“You can stop all this care now,” Tracy said calmly, her voice smooth and unsettlingly confident. “Let nature finish what exhaustion already started.”
She leaned closer to Derek, lowering her voice only slightly, yet ensuring Madison could still hear every syllable landing like falling stones.
“So tell me honestly,” Tracy whispered with a faint smile. “When exactly do we plan the funeral arrangements?”
Inside her silent body, Madison screamed desperately, her thoughts colliding against the prison of unresponsive muscles, repeating the same desperate truth again and again. I am here, I can hear you clearly, why are you burying me while my heart continues beating faithfully inside this uncooperative body.
Her lips remained still.
No one noticed.
Later that afternoon, Derek’s mother entered with satisfaction glowing openly across her features, like a shopper pleased with a long awaited purchase finally secured after persistent negotiation. Sharon Coleman approached the bed slowly, studying Madison’s unmoving form with an expression entirely devoid of grief or uncertainty.