the intensity of the moment made Clara, almost without thinking, say something weighty to Hazel she'd