Mia crawled down from the bed—literally crawled—because only when she tried to stand did she realize just how badly her legs were trembling.
She staggered, then quickly dropped into the chair, her arms almost wrapping around the keyboard as if to hold onto it.
She let out a deeply satisfied breath, as though she had finally found a place of emotional refuge for herself. The computer screen seemed almost uncannily considerate; Mia had no idea whether she had accidentally pressed something, but the display had already switched to an entertainment application.
Her eyes widened as she stared at the content playing before her, completely oblivious to a faint sound, like something slithering through water, continuously wriggling its way toward her room door.
Outside, the corridor stretching into darkness had already been blanketed in hair. Fine strands seemed to grow from everywhere—along the walls, across the doors, and trailing endlessly down the hallway.
