by Passing supernova
Mariam woke up to a world that had moved on without her. Her brother is a man she barely recognizes, her father owns a car he can't afford, and there’s a new woman in the house calling herself "family." They tell her it’s post-coma hallucinations. They tell her the black, fuzzy ball hanging from the hospital curtain—the one with the yellow, vertical eye—isn't real. But the ball watched her. It blinked. And when she touched it, it felt like fire. Now, Mariam must play a silent game. If she acknowledges the entities, they grow closer. If she speaks of them, they grow louder. To survive, she must convince her family she is sane, while convincing the shadows she is blind. Because in this house, recognition is an invitation. And Mariam has already looked for too long.
