Ten Days To My Death

The Fourth Day

-5 years ago, Chace POV-

It was late. Really late. Like, 12 o'clock? It was really stormy, so I wanted to find Mom and Dad. 10 years old or not, I was still afraid of storms... I considered going to Charlotte, my sister, but I thought the better of it. She seemed quite... Distant? Lately. I knew she was being bullied at school, but it wasn't that bad was it? I didn't see her with bruises or whatever.
Anyway, I decided to pour myself a cup of water before going to mom and dad's room. The storm was crazy, howling winds whistled through the half opened windows and thunder rumbled across the dark sky. Flashes of lighting lit up my face and the whole house.
Then, I heard it. The small clutter of objects. The faint sobbing. The sense of loss crept up to me. It was coming from Charlotte's room. She was only 13 years old, not much older than me, maybe she was afraid? I would go check on her.
"Charlotte? You okay?" I whispered. No one would be able to hear that.
Something in me was stopping me. Maybe the howling winds or the loud plattering from the droplets of rain. But I felt uncertain. It was as if I entered there, and I would get murdered.
Don't be such a weakling. Charlotte is scared. Go help her. My heart was beating in that tone. I brushed my negative thoughts aside. Ghosts didn't exist... Zombies didn't exist... Aliens didn't exist..  I wasn't going to get murdered.
As I stepped closer, the sobbing became clearer. And then it stopped. The sound of a chair scraping against the floor. Faint sounds of a paper floating around. I shuddered.
But I pushed the door open anyway, very, very slowly.
And there she was.
Charlotte, sitting on the windowsill in her nightgown, a piece of crumpled paper on her always neat floor. Her back was facing me, her shadow threatening.
"Ch.. Charlotte? Lotte? You okay? I-"
Charlotte turned around slowly. Her eyes stained with tears, cheeks pink, her eyes dark and one blue-black was forming near her eyebrow. I took in the traumatising scene.
All over her arms were scratch marks, she told us that under the plasters were cuts she got from falling into a rose bush. That must have been a really thorny rose bush, I guess? But she seemed... Weak. Tired. Depressed? And most importantly, quiet.
So, so quiet.
I didn't know you could be quiet with your eyes but it was there. She was so silent. Silence was ringing inside my head.
"Th-the storm is really... Serious. Get down Lotte, " I forced some words out," do you need a plaster(band aid) or something?"
"If only band-aids could cure- never mind," Charlotte whispered and smiled almost creepily while looking at the sky, so quietly I almost couldn't hear her.
"Cure... Cure what? I- should I call mom and dad?" I raised my voice, just slightly. I was scared, afraid. What was she talking about? Was this a new trend.. Or something?
She turned back and didnt reply for a whole 20 seconds, like she was contemplating about something.
"I'm so sorry, Chace. I really am. I... I love you, you know that right?" she finally says gently while her dark eyes soften as my eyes meet her's.
"Um. Yes? What's going on? What did you do..? Why are you saying sorry?" My voice is shaky. The windows rattle from the strong gushes of wind.
"Honestly, I don't even know what I did wrong to have them hate me. Take care... Of everyone, okay? The next person you meet, help them. Just...be my superhero, okay? Be nice to everyone. Then you will be my superhero... Bye, Chace."
"Where-" I begin, but my eyes widen. My eyeballs feel small.
She slowly slides away from me, she's losing her balance! She's going to die!
I speed towards her and grab her arm. I still had time.
"Dont leave me... You're my sister!" my voice cracks and I hold back my tears.
Charlotte smiles gently again.
"I'm so sorry, Chace. But everyone has a time to say goodbye. And I think it's my time." she tugs away from my grip and I strain every muscle in my body, trying to pull her back. Why is she trying to break away? She's going to die, Chace. She's killing herself. Just give it up.
I refused to listen to the voice. But she kept pulling away, like how sand escapes through the tiny gaps when you pick it up with your hands. Charlotte was slipping away. She was escaping from her life, leaving my hands and heart empty.
"Bye, Chace." the faint voice says in the distance.
I look down at my trembling hands. They're empty. Charlotte's wrist is no longer there. I strain my eyes and see her shadow falling, becoming smaller each millisecond. For a moment, I felt like jumping too, joining her. But I had to be her superhero. She told me to be her superhero. I had to accomplish that first.
My jelly legs moved. I dashed to Mom and Dad's room. I couldn't feel Charlotte's presence anymore. She was gone, for good. I wouldn't see her again. Wouldn't see her smile again. Never. Right? I was panting even though I had barely moved. Her distant shadow continuously played in my head...

My eyes shot open. I sat up and looked at my hands. Oh. I was 15 years old again. Before I knew it, my shoulders were shaking, and sweat was tricking down my forehead.
"Not again... No... "I repeated to myself as I continued to sob. How was I going to be Charlotte's hero if I kept having nightmares and kept crying, being so weak?
The nightmares kept coming. Almost every night. Recently, it had been recovering- only after I entered the new school where I met Nat. But they lingered, disturbing me almost everytime I slept. The quiet eyes...the dark eyes... The distant soul... The falling shadow.... The presence vanishing... It was too much. So bad I almost didn't want to sleep anymore.
I tried to think of something else.
"Nat, Nat, Nat..." I whispered repeatedly to myself. She was the only thing that came to my mind. I thought hard about her. Her smile... Her laugh... Her quiet eyes. My heart sank again. I needed to stop thinking about that.
But it looked so similar, eyes full of sadness and loss, lost in a sea of quietness, silence.
It was the darkest eyes I'd seen.
The quiet eyes.
I slowly closed my eyes, took in a deep breath, let it out, and opened my eyes again. And stood up.
I needed to release my mind from its thoughts.
So, I walked to the kitchen and took out my favourite packet drink from the fridge, and turned on my phone torchlight and pointed it towards the ceiling like it was a beacon. It made my mood lighten, just a little. Then, I dragged my blanket out to the table and covered myself with it,  followed by my schoolbag. I took out some of my materials and started drawing. Like my life depended on it. I drew what I felt, I drew how I felt during that nightmare, the tears and the stunned emotions, it's like they took over me. Tears started to fall down my face again, landing on the paper one by one, like my body was trying to make it an art piece.
I looked out of the window. The storm had stopped, the stars were gleaming in the night sky, as if the universe stopped, just for me. Just for me to relax and cool down.
Just like how they allowed Nat into my life.
Finally, I was done. The art piece was magnificent. It was a mixture of the galaxy, crying eyes, droplets of water, and streaks of red, blue, and yellow. By then, the sun peeked out, just barely. So, I packed up my things and headed back to bed like I had been sleeping the whole time.
(A/n: um this chapter is abit long sry)
When I heard my door creak open, I did the usual routine, open my eyes fake-tiredly, and tell my mom that I would get ready in a moment.
Then came breakfast, where it was always jovial and fine.
But I knew we were all pretending.
We were always pretending.
Pretending that things were okay, pretending that nothing bad happened, acting like we were normal.
But we were far from normal.
What used to be a sparkling clean house became a semi-clean house, what used to be a breakfast of laughter became a breakfast of fake smiles. It felt worse to be pretending than to be crying everyday. But what could I do? Share my feelings? That was being weak. I didn't want to be weak. I wanted to be Charlotte's superhero.
So I continued the pretending game, saying good morning and praising the sandwiches my mother made, followed by my father asking me about school, then me fake smiling and telling him all the lies.
Everything was a lie ever since Charlotte died. Everything was a lie except Nat.
I couldn't wait to see Nat at school again.
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A/N: and here's chace's side of the story! Its so sad lol, he puts on such a happy face but it's all for Charlotte anyways.
OK, so uh hope you enjoyed! I still haven't got any reads so eh but ty anyway. See uu

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Edited: ✔️