She felt lightheaded—not overwhelmed, but drained. The past few weeks of anxiety, doubt, and strange occurrences had all funneled into this one absurd truth. She sat down on the edge of the deck without saying anything, closed her eyes for a moment, and focused on her breath.
The next thing she remembered was waking up in a hospital bed. A nurse adjusted something on a monitor. Beside her sat the neighbor woman, who stood as soon as Rose opened her eyes. “You fainted,” she said simply. “I’ll let the officer know you’re awake.”