VeronicaSleep did not come gently. It pulled me under in fragments, like drifting through layers of heavy water. The beeping of the monitor faded into something distant, mechanical and hollow. My body felt weightless at first, then strangely alert, as if every nerve was awake beneath the surface of the dream.I started hearing noises, first my mother, gentle and warm, Taylor's cold hum, Jemore's teasing, big brother's laughter, then Yvonne, standing on the stage, giving a speech at the age of twenty, and then..."Mommy!"My heart sank when I saw her, Aurora. And to myself, screaming at her, cursing at her, throwing the food that was barely edible for a child. My throat burned even in the dream. I could see her flinch, her tiny fingers curling into her dress, her lower lip trembling. The guilt was so sharp it felt physical, like something slicing through my ribs from the inside.I realized that I was dreaming. My skin was burning, damp with sweat. Maybe fever. My tongue felt thick. My
Last Updated : 2026-02-28 Read more