Finding Her Joy

No Answer

*A/N- "Do you miss me when I'm not around? Saying I love you is hard enough, so when you say it, you have to mean it. Do better for her. Be better for her. Or I worry... you could lose her." Alright, homies. I need everyone to pick what they want next: Shivian or Autorie? (I don't like Martumn, Autorie just flows better to me.)

(MIA POV)
"Charlotte?" I called in a sing-song voice. "Where are you, Sweetheart?"

No answer.

The whole house was dark and eerily silent when I entered. I could feel myself getting uneasy.

I put my things away and stepped further into the entry. "I'm home. Are you here?"

No answer.

When I started to head towards the kitchen, something felt off. Every instinct I had was telling me to head to the bedroom. My bedroom.

My feet went up the stairs slowly. Every step creaked under my touch. and it felt like there were more stairs than usual, never-ending. The walls felt like they were stretching taller but also moving closer to me. Almost as if I were in a nightmarish fun house.

When I finally reached the top, I called for her again. "Charlotte Victoria! Are you up here?"

No answer.

All of a sudden, there was a single streak of light coming from my bedroom at the end of the corridor. "She must be in there," I whispered to myself, slowly making my way to the door.

I could hear the water running the closer I got. There was another sound that I couldn't identify coming from the same direction. It almost sounded like splashing or water falling onto the floor.

Feeling the anxiety coming over me, I ran the rest of the way. I did a quick scan of the bedroom and didn't see anything. The light in the room was off, but the bathroom door was wide open with the light on. "That must be the reason I saw the light from the hall..." I mumbled.

The splashing sound had stopped, but the water was still running on high. I could hear it starting to spill over onto the floor, so I rushed in.

"Charlotte, are you -" all I saw was her arm sticking out the side of the tub. It was as still as a statue.

I moved over to her quickly, turning off the water with one hand and pulling her up out of the bath with the other.

The water was scaulding. My arms were burning and bright red from the heat. Her body felt like it was on fire as I pulled her out and laid her in the floor.

"Sweetheart!" I yelled, shaking her to see if she'd wake in her own. When her eyes didn't open, I checked for a pulse.

... There wasn't one.

I frantically started doing chest compressions on her and couldn't stop yelling her name.

"Charlotte! Char, Sweetheart, I need you to wake up. Come on, just wake up! Please, baby!" I screamed.

No answer.

The walls felt like they were closing in on me.

Suddenly, there was a heavy hand on my shoulder. It was dripping with water, and the grip just kept getting tighter.

A loud, deep laugh came from the figure behind me. I knew who it was without needing to turn and look. I just kept my gaze and my hands on Charlotte. I had to bring her back. I needed to save her.

The figure crouched down next to me, "It's no use. She's already dead." He laughed again. "Poor Mia. She can't save anyone."

I pushed him away from me and screamed, "Go away! There's still time! There has to be time!" I could feel my eyes burning from holding in my tears. He would not see me cry, though. I refused to give him the satisfaction.