LAUREN'S POV

I watched them walk away, their silhouettes shrinking against the horizon with every step. My body stayed frozen in place, my knees digging painfully into the sand, but I barely felt it. The gritty particles clung to my skin, sticking to the dampness of my legs, and my hands were buried deep in the coarse grains as if holding onto the earth itself might keep me from collapsing completely. The tears that streamed down my face dripped steadily onto the ground, mixing with the sand until tiny dark patches bloomed beneath me.

“Please… don’t go,” I called out one more time, my voice breaking into a pitiful rasp....