C35 Quiet Before the Echo

Arun sat with his back against the cold wall, trying to breathe evenly. The guilt for answering Mai’s call gnawed at him, but beyond that, the world outside felt still. No footsteps at his door. No voices. No danger. Just the rain and the old pipe dripping in the corner.

He told himself this was safety. He told himself if he stayed quiet, invisible, he could buy time. But in the dark