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The Return

They had never seen her look so disheveled, so unhinged, but there was no doubt in their minds: this was their friend. She had returned to them.

Joe stared in disbelief. Matt wiped away tears. Chris hugged her fiercely. The girls kept a respectful, slightly wary distance.

Where had she been all this time? they all wondered. And… what had happened to her?

They could see that she was trembling wildly. The whites of her eyes were spiderwebbed with red, and the way her gaze darted around them made them think of a caged and frightened animal.

No one actually asked where she had gone, or why she had suddenly returned. Their curiosity paled beside their overwhelming relief at seeing her again.

Things slowly made their way toward normal.

But now, she had the same nightmare every time she fell asleep. They were asking her those unanswered questions, and every night in her dream, she tried to tell them. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. To her repeated horror, words no longer existed.

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