She told herself that she would have to get through this hurdle eventually.
Upon arriving at the bottom of her apartment building, Lyra Smith paid the fare and got off the car.
She lived on the eleventh floor, a floor that wasn't too high or low. She would typically take the elevator unless there was a power outage or the elevator was under maintenance, in which case she would use the stairwell emergency exit.
Unfortunately, the elevator was undergoing maintenance today, forcing Lyra to take the stairs.
One floor at a time, by the time she reached the eleventh floor, she was utterly exhausted and gasping for breath.
Being tired was good, she thought. It meant she could finally rest.
So, the first thing she planed to do upon getting home was to sleep.
