C44 The Pull of Home

The walls of the tiny apartment Arun had claimed as a hideout felt smaller with each passing night. The single futon creaked beneath him, the air stale from his own restless breathing. He hadn’t dared to step outside in two days.

His phone lay face-down on the floor. The memory of Mai’s call still haunted him, every word sharpening the ache of guilt in his chest. And now