Tribulation [h.s]

15

"I was born sick, but I love it
Command me to be well
Amen, Amen, Amen
Take me to church
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies
I'll tell you my sins, and you can sharpen your knife
Offer me that deathless death."

-

Science is a systematic enterprise; it encompasses the methodical study of the composition and behavior of the physical and natural world through experimentation and in-depth analysis.

Aspects of science such as physics can explain the physical world around us; it can explain how an object can get from point A to point B. Biology can explain how a pathogen enters the human body and causes diseases. Because of color, chemistry can explain the different types of elements found in outer space or on different planets.

Basically, science can explain a lot of things.

Modern-day science is top tier and is ever-changing the world. But, as accurate as science can be, and as much as science can explain, it also can't explain a lot of enigmatic aspects of, well, everything. In every aspect of science, there is always something unexplainable.

One thing that science can't explain that's always stuck out to me is sleep. Humans have been around anywhere from one-hundred thousand  to three-hundred thousand years, and we've always slept. To this day, we still can't explain it. There are plenty of theories; sleep might clear toxins that can cause diseases like Alzheimer's or ALS from the brain; sleep could also just be energy conservation, cellular restoration, and so on, but there is no definite answer. The same thing goes for dreaming.

Sleep is one big mystery that I don't see being solve anytime soon within the foreseeable future. All we know about sleep is that it is essential for a healthy lifestyle.

Peaceful sleep has never come easily to me. I'm afraid it's a luxury I'll never get the pleasure of having. That's why I'm not surprised I stayed up all fucking night. That's why I'm not surprised when daylight washes over my skin through a slit in silk curtains.

It's morning.

When I stand, my bare feet pad across cold floors, and I make my way to the window. I pull the heavy curtains to the side, and, I have to admit, Harry's house has a great view of the sunrise. The orange light dances with pinks, purples, and yellows in a baby blue sky. I wish I could enjoy the view a bit more, but being trapped in a killer's house has me on edge. But I'm not sure how much longer I'll last. Exhaustion is heavy in my bones and eyelids, and I can feel a headache coming on.

Thoughts of trying to break out were circling in my head all night, but when I remember what happened—when I witnessed two cops get shot in the head—those thoughts were quickly squashed.

What if I actually managed to escape? Would he end up going after Julie and Maggie? A shiver crawls down my spine at that thought.

Maggie, Julie—they must be just as restless as me.

Running my hands down my face, I resist the urge to cry or throw one of the many vases across the room.

What the fuck did I get myself into?

It surprises me when I hear voices carrying through the halls of this ridiculously oversized house. Quietly sinking out into the hallway, I follow the sound of the voices. After a few twists and turns, I get close enough to hear them, and I'm almost positive they're in the kitchen.

"Wait- so she found the stash?"

"Yeah, she found everythin' and made a bloody mess on the way out." Niall. That voice is definitely Niall's, and his accent is as thick as ever.