Jade’s eyes flew open, and she bolted upright in bed, the echoes of a scream still fresh in her mind. Breathing heavily, she looked through the wall of glass at the city beyond. The sun was still below the horizon, and the darkest hour of morning blanketed the city in an eerie stillness. She sat there in the dark for a moment, trapped in the intensity of the dream—the heat of the smoldering house, the bruises to her fists from pounding the burnt floorboards. She rubbed her hands and tried to steady her breath as a bead of sweat dripped down her temple. Jade rarely remembered her dreams, and they were never this vivid.

She was usually an early riser, but the fear of the nightmare still lingered. Instead of rising quickly to start her day, she took a slow deep breath and told herself, You’re safe in your bed. The past is past. It can’t hurt you now.

Across the river only a handful of windows were lit. She stared at those small dots of light, silently willing more of them to shine. The seconds dragged on like hours until finally the sun began to lighten the darkness and the buildings’ outlines could be seen against the pale blue morning sky. Jade closed her eyes and waited for her body to relax. The sun’s first rays crept into her room, bathing it in their gentle warmth.