BEEP BEEP BEEP...

The last sound she heard was the ticking of the wall clock, and now, seemingly years later, her alarm woke her from three rooms away. She lifted her heavy body from the corner of the couch and realized that every fiber of her being was stiff. She crept down the hall, rubbing her neck, holding her side, hoping the alarm would not wake him. She found her way to the bedroom.

Their bed was empty and cool, dampened with the chill of the wet night air. With the alarm silenced, she climbed into the bed and pulled the covers over her head.