The message stared back at me, and for a full minute, I couldn’t move. My heart pounded so hard I thought it might crack my ribs. Every instinct screamed at me to ignore it, to shut my phone off and pretend it never happened. But curiosity — and something deeper, something that felt like hope — pushed me forward. I walked slowly to the door, each step heavy. My hand shook as I reached for the knob, the silence in the house suddenly unbearable. When I finally opened it, the night air rushed in, cool and sharp.
