I Prayed for a Miracle—Now I Lock My Door at Night

plastic-covered window.

The kitchen with the hidden drawer locks.

The hallway where I’d flinched a thousand times.

At 9:00 PM, my body moved automatically toward my bedroom door.

Deadbolt.

Dresser.

Ritual.

Then I stopped.

I stood there, hand on the lock, and realized something terrifying:

If I didn’t do the ritual… I didn’t know who I was.

Because fear had become continue reading …