𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 [18+]

- 13 -

What the fuck were the birds so excited about at 7 am?

I twisted and turned in bed, the soft blankets cocooning me. I never wanted to get out, like a baby. The sun was already high in the sky, stabbing through my curtains and piercing my skull. Groaning, I rubbed my temples, trying to massage away the dull, throbbing headache that seemed determined to split my head in two.

What the fuck was I doing last night? My head hurt with all the flashbacks of last night. Please do not tell me it was all real. But the scar on my hipbone still hurt like a bitch - it was an unavoidable pain. Just like him. That sneaky motherfucker.

Scrambling for my phone on the bedside table, my blurry eyes searched for the time.

Oh shit. 7-am-what?

It was 6 hours past that.

Well, that hit a record. Rolling out of bed, I winced as a sharp pain lanced through my side. Instinctively, my hand went to the spot, and my heart sank when I felt the raised tender skin. Slowly, I lifted the hem of my pyjama shirt and stared at the small, angry letters carved into my flesh: V.L

I shivered at the memory, not just from the pain, but from the twisted grin he had worn as he held the knife. After that, everything went blank. A void of blackness that refused to fill no matter how hard I tried to remember. The next thing I knew, I was home, my sister's voice piercing through the fog of my mind. I have no idea who she was yelling at though.

Stumbling to the bathroom, I splashed cold water on my face, hoping it would wake me from this nightmare. My reflection stared back, pale and haunted. What had I gotten myself into? And more importantly, how was I going to get out of it? Val's charm had always masked his darker side, but now that mask had slipped, revealing the true danger beneath.

The sound of my sister's voice broke through my thoughts. I could hear her downstairs, talking on the phone, probably to Mom.

I knew I had to face her, had to explain this mark on my thigh and the events of last night. But first, I needed to figure out how to piece together the fragments of my shattered memories.

With a deep breath, I turned away from the mirror - Today's going to be a long day.

.

After an hour-long, steaming hot shower that helped wash away some of the lingering fog from my mind, I changed into fresh clothes and made my way downstairs. The smell of coffee hit me first, making my stomach growl in response. I needed food.

Pen was perched on the kitchen countertop, her eyes glued to her laptop screen. She didn't seem to notice me until I muttered, "Good morning," as I grabbed a bottle of ice-cold water from the fridge.

"Did you sleep here last night?" I asked, twisting the cap off and taking a long sip.

Pen turned to face me, her perfectly done hair swishing around her shoulders. She looked so fresh and organized, every detail of her appearance meticulously in place. It was hard to believe she and I had shared the same gene pool sometimes.