In The Dark

77 - November 21st

Melanie looked back down at the phone, scrolling through another article and seeing more horrific images or herself. So consumed with what she was looking at, she didn't notice Brian approach her and gently wrap his arm around her. He covered the phone with his palm and pulled it free from her hands, watching as she continued to stare at the space the phone had occupied. Her brows were furrowed and her breathing was strained.

"Just breathe," he said calmly, setting Mel's phone on the cupboard and wrapping his other arm around Melanie, pulling her close. She didn't hug him back, too stuck in the whirlwind of thoughts running through her mind to realize he was there with her. Brian pulled back and looked at her worriedly.

"Talk to me," he encouraged. "Let me know you're with me." She continued to stare off into space, her eyes searching blindly in front of her. Brian watched her worriedly, not knowing if he should let the memories envelope her or if he should bring her back to reality. Thinking the onslaught of information was too much all at once, he tried shaking her, but she continued to stare off into space. He struggled to lead her toward the table and forced her to sit down, looking around the room for something or someone to help. He hadn't seen what Melanie had been like the morning she'd collapsed with Pauline and Andrea and he worried she might be having a similar episode. Not wanting to take her to the hospital again, he decided he needed to pull Melanie out of her head.

He raced over to the fridge and retrieved an ice cube, then sat next to Melanie and pulled her hair over her shoulder. He pressed the ice cube against the back of her neck, hoping the cold would shake her out of the mental spiral she was in. She didn't react immediately, but as the ice melted and dripped down her back she gasped and arched her body away from the ice. She looked at him with shock, having no recollection of moving to the table to sit with him.

"I need you to relax and focus on me," Brian instructed seriously, tossing the melting ice cube into the sink across from them. "Can you do that?" She looked at him with bewilderment for a moment, then frowned and stared off into space once again. Brian quickly gripped her shoulders and shook her, speaking sternly to get her to pay attention to him, not wanting to her zone out again.

"Come on, Melanie," he begged.

Her eyes continued to search for a moment before finally meeting his. She quickly grabbed his arms, fighting to ground herself.

"Brian?" she squeaked.

"That's it," he encouraged. "Stay with me, ok?" She nodded, looking around the room to get her bearings. Brian quietly observed Melanie, subtly checking to make sure her pupils were normal as he stroked her arms.

"That was too much to take in all at once, wasn't it?" he asked finally, once Melanie had started to relax. She looked at him anxiously and nodded, her eyes beginning to wander once more. Brian quickly leaned into her gaze, pulling her back.

"Talk to me," he instructed. "Try to stay with me."

"It's all coming back," Melanie squeaked, gripping the seat of her chair tightly as another flood of memories pulled her from reality once more. She shook her head and breathed deeply, focusing on the logo on Brian's shirt to keep herself grounded. She pictured Rita's head as it fell to the side, her glassy eyes meeting Melanie's through the hole in the cupboard wall. Melanie squeezed her eyes shut and broke down, gripping Brian tightly as he immediately pulled her into his arms.

"This is why we didn't want to tell you," Brian explained softly. "Your mum wanted to give you a chance to live without all of this for as long as possible." He held her tightly, letting her cry herself out. She clung to him, desperately trying to keep herself from remembering anything more.