Sydney Sawyer woke up at dusk. Her mind was clear, but her body still ached all over.
Timmy Lockwood was curled up on the mat by the bed. The setting sun slanted through the window, coating his soft, white fur in a gentle glow.
Hearing movement, Timmy Lockwood let out a meow and got up from the floor.
He planted his front paws on the ground, stuck his butt in the air, and stretched.
She grabbed her phone from the bedside table. She hadn't checked it for almost the entire day and had several missed calls and numerous messages.
Among them, a message from Sebastian Lockwood caught her eye.
It was a WeChat voice message from an hour and a half ago.
She tapped it and held the phone to her ear.
"Syd, are you awake?"
That one word, "Syd," was spoken in a low, deep voice, as if he were whispering right in her ear. Sydney Sawyer pulled the blanket tighter around herself, feeling that sticky, uncomfortable sensation creep back over her body.
She replied to his message:
