As she left the house, Sarah’s partner Alex brandished a piece of toast at her.

“Eat it,” they told her, leaving no room for argument. Sarah nodded with a smile, knowing they were right; she had skipped both breakfast and dinner the past two days.

She picked up her purse and threw it over her shoulder as she rushed out the door.

As she neared the bus stop, she quickly scarfed down the toast. Thankfully, the bus seemed to be running late.

As she waited for it, she put her light brown hair up into a high, somewhat messy ponytail, finishing just as the bus pulled up.

She smiled and boarded the bus. As she made her way to an open seat, she took a moment, as she often did, to wonder how she’d gotten so lucky, how her life had turned out like this. She had a house, and Alex, and a job she absolutely loved, even if it wasn’t particularly high-paying. She had a few friends — her chosen family — and all of those precious moments with her young, adorable godson.

After all she’d done, and all she’d gone through, she’d still gotten all of this.

She felt tears burn at her eyes, as they were apt to do. She sat down, and she smiled to herself, and wondered, not for the first time, if she hadn’t died and gone to Heaven.

Then, the person next to her turned his gaze away from the window to look at her — and time slowed down.

An earbud fell away from his tired face as his dark eyes widened. Sarah froze as she stared at the scarred visage from her past. A single tear trailed down her face, for a very different reason than for which it had originally formed.

In his eyes, she saw Hell, a Hell of her creation.