sweet nothing·chenford

Chapter 1

Lucy's pov

Lucy woke up breathing heavily, hearing her chest pounding loudly and her arms prickly with sweat as she swiftly reached for her phone on the table beside her. The soft light from the small gap between the curtains spread a warm glow on Lucy's bed.

It was already the third time she'd dream a nightmare this week, the dream having the same haunting story, over and over again. 

Meeting Caleb for the first time in that downtown bar. Then, Caleb again, staring at her while etching in the sharp words onto her back. Her day of death. How it felt being inside that barrel, knowing nothing but that death was coming. The feeling as her ability to breathe slowly worsened, frantically pounding on the walls of the tightly built barrel, but with no success. When everything was over, Tim held her in his arms as she sobbed her pain out. That was one moment she'd feel truly safe.

Happy endings, until...Rosalind, singing her song, over and over again, inside her head. The trial. The goddamn trial. Why would they need to have Lucy's word to confirm what happened? Rosalind would still spend the rest of her life behind bars, no matter if Lucy testified or not.

"Stars shining bright above you..." Lucy felt a slight shiver up her cold spine. The time on her phone said 7.21, so there was no point of going to bed again. She sighed loudly, making her way to the kitchen walking carefully so she wouldn't wake Tamara, who didn't have school today and wanted to sleep through the day. 

Lucy grabbed a cup and started warming up her tea water. In the meanwhile she walked to the bathroom to get ready and take a quick shower. 

Lucy was just about to take off her shirt when she saw it.

The tattoo. 

The tiny black letters on her lower side, forming the letters D O D, "Day Of Death" and a few numbers stating the date. She'd never care to remove it, at first it bothered her alot and she couldn't even think of the tattoo just to get flashbacks, but after a while Lucy learned to accept the tattoo and it's backstory, even though it still haunted her now, two years afterwards. But now...with the newly opened trial towards Rosalind...well. The thoughts returned. Lucy shallowed. 

"What if..what if I was supposed to die that day? What if that was how it was supposed to be all this time..?" Lucy couldn't help but think as she stepped into the shower, feeling the cold water send a uncomfortable shiver across her body.  She used to have thoughts like this alot, especially in the first few weeks after the incident, but for the past two years Lucy thought she was over it. She sighed and turned off the shower.

Later

Lucy pulled up at the police station and opened the car door, feeling the cold wind as she looked up at the gray sky. The weather was cloudy and there was a slight fog in the air, creating a uneasy feeling in Lucy's chest. She walked towards the door and entered the police department. As soon as she stepped into the building she felt the looks on her. Of course she knew why, it wasn't a secret what happened that day and what connection Lucy had with Rosalind. 

Some of the looks were sad and compassionate, while others looked almost scared. Lucy felt the uncomfortable feeling lurching in her stomach. She swallowed.

"Hey, Chen." 

Lucy turned around and faced Tim. She let out a small breath of relief. Finally someone who wouldn't give her weird looks every five seconds, someone who knew her. 

"Heyyy" She tried to sound casual, but it sounded more like a cough than her actual voice. She felt her cheeks turn red and pretended to look away.

"You're riding with me today, by the way. Watch Commanders orders." Tim smiled a little, which was rare. But he probably just did it to be nice because of Rosalinds trial, Lucy thought to herself as she dared to return his smile.