Saturday Morning | Elena’s Apartment

The storm had passed, but the silence it left behind was worse.

Violet sat on the floor, her back against the wall, knees drawn to her chest. The apartment smelled faintly of burnt coffee and fear. Rebecca had fallen asleep sometime before dawn, curled up on the couch with her makeup smudged, while Elena dozed near the kitchen, her phone charging uselessly still no signal.

Every creak of the building made Violet flinch. Every gust of wind against the windows made her think the knock would return.

“Eden doesn’t forget its children.”

The words wouldn’t leave her head.

She’d buried that name under years of...