C34 The Sledgehammer Pulse

As I lay beneath the heavy duvet, my face buried deep into the pillow, forcing my chest to rise and fall in a slow, rhythmic imitation of deep sleep. But beneath the covers, my hands were clamped into white-knuckled fists against my thighs, my fingernails biting so deeply into my skin I could feel the sharp sting of blood rushing to the surface. My skin was ice-cold, a stark