Somewhere in Zeden, the walls of the hotel room were a soft shade of cream, the curtains thick enough to keep out the morning sun, but Ivy had left them slightly parted.
A sliver of golden light slipped through and stretched across the bed, catching the edge of the white duvet where she lay.
She sat cross-legged on the plush mattress in a matching silk camisole and shorts set, her long wavy chestnut brown colored hair falling over one shoulder, and the remote balanced in one hand while her other toyed lazily with the hem of the bedsheet.
The television screen displayed a muted news anchor gesturing solemnly beside the breaking news banner at the bottom of the screen. Ivy tapped the volume up slowly, the sound filling the quiet room in soft echoes.
