I flinched at the sound. My heart hammered against my ribs as I stayed perfectly still in the dark. I figured it was just a drunk from the street who had stumbled into the wrong hallway. I held my breath, hoping they would just go away.
The knock came again. It wasn't the sloppy, heavy banging of a drunk; it was firm and steady. When I didn't answer, a soft voice squeezed through the cracks of the thin wooden door.
"Are you okay, Lyra? It's me."
I sat up so fast my head spun. I knew that voice. It belonged to the Auntie from the barbecue restaurant. For a second, I thought I was hallucinating. I thought maybe the hunger and the exhaustion were finally making me lose my mind. I slapped my cheeks hard with both palms. The sting was real, and the sound echoed in the tiny room. It wasn't a dream.
