Chapter 3: Echoes in the Park

The park had become both sanctuary and torment. Stella rested briefly on a bench, her crutches leaning against the wood beside her. The sun had lowered, turning the paths golden, and for a moment the whispering in her head felt manageable.

She focused on the warmth. A mother laughing with her child, a jogger smiling at a dog running beside him, an elderly couple holding hands as they strolled slowly along the path. One by one, she concentrated on the emotions that were gentle, small, and comforting. Joy, care, calm. She let them drift into her chest like sunlight through a window, trying to anchor herself against the tide of stray thoughts she didn’t want to feel.

It helped — a little. Her arms still ached, the cast made every step heavy and unsteady, and keeping her toes from touching the pavement required almost superhuman effort. Her heel dragged slightly whenever she misjudged her weight, scraping against the path and sending a jolt of frustration through her body. But the good feelings gave her a fragile sense of stability, like a tether to the world she wanted to trust again.