First it was a drop of tears which stained the note.

I looked at it with glassy eyes barely seeing the words any more.

My hands shook.

It trembled so hard that I dropped the note to the floor.

I could feel my chest closing in.

My heart, or was it my lungs, it twisted hard.

It was so painful that I could not breathe.

This pain was worse than anything I had ever felt.

I had no idea when my knees gave up and fell to the floor, or when a loud sound slipped from my lips.

One I had never heard before.

I barely realized the sound was...