that it took 66 days

days of choo

not checkin

rching for his nam

't still feel his voice wrappe

was da

gainst her skin. The campus café hummed with morning energy-students huddled ov

s my l

Elara shaped

r table, staring down at her unt

of being

nger in S

nd pulled out her notebook.

t touch her if s

vered over

hesi

ll, deliberate s

hen no one

on she didn't h

the floor beside her, an

I be w

t across from her, eyeing her half-finished

hat?" El

at your drink like it's whis

, shutting her noteb

ealing a sugar packet from El

thought you had

pent making sure my mysterious new roommate hasn't been

r chest. She hadn't realized how much she had

said, more gently

hesi

he texts? The feelin

lmost

ught about how c

red. A shadow that m

e forced a smi

convinced, but

r

Stranger

noon, Elara w

ampus, memorizing hallways, sitting

ry so often,

thing just beyond

house and knowing something was

elf she was b

ooking over her shoulder tha

the day. It was quiet here-easels half-covered in dryin

t here fo

re that didn't feel like the

th

saw

from t

ketchbook open, the afternoon

look up im

kept d

ad been ex

hesi

the stillness-felt different fro

e sat

retched be

oking away from his

't belon

ffened. "

y looked up, h

ainst the page. "I mean...here. Right now. You loo

ared a

ou know me," she

a moment, as if con

ped his sket

breath

drawing

she loo

she use

r Who See

er in the sketch,

earing th

he had th

heart

ow

said simply. "I

rawled up

as imp

met him befo

awn her as if he h

elf to breathe.

held h

cided something, he closed th

n," h

t t

ame. No e

wallowe

d have wa

d, she

f she was about to rewrite herself int

Tighten

, the city humming outside her

ess

unknow

sharply, pul

ouldn'

she

think you can

est ti

essage ca

you bett

like the

xts va

le

ere never t

t the dark screen, her hear

r mind playing

ne who knew her. Someone wh

e-deep certainty- Atlas Callowa