Xena's eyes fluttered open, reluctantly waking up to the persistent chirping of her alarm clock. She groaned, feeling the weight of exhaustion pressing down on her like a lead blanket. The dim light filtering through the curtains hinted at the early morning hour, but Xena couldn't shake off the heavy fog of sleep that enveloped her.
Her mother's voice drifted into the room, soft but insistent. "Xena, dear, it's time to get up. You don't want to be late for work."
Xena mumbled something unintelligible in response, burying her head deeper into her pillow in a futile attempt to drown out the noise. But her mother was not one to be deterred easily.
"Come on, sleepyhead," her mother chided, poking her head through the doorway. "You know you have work today, even on the weekends."
With a resigned sigh, Xena reluctantly sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she tried to shake off the remnants of her dreams. The realization that it was indeed a workday seeped into her groggy mind, sending a jolt of panic through her veins.
She stumbled out of bed, her movements sluggish as she made her way to the kitchen where the smell of breakfast greeted her. Her mother stood at the stove, flipping pancakes with practiced ease.
"Morning, Mom," Xena mumbled, collapsing into a chair at the kitchen table.
"Good morning, sweetheart," her mother replied, her voice tinged with concern as she watched Xena shovel food into her mouth with reckless abandon. "Slow down, dear. You'll give yourself indigestion."
Xena nodded absentmindedly, her mind already racing ahead to the day's tasks. She scarfed down her breakfast in record time, barely tasting the food as she mentally prepared herself for the day ahead.
"Love you, Mom," she called over her shoulder as she grabbed her bag and rushed out the door, not waiting for a response.
Her mother's smile followed her down the street as she made her way to the bus stop, joining the throngs of people already on their way to work. The morning rush was in full swing, the streets bustling with activity as people hurried to their destinations.
The bus arrived with a hiss of brakes, its doors swinging open to reveal a crowded interior. Xena squeezed her way on board, clutching onto a nearby handrail for support as the bus lurched into motion.
As she stood in the crowded aisle, her eyes scanned the rows of seats, searching for an empty spot to claim as her own. But to her dismay, every seat was occupied, leaving her with no choice but to remain standing.
She couldn't help but notice a young man seated in one of the priority seats near the front of the bus, his eyes glued to his phone as he ignored the world around him. Xena hesitated for a moment, expecting him to offer her the seat out of common courtesy, but he remained oblivious to her presence, lost in his own little world.
With a resigned sigh, Xena resigned herself to standing for the duration of the journey, her thoughts drifting to the mountain of work awaiting her at the office. It was a daunting prospect, but one she had grown accustomed to in recent months.
As the bus rumbled along, Xena's mind wandered back to her childhood, to the struggles she and her mother had faced since her father's departure when she was just five years old. Her mother had worked tirelessly to provide for them, but when illness had struck, Xena had been forced to take on multiple jobs to make ends meet.
Despite the hardships, Xena had excelled in both her studies and her extracurricular activities, earning the admiration of her peers and the respect of her teachers. She had always been a fighter, determined to succeed against all odds.
And now, as she toiled away in the office, Xena drew on that same strength and resilience, pushing herself to excel in the face of adversity. She had come too far to give up now, too many people depending on her to falter.
Hours passed in a blur as Xena worked tirelessly, the afternoon sun streaming through the window as she finally reached the end of her tasks. With a sense of accomplishment, she gathered her things and headed out of the office, eager to put the day behind her and relax at home.
But fate had other plans.
As Xena stepped out onto the busy street, her phone rang shrilly in her pocket, distracting her for a split second. In that moment of distraction, she failed to notice the speeding truck hurtling towards her until it was too late.
The impact was sudden and brutal, sending Xena flying through the air before crashing to the ground with a sickening thud. Pain lanced through her body as she lay on the pavement, blood pooling around her, the world fading to black as darkness claimed her.
And in that moment, as Xena's world came crashing down around her, she knew that her life would never be the same again.