And Then Everything Went Dark – Sophia Gehrmann

Instead she says: “No wonder your teacher is calling me. You probably act like this with her too.” And something indie me shatters. Because that? That is punishment. That is cruelty. That is her twisting the knife. “Go,” she says, pointing toward my room. “Before I really lose it.”

I walk away with tears blurring my vision. But before I close my bedroom door, I hear her mutter: “…just like your father.” And that hurts more than anything else. The door to my room closes with a sound that feels final. Not a slam. Not loud. Just… final. A quiet thud that sinks into my bones like a stone dropped into deep water. The second it shuts, my legs give out. I slide down the door until I’m sitting on the floor, my back pressed to the wood, knees pulled to my chest.

The air in my room feels stale, heavy—like something toxic is trapped in here with me. I can still hear my mom moving around the apartment. Cup hitting the counter. Cabinet door slamming. Her muttering to herself. Then the TV blasts on at full volume. Something trashy, loud, chaotic—the kind she puts in to drown things out instead of thinking about them.

My chest tightens so fast I choke on my breath. My hands shake uncontrollably. My throat feels like it’s closing. My heartbeat is too loud and there’s pounding in my ears, my wrists, the back of my tongue. I dig my nails into my arms, but it doesn’t stop anything. The plastic baggie sits on the floor in front of me, where I dropped it in my panic.

Just a tiny square I of plastic. Harmless-looking. But it feels like it’s glowing, like it’s pulsing, like it knows what I want and is waiting for me to pick it up. I shove it under my bed so hard it skids across the wood and hits the wall. “Stop,” I whisper to myself. “Stop. Stop. Stop.” My vision blurs. Then—My phone buzzes. Once. Twice. Three times. The sound cuts through the panic enough that I grab it with shaking hands.

It’s her. Miss Smith (School) -Grace, are you home? The second message immediately after: Miss Smith (School) -I’m sorry if this is crossing a line. I just need to know you’re safe. My breath stutters. Something in my chest collapses inward. Then she calls. The screen lights up with her name: Miss Smith (School) My thumb hovers over the green button.

I shouldn’t answer. If my mom hears me talking to her… If the principal finds out she called… If anything gets twisted again… But something inside me moves before my brain does. I answer. “Hello?” My voice comes out broken, barely anything. “Grace?”

songs to set the scene: Where’s My Love – SYML Muse – Sofia Isella Bored – Billie Eilish Apocalypse – Cigarettes After Sex I Found – Amber Run Sign of the Times – Harry Styles Me and the devil – Soap&Skin Fourth of July – Sufjan Stevens Happier Than Ever – Billie Eilish Lights Are On – Tom Rosenthal Runaway – Aurora Moral of the Story – Ashe i love you – Billie Eilish Nothing’s New – Rio Romeo 505 – Arctic Monkeys Sex, Drugs, Etc.

– Beach Weather Sparks – Coldplay Gilded Lily – Cults i was only temporary – my head is empty Cigarettes out the Window – TV Girl (dream) – salvia palth Romantic Homicide – d4vd Male Fantasy – Billie Eilish Hold On – Chord Overstreet Daddy Issues – The Neighborhood The End – Tom Odell Family Line – Conan Gray forwards beckon rebound – Adrianne Lenker Nightcall – Kavinsky The sick – Bella Kay Medicine – Daughter I lost a friend – Finneas Forever – Labrinth listen before I go – Billie Eilish Stick season – Noah Kahan Triggerwarnings This book explores heavy and sensitive themes, including drug and alcohol use, depression, panic attacks, self- harm (briefly mentioned), an abusive parent, and suicide (no explicit content, just mentioned) These topics are portrayed honestly and without romanticizing them.

Still, some scenes may be distressing-especially if you are currently struggling yourself. Please read with care. If at any point this story feels too close, it’s okay to pause, skip pages, or step away entirely. Your well-being matters more than finishing a book. You don’t have to read this alone. Acknowledgements This book would not exist without the people who stood by me through every late night, every doubt, and every moment I questioned myself.

To Lina, Sina, Wiki, Kim, Anesa, Ilma, and Iva—thank you for listening, for laughing with me, for holding me up when I felt like I might fall. Your words, your support, and your presence reminded me that I was never truly alone, even when it felt like it. Every page of this story was written with the memories, encouragement, and love you all gave me. Even when I felt invisible, your faith made me visible—to myself, and to the words I was trying to find.

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

Book Information

• Unique ID: 316ee842b587b005
• File Extension: .pdf
• File Size: 1,332,432 bytes (1.271 MB)
• Title: –
• Author: Unknown
• Pages: 231
• Language: English (en)

Reading & Word Statistics

• Estimated Reading Time: 397.22 minutes
• Total Words: 79,444
• Total Characters: 449,749
• Average Words per Page: 343.91
• Average Characters per Page: 1946.97

Most Frequent Words

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