The world was quiet.
Too quiet.
It was the kind of silence that stretched endlessly, pressing against Shirley's ears, suffocating her beneath its weight.
Her feet felt heavy as she walked out of the hospital doors, but her heart, her heart felt hollow.
Empty.
A black hole had formed in her chest, swallowing everything but rage.
She couldn't think.
Couldn't process.
Melanie was dead.
Her sister. Her one constant. The person she had promised to always protect. The only family she had left in this godforsaken world…gone.
And Jason, that bastard Jason—had taken her away, as if he hadn't taken enough from her already.
She didn't need proof. She didn't need logic or to calm down an assess the situation
He had been here. He had come to see Melanie. And then suddenly, she was gone.
It was obvious. It made sense.
Jason.
Jason!!!