The Waiting Game

dge of her bed, staring at the glo

t cried i

eless now. Like watering a flower that was already dead. S

lets wolves dre

hen a sixteen-year-old girl is crushe

sts, her nails digg

. Not because she got answers-but because silen

e just

viv

*

ll the sheets over herself. The air was warm, yet she fel

e ceiling and whispered into

er anymore. That sentence felt like something she'd bur

prayer was second nature. When she would whisp

dn't even cl

head once-trusted

arly dest

*

teen when i

urned behind

that smelled like books, aftershave, and old sermons. She remembered his voice

was closed. And the look

ne to him

ut bleeding

e wors

way of shaping her

't screa

eamed every

*

n her chest like it was trying to break free. She'd locked herself in h

rokenhearted and saves thos

he verse until

ispered. "Then

lammed the

last time s

*

t arrive li

ow and steady, until it

church. Stopped prayi

ned to numb her mind with drinks and drown her heart in meaningless b

't care, wh

le drown

into it and let it

*

God is good." Why she changed the subject when anyone mentio

gave the f

n't just about

bout the

ulpit, where no one da

rents, who never notice

ray-who meant well but never asked wh

ilence fr

ow night after night and all sh

*

dge. Half a burger, two cans of soda, and an appl

ppet

oud, unwelcome,

buzzed on

y? Cassandra's mak

He never m

k: No preachi

ching. Just r

d in spite

ppreciated his consistency. His wa

she missed

fety o

th of be

again, the wall of her past stood tal

*

her forehead against the cool glass, a

ny pe

ny st

ng wounds they

g up early to watch the sun creep thro

rs that she had to live through

*

is, her anger softe

here was something wrong with her. Ma

needs a girl to be br

s evil sit in the front

't have

d of pretending

*

sat slowly, like the years

phone again. Stare

ing woul

soft eyes and Gray's gentle qui

be it

she had noth

*

"If You're still up there...

acked. Worn out.

a pr

ite su

. some

ng in t

t maybe, God h