John felt faint when he saw Dr. Collingwood as she came to work. She'd been gone for a whole week after the snake had escaped the facility, broken into her father's house, and murdered him. She lowered her head as she passed him, trying to hide her face. He personally found nothing really wrong with it, even though half of it was disfigured, though that might be his own experiences with people calling him foul and spending so much time with creatures that wouldn't look out of place in a horror movie. But that wasn't what worried him.
She was gaunt and frighteningly thin. Her skin had taken on an ashy hue. The bags under her eyes were darker than ever. She smelled of alcohol.
But then he looked at her eyes. Oh, God, her eyes.
They were red and puffy and bloodshot, like she'd been crying.
But that still wasn't the worst part. Not even close.
Her eyes were hollow. There was nothing in them, not even sorrow or pain, as if there was nothing left inside. Like the person in front him - his best friend, his sister - was nothing more than an empty shell.
He tried to act normal, knowing that she probably wasn't in the mood to talk about her current state right now.
"Hi."
She mumbled a small "Hey," and sped up a bit, as if trying to get away from him.
John shook his head. Lawrence was going to have a heart attack if- no, when he saw her. He walked up to the researcher and stopped her.
"Are you okay? You look like you didn't eat for a week."
"I've told you so many times before. I. Am. Fine," she snapped back.
YOU ARE READING
The Breaking Wheel
FanfictionSome SCPs tear you apart. They'll hunt you down to the ends of the earth in order to kill you. Others reach deep into the darkest recesses of your mind, forcing you to face your worst fears, your deepest regrets, your greatest mistakes. (Disclaimer:...
