Ghosts of last night

Chloe

When my alarm buzzed the next morning, it sounded like I was in the middle of a war zone with bombs dropping around me.

My ears were ringing, and my head threatened to explode at any second. I groaned and located my phone without opening my eyes, tapping the screen, hoping to switch the damn thing off blindly so the detonations would stop.

After a few seconds, the alarm went off, and I could breathe again.

Trying to turn around and stretch my unusually stiff body was a challenge as the searing pain in my lower back stopped me.

Wait, why did my back hurt as if I slept on a concrete floor the entire night? And when I think of it, this didn’t feel like my bed at all. With that thought, my eyes snapped open, and I rose into a sitting position.

What the hell was I doing sleeping in my living room?! I stumbled to the kitchen, placed the filter in the machine, added coffee grounds and water, and pressed the button. Hopefully, some caffeine would chase away the fog from my brain. A few