The Morning After
Alice's sleep was restless, haunted by fragmented images: Derren's contorted face, Suzy's terror, the terrifying glint of the knife, and Gavin's chilling silence as he dangled a man over an abyss. It didn't help that just at the crack of dawn, her phone began to ring, a jarring intrusion.
She reached for it sluggishly, eyes still adjusting, but the name on the screen made her open her eyes fully. It was Suzy.
"Aurora?" Suzy's voice was urgent, hushed. "I just sent you a message. Check it, quick."
Alice pulled up her messaging app. The image that loaded was like a punch to the gut, so forceful it made her sit bolt upright in bed, her eyes bulging out in disbelief.
It was a screenshot of a morning news page. The headline screamed about a "Young Man Rescued at Brink of Death After Brutal Attack."