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Elmira stepped into the house, the enormity of it only emphasizing how hollow she felt inside. Her footsteps echoed through the empty hallways, each a reminder of the absence that now loomed over her family. Though her injuries were minor, they had been enough to keep her bedridden for days. Still, she spent every waking moment at her brother Javier's bedside, clinging to hope. But now, her parents had decided it was time for her to come home and return to school, as if life could simply go back to normal.
Elmira felt a wave of misery wash over her. How could they think school was more important when her brother lay in a coma, teetering between life and death? Her mother's voice droned on about the things Elmira needed to do before she returned to school: shopping for new clothes, getting a haircut, picking up supplies. Elmira ignored her, each task feeling insignificant in the face of her brother's condition. Without a word, she trudged upstairs to her room.
It had been a month since she last set foot in her room. Everything was exactly as she had left it, untouched by time. Her eyes landed on a framed photo on her dresser—a picture of her and Javier, smiling and carefree. She sighed deeply, sinking onto her bed. She picked up the frame, her fingers tracing the edges as she analyzed every detail of the photo, every what-if scenario playing out in her mind.
A soft knock on her bedroom door interrupted her thoughts. She looked up to see her best friend, Briar Partridge, standing there. Briar was a petite girl of average height, with dark brown hair that was almost black. Her clothes were always meticulously put together, and her hair was always perfectly curled. Her light brown eyes held a softness that contrasted with her polished appearance. Elmira instantly jumped up, and they embraced, holding onto each other tightly. The hug seemed to last forever. They finally sat down on the bed, and Briar asked how Elmira was feeling.
Elmira struggled to find the words, her emotions a tangled mess. "I don't know," she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't understand why any of this happened."
