I lay there, quiet and unmoving.

Shaking softly with barely-restrained sobs. My eyes scrunched up and my teeth gritted underneath the gag.

Silent.

Quiet.

Utter absence of noise. Underneath me I could feel the pressing weight of the thousands dead, pushing up, screaming to be let go -

Then, click, clack, click, clack – high heels on the marble, jarring my head with soft vibrations as the back of my skull touched the floor.

I waited for a whole thirty seconds after the heels stopped until I opened my eyes. What I saw made me want to shut them again.

She was beautiful. So beautiful. High school sweetheart. “Hello, David,” she said, eyebrows creasing in sympathy and sorrow. A short skirt hugged her hips.

I tried to say her name, but the gag stole the words from my mouth.

“Please, David, speak to me,” she sobbed. “I need to hear your voice!”

I cried. I couldn’t help myself.

“Say something!”

Then I remembered. She didn’t know I had had a crush on her. She didn’t even know who I was.