Hey so it's been a while! Some highlights of my time away: A crazy Christmas, a strange New Year, a trip overseas, planning for my next abroad adventure, a second job, and some really exciting original writing projects.

So that's my life, what have all of you been up to?

Well I know Alex has continued struggling through her recovery. So without further ado let's continue her story.

Chapter 22

Sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, irritating Alex's eyes. With a groan she rolled over and buried her face in her pillow, letting sleep drag her down into its warm embrace once more.

Alex resurfaced later on to a bacon scented haze, and the dampened sounds of footsteps in the hall and a knocking at her door. Fighting against the instinct to wake up, Alex let the haziness embrace her and her eyes grew heavy once again.

A car horn jolted Alex awake and she lifted an eyelid cautiously, squinting in the bright sun. The curtains were open, creating a white square in the centre of her room. She rolled over, lowering her body gently out of bed, too tired to sit up. Her body hit the floor with a thump and she used the edge of the bed to get to her feet. Stumbling over to the source of the lights, she dragged the curtains closed, letting out a relieved sigh when her room was restored to a semi-darkness. It was a peaceful dark, one that shut out the exhausting energy of the day outside. Alex shuffled back to her bed and flopped face down into the pillows once again. Here in bed she could deny the day was even there; time itself ceased to exist amongst the blankets.

A delightful scent teased Alex's nostrils, rousing her gently from sleep. Her stomach rumbled in response and for the first time she actually considered getting up. Even with the incentive of food though, she found herself unwilling to cooperate with her body's demands. She needed a day to rest, she decided. Recovery was exhausting, all that positive thinking and trying to keep her teetering body from toppling over the edge into the abyss. That's it, one day and then she would be refreshed and ready for whatever tomorrow would bring. Just one day.

'I'm really concerned Phil, she's just sleeping,' Alex's half asleep mind registered the whispered words.

'Maybe she's just tired?'

'I don't know,' A sigh was heaved. 'I feel like she should at least eat something.' Alex glared at her bedroom door which her parents must be standing just outside. She just wanted them to go away so she could sleep. Couldn't they understand that she didn't want to face the world today, that the thought of having to fake a smile was so exhausting to her? She didn't want to have to pretend to be happy when she was feeling miserable inside and she didn't want to have noise and chaos going on around her when there was enough happening inside her brain.

She just wanted peace.

So just a short chapter to continue on. Please leave a review and let me know what you thought. :)