Subterranean | H.S.

S24

Happy 1k!! Sorry for celebrating it with such a sad chapter.

:((

Persephone's pov

I lock my car and throw the car keys into my bag, running to the entrance. I ignore the pain in my foot. It's not as bad as it was. I can handle it.

By the time I'm inside I'm all wet. My hair sticks to my face, my clothes hug my body tight. The nurse behind the desk smiles at me and I snort, only imagining how funny I must look right now.

My wet shoes squeak and leave a wet path to the elevator.

I'm dressed in a red sundress, completely unprepared for the sudden weather change. It started raining when I parked my car and waited, but it wouldn't stop so I gave up and now I'm here.

When the elevator door opens, I walk inside, shaking from how cold I am. I wrap my hair around my fingers and let the water run down, my already, wet skin.

I laugh at myself, smiling like an idiot.

This is the first time in a while something makes me laugh uncontrollably. It's not that hard to find a reason to smile when the only emotions I was feeling for the past week were fear and sadness.

I turn my gaze to the mirror to look at my reflection. I look at my neck, but the makeup is still there. The bruise is becoming less noticeable without my touch, so it doesn't take me such an amount of product and time to cover the yellow mark.

I walk out of the small space and go to Arnie's room.

Out of nowhere, I start to worry. What if he's not feeling okay? What if it's worse now? What if I won't get a chance to make my promise work?

I stop in front of his door.

All the way here I was so excited to see him. I was so sure that he is feeling better, but what if he is not? What if he doesn't want to see me? Why would I even think that?

My fingers dance on the handle.

''You should come in.'' I hear a voice from behind me. I turn around to see the same doctor again. ''He was asking about you ever since he woke up.'' He smiles at me and I brighten up at his words. ''He's much better now.''

''Okay, thank you.'' I nod my head and push the handle. I walk into the room and immediately look straight at the bed, but it's empty.

''Arnie?'' I ask, closing the door. I furrow my brows when I don't hear a single word in response.

My intestines start to hurt and I pace fast through the room. I'm almost on the other side of the room when Arnie jumps from behind his bed and gives me the scare of a lifetime, yelling 'boo' at me.

''Sweet Jesus, Arnie.'' My heart beats faster when he runs into my arm with a massive smile on his cute, little face.

I lower myself and he wraps his small arms around my neck. My hands stay on his back. He rests his cheek over mine. He doesn't smell like hospital soap anymore. He smells like Arnie again.

''Ew, Phee! You're all wet!'' He laughs and I laugh with him. I missed that laugh.

''Hi.'' I say to him, looking up and trying to cry.

''Hi, Phee.'' His voice comes straight into my ear and I can't even express how much I've missed it. ''I missed you.'' He lets go of me and stands in front of me.

''I missed you too. How are you feeling?'' I brush the hair on the top of his head and he giggles.

I look at his shirt, with a dinosaur on it and I smile. ''I'm good.'' He turns around and runs to his desk. I stand up and follow him. He takes a sheet of paper from it and gives it to me. ''It's for you.'' He explains.

''Thank you.'' I say and look at it.

It's a drawing of us.

We stand in the middle of the white space and surrounding us there are little, colorful balls, some of them look more like dinosaurs, others don't, but I know they're all his teddies. A dark bush is on my head and I'm wearing a black dress. His figure is wearing his favorite pajamas.

''Mr. Doctor helped me write our names on it!'' He says, proud of himself. I look at the crooked letters. ''Look.'' He takes his hand out to me and I bring the drawing back to him. ''This is you and this is me.'' He points to stick figures that are supposed to show us. ''And here are my dinosaurs!''

I stare at the piece. It's a simple thing, some people would call it ugly or trash even, but for me, the gesture is the most important thing and I've never received something so beautiful.

''Thank you, Arnie. This is a masterpiece.'' I praise him and he hugs me again. I place my hand on his head and brush his hair again, but this time something else happens.

A piece of his blonde hair stays on my fingers and I stare at it.

Oh no.

I hope that it's some kind of a glitch, that it didn't actually happen, but it did. It did happen and now he's losing his beautiful and healthy hair due to medications.

I knew it was coming, but I wasn't prepared for it to happen now. Not now when he's feeling better and when he's in a good mood. This shouldn't be happening now. Of course, for some people, it might mean that the medications are working and it's good, but I know that the treatment often wreaks havoc on the body and it's not helpful, so there's no reason for me to be happy about that.

I have to be quick.

''We can watch another movie or we can finish our story! We haven't read it in a long time.'' He steps away. After a moment he notices the look on my face and his smile drops. I hide my hand behind my back. ''Are you okay, Phee?'' A tear slips from my eye when he asks the question.

He walks to me and looks up at me. ''Why are you crying?'' He speaks sadly.

''It's nothing. I'm just happy that I see you.'' I sniff and curl the corners of my mouth up. ''We can do whatever you want to.'' I keep the hand behind me. ''I'm up to whatever you offer.''

''Then I think we should watch the next movie!'' He lets me go and runs to the shelf where he has all his CDs. ''We can finish the story the other day.'' His hands look for the right movie.

''Okay.'' I answer him with an empty tone, feeling nauseous.

It's that feeling again. I feel empty.

In one hand I hold his drawing and in the other one, I hold a chunk of his hair when he stands in front of me with the brightest smile on his pretty face.

//

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