Gabbrielle lay in her bed, unmoving.
She held on to an old stuffed animal in a white-knuckled grip, her attention never leaving the ceiling fan spinning above her head.
Every four or five minutes, her phone would go off.
Texts from her sisters would cry out for some, or any form of communication, but Gabbrielle would never answer.
Rather, she mentally switched off her ringer so that she wouldn't be disturbed.
Every so often, they would come and knock on the door, hoping she would answer it. She wouldn't. No part of her felt like moving or talking.
However, there were some people who weren't so easily deterred by the wall she was putting up.
There was another knock at the door after just a few hours. This one was subtle, sweet, and familiar.
Gabbrielle's ear twitched, but she didn't get up to answer the door. Instead, she closed her eyes for a much-needed rest.
But unlike the others who had left when they were given no answer, this guest was not so easily deterred.
