~Elsie's POV
I stayed still for a long time after reading the first page, but eventually, I opened the book properly and continued. The pages felt soft beneath my fingers as I turned them carefully, almost like I was afraid the words inside would hit too close if I moved too fast.
And they did. The more I read, the quieter I became. Every line felt painfully familiar, like someone had somehow taken pieces of my thoughts and written them down before I even understood them myself.
One part explained how trauma changes the way the body reacts to safety, and how people who have been hurt deeply sometimes continue living as though danger is still around them, even when they are no longer there.
My eyes slowed over the next sentence.
Your body is trying to protect you, even when the danger has already passed.
