Before and After the Silence

That night, the city looked ordinary. Streetlights were on.

Roads were empty. Nothing warned her that everything was about to end. Time didn’t stop.

A clock kept ticking. Hours passed. Then days. Seventy-two hours where safety no

longer existed. Fear took control. Thoughts shattered. Trust didn’t disappear—it was broken piece

by piece. Every attempt to feel safe was punished. She tried to speak once.

Nothing came out. Not because she had no words. Because silence felt less dangerous.

Her body stayed still. Breathing turned shallow, mechanical.

Her eyes remained open, staring without seeing. Inside,