Nowhere Feels Safe

The motel room was suffocating. Dim lighting buzzed overhead, casting flickering shadows against the stained walls. The sheets beneath Lila were scratchy, the air stale with the scent of dust and something metallic. She was exhausted, her body aching from the tension of their escape, but sleep refused to come.

Across from her, Lora sat with her knees tucked to her chest, chewing anxiously on her thumbnail. She hadn't said much since they'd bolted from Adrian's grip, only offering short, clipped responses as they paid for the dingy motel in cash and barricaded themselves inside. Now, she stared at the door as if willing it to hold against whatever nightmare might be lurking outside.

Lila exhaled slowly, trying to push away the gnawing feeling in her gut. They had run. They had made it out. But for some reason, it didn't feel like they were free.