The evening after her first day at Waylen Company, Adeline lay wide-eyed in the guest room, restless beneath the covers. The idea of starting over—stepping into the unknown—thrilled and unnerved her in equal measure. It felt like a fresh start, but a heavy pressure clung to her chest, the shadow of everything she was trying to leave behind.
She rolled onto her side and stared at the ceiling, as if the stillness above might settle the storm inside her. It was hard to believe she'd made it this far. The job offer had felt almost unreal—too good to be true. And yet, it was hers. But instead of peace, nerves gnawed at her, making sleep seem impossible.
Adeline shut her eyes, willing calm into her body. But in the darkness, the tightness in her chest only grew worse. There were memories she couldn't quite reach, fragments tugging at her from somewhere deep and hidden.
It's just nerves, she told herself.
But when sleep finally pulled her under, the fear followed.
The dream struck hard and fast. Darkness engulfed her, bitterly cold and suffocating. She was chained to a stone wall, wrists bound tightly. The air stung her skin, and from the shadows, whispers slithered through the silence, calling her name. Her breath came in short, ragged gasps as terror crept in like ice.
She struggled against the chains, but they held firm. Pain bloomed in her arms, her chest heaving with effort. Her heartbeat thundered.
Then—amid the panic—a voice cut through the darkness. Calm. Steady.
"It's okay. You're safe. Just breathe."
Adeline turned her head, desperate to see the speaker, but the figure was hidden in shadow. Still, something in the voice stirred familiarity in her.
"You're not alone," it said again. "You're not trapped."
"I can't..." she whispered, voice cracking. "I can't escape. Please—help me."
"Adeline, listen to me. Breathe with me. Everything's going to be all right. Just breathe."
But the fear refused to loosen its grip. The cold intensified. The chains bit deeper. The darkness thickened, pressing in on her chest.
"I need to get out! I need to get out of here!"
Suddenly, the voice vanished. Panic surged, choking her. The walls seemed to close in.
With a violent jolt, Adeline woke.
She sat upright, trembling, breath coming in sharp, erratic bursts. Light filtered weakly through the blinds, casting pale stripes across the room. For a moment, she didn't know where she was.
Then, a voice broke the silence.
"Adeline?"
She turned her head. Charlotte sat beside her on the bed, worry etched across her face.
"You were having another nightmare," Charlotte said gently, resting a hand on Adeline's shoulder. "You were terrified."
Adeline wiped at her damp cheeks, still catching her breath. "It felt so real. I was chained… I couldn't move. There was someone talking to me, but I couldn't see them. I was trapped."
Charlotte's expression softened, though something unreadable passed through her eyes. "You've been having these dreams for a while now. Ever since… well, since the kidnapping."
Adeline blinked. The word landed like a stone in her chest. "The kidnapping?"
Charlotte nodded, her voice quiet. "Two years ago. You were taken. Held for days before they found you." She paused. "You don't remember it. Not all of it. But the nightmares… they're your mind trying to make sense of what happened."
Adeline's body went cold. "Why can't I remember?" she whispered. "Why did I block it out?"
Charlotte's gaze was full of empathy—and sorrow. "Sometimes, trauma buries itself so deep that your mind shuts it out. It's how it protects you. But you've been carrying it inside, even if you don't remember the details."
Adeline gripped the sheets tightly. "How am I supposed to heal from something I can't even remember?"
Charlotte took a breath, speaking slowly. "You've already taken a huge step, Addy. Leaving that house. Starting this new job. This is the beginning. Maybe facing it piece by piece will help. But there's no rush. Go at your pace."
Adeline nodded shakily, trying to steady her breath. The kidnapping. The nightmares. They weren't random—they were echoes of something buried deep. Real, painful, and unresolved.
"Thank you, Charlotte," she said softly. "I think… I think I'm ready to face it. Just… not all at once."
Charlotte gave a small smile. "That's all anyone can do. One step at a time."
Adeline closed her eyes and took a long breath. The road ahead would be hard. But for the first time in a long while, she didn't feel completely alone. And maybe—just maybe—she could start to put the pieces back together.