"Wildflowers Come Back" by Sarah Spann

As she forced open her eyes she saw the man pulling on a white t-shirt before he grabbed a set of keys off the nightstand and walked out. The sound and vibration from the door slamming reverberated through the room causing her head to ache even deeper. A knot formed instantly in her stomach when the deadbolt clicked loudly into place. He was locking her in; he was leaving her here. She needed to get out.

Her head felt too heavy to lift, and an unbearable pain shot down her neck when she tried. Closing her eyes she wheezed, trying to grasp the breath the pain had stolen from her. Another attempt to swallow felt like fire dripping down her tongue, and the tears that began to stream down her cheeks brought with them a biting kiss.

Lyss’ body convulsed under the pain as she turned her head to the right and once again forced open her eyes. Double mirrored closet doors stretched across the length of the opposite wall. Through her cloudy vision she could see the reflection of her body as it lay limply on the bare, firm mattress. Everything seemed so red.