I was met with silence when I walked into my house. As I crept down the hallway toward my mother’s room, my heart slammed against my chest as I prepared myself for the state I’d find her in.
It was worse than I could ever imagine.
My mom was on her bed, curled up in a ball, facing away from me. At first, I thought she was sleeping. But when I walked around the bed, a jolt went through me. Her green eyes were dull and lifeless. She looked catatonic, like her very soul had been sucked out of her.
“Hi, Mom,” I said tentatively. “How are you feeling?”
She looked up at me, and I bit the inside of my cheek so I wouldn’t gasp. My own mother was looking at me like she’d never seen before.
