Dancing On Thin Ice // KTH

Chapter 104

9 DAYS LATER

*knock knock knock*

"Carmela? Mija, I brought you a little something..." Aunt Kass's enthusiastuc giggling voice came from behind Carmela's bedroom door.

*knock knock knock*

"Carmelita?"

Aunt Kass pushed the door open, with a tray of dinner in her hand. Light spilled into the pitch dark room.

Carmela felt sweaty under her covers, but wrapped herself around in her sheets nonetheless.

Aunt Kass peered sadly at her small figure tightly bound by her covers. She picked up the untouched lunch tray, and set the dinner tray in its place.

"Mijaaa, guess what? Tonight our favourite cooking show is on! Remember the one we used to watch?" Aunt Kass continued to smile even though she recieved no reply. "I'll be waiting for you, Carmelita, okay? Let's watch it together, my love... I love you so much. Okay?"

The aging woman moved to lay a hand on her neice, but withdrew, deciding against it. Carmela needed space right now, she'd made that clear. And even though Aunt Kass had no idea what it was that Carmela was going through, Aunt Kass respected her wishes and took care of her all the while.

"The time will come when everything will feel okay again. But mija... you cannot start running without first taking a step."

And with that, Aunt Kass left the bedroom, clicking the door shut.

*cough cough* Carmela gulped, her throat and lips cracked dry. Her body needed water.

And alot of things at that. It needed to drink water, eat food, go to the bathroom, take a shower, sleep. All things Carmela hadn't even begun to consider doing.

Death. That was what she needed right now. What she wanted.

She could feel the dull ache of hunger in the pit of her stomach, the smell of Aunt Kass's sautè filling her nostrils.

But mija... you cannot start running without first taking a step.

*cough cough* Carmela rolled over in her sheets, and peeled them off her face. Her hair stuck to her skin, and her eyes felt crusted and dry from all of the past nights she had subconsciously cried in her dreams.

She sat up, and hung her legs over the edge of the bed.

A glass of water was next to the dinner tray, and Carmela took it with a weak shaking hand, bringing the cool glass to her lips. She greedily gulped the water down, some spilling down her chin, her body churning and complaining.

Wiping her mouth, she stood up. Her heavy mind spun dangerously and with an ache, blackness clouded her vision. But then it was gone. Her thighs trembled a bit, but she stayed standing.

There was one thing on her mind right now.

One thing that decided everything.

One thing that could stop her from turning into a lunatic.

She knew what she had to do.

Walking over to the closet, she peeled off her soft shorts and pulled on black jeans. She threw on a black denim jacket overtop the white tank top she was already wearing and fished her phone from the depth of her messy desk.

*10 missed calls - Hosi*

*3 missed calls - Roxana*

*1 missed call - Heather*