Chapter 39 - The BeaconA young girl, no older than nineteen, walked into the studio just as she was closing up for the night.
The girl’s clothes were soaked from the drizzle outside. She looked exhausted, her eyes darting nervously toward the door, as if expecting someone to walk in behind her.
She recognized that look immediately.
It was the look of a hunted animal.
She didn't ask questions. She didn't press.
She simply walked over, locked the deadbolt on the front door, and flipped the sign to 'CLOSED'.
"You look like you could use some hot tea," she said softly.
The girl flinched, then slowly nodded, tears pooling in her wide eyes. "I... I didn't know where else to go. I saw the lights."
"You're exactly where you need to be," she said, wrapping a warm, knitted blanket around the girl's trembling shoulders. She pointed to a comfortable armchair in the back. "Sit. You are safe here. Nobody is coming through that door."
The girl collapsed into the chair and let out a broken, relieved sob.
She walked to the kitchenette to boil water.
May you like
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(1003x375:1005x377)/savannah-guthrie-husband-michael-feldman-mental-health-festival-020326-e956c20f55bf40e5bac82f6ed580d3e1.jpg)
She had built this place to heal herself. But now, she realized its true purpose.
It was a lighthouse.
