That morning, Lisa sipped her coffee on the patio as Coco chased butterflies through the tall grass. The breeze carried birdsong, and for the first time in a long while, Lisa felt present—not haunted by the past or worried about the future. Just… content.
But that peace shattered with a single sound. A shrill, piercing screech cut through the air like a knife. Lisa’s body jerked. Her coffee splashed over her wrist, but she barely felt the burn. She turned her head toward the sound, a sense of dread already forming.