Chapter 4

With trembling hands, I fumbled on the ground for a long time before finally touching my phone. Using all my strength and suppressing the pain in my throat, I responded with a simple, "Okay. "

Then, ignoring the shouts behind me and the strange looks from passersby, I ran barefoot straight toward the hospital. The howling wind roared constantly in my ears. Tears mixed with sweat soaked through my clothes. The hospital was eerily quiet. The empty ward contained only my mother's bed. A large white sheet covered her body. She'd been lying here alone like this for so long.…