Through The Abyss

AFTER THE STORM

Elijah and I sat in silence but inside my head, it's anything but quiet. My thoughts are a cacophony of chaos, racing and tumbling over each other like waves in a storm. I can't grasp any single thought; they slip through my fingers like water. Images of Daniel's face, his smug smile, and that girl's indifferent eyes flash in my mind, each one stoking the fire of my rage and despair.

My body won't stop shaking. Tremors run through me, making my hands jitter uncontrollably. I wrap my arms around myself, trying to contain the tremors, but it feels like I'm trying to hold together a crumbling dam. I'm rocking back and forth, a desperate attempt to soothe myself, but it's not working. Nothing is working.

Elodie: Poukisa? poukisa? poukisa?

Translation: Why? Why? Why?

I mutter under my breath, the words spilling out involuntarily. It's like my mind is stuck in a loop, and I can't break free.

Elodie: Li pa pran swen. Li pa janm pran swen. Mwen pa anyen. Mwen pa anyen.

Translation: He doesn't care. He never cared. I'm nothing. I'm nothing.

I can feel Elijah's eyes on me, but I don't care. His presence is a distant, irrelevant fact in the midst of my turmoil. My world has shrunk down to the size of my own pain, and nothing else penetrates. The room feels too small, the air too thick. I can't breathe properly. Each inhale, shaky and shallow.

My hands fly to my head, fingers tangling in my hair. I pull hard, as if the physical pain might drown out the emotional agony. The sting is sharp, but it does nothing to numb the ache in my chest. I bite down on my lip, the coppery taste of blood spreading in my mouth, but even that can't distract me.

Elodie: Yo pa konprann

Translation: They don't understand

I whisper, my voice barely audible.

Elodie: Pa gen moun ki konprann. Mwen pou kont mwen. Mwen toujou pou kont mwen.

Translation: No one understands. I'm alone. I'm always alone.

Elijah is still watching, I can feel his gaze, but it's like I'm observing him from behind a thick glass wall. His concern, his attempts to reach me—they're all muffled, distant. He might as well be a million miles away.

I rock faster, the motion becoming frantic. The muttering grows louder, turning into a stream of disjointed sentences.

Elodie: Poukisa li te fè sa? Poukisa li fè mal konsa?

Translation: Why did he do this? Why does it hurt so much?

Tears blur my vision, hot and angry, spilling down my cheeks. I claw at my face, the pain a sharp contrast to the dull ache inside me. I'm falling apart, piece by piece, and there's nothing left to hold on to. I'm slipping into an abyss, and all I can do is let it take me.

Elijah steps closer, but I don't see him. I don't see anything but the darkness closing in, the walls of my mind collapsing under the weight of my despair. I'm lost, drowning in a sea of my own making, and no one can pull me out.

Elijah's pov

I watch her, my heart breaking with every tremor that shakes her fragile frame. Elodie sits there, lost in a world of pain I can't penetrate. Her muttering is a haunting whisper, words tumbling out in a desperate, endless stream. She's rocking back and forth, her movements frantic and erratic.

Elijah: Elodie

I say softly, trying to reach her.

Elijah: Elodie, it's okay

But she doesn't hear me. Her eyes are unfocused, staring through me as if I'm not even there. I take a tentative step closer, my hands trembling with uncertainty. I don't know what to do. I've never seen her like this, so broken, so far gone.

Elijah: Elodie

I try again, my voice a little louder. I reach out, my fingers brushing against her arm.

Her reaction is immediate and fierce. Her eyes snap to mine, wild and frantic, filled with a pain that cuts straight through me. She jerks away from my touch, scooting back until her back hits the wall. Her head shakes rapidly, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Elodie: No

she whispers, her voice raw and broken.

Elodie: No, no, no

I withdraw my hand, feeling utterly helpless. She's retreating further into herself, and nothing I say or do seems to reach her. The desperation in her eyes is a mirror of my own.

She's trapped in her own mind, spiraling deeper into her anguish. I take a step back, my mind racing. I don't know how to handle this. She's beyond my reach, and I'm terrified of making things worse. There's only one person who might know what to do.

Elijah: I'm going to get Penn. Just hold on, okay?

Elodie doesn't respond. She's lost again, rocking and muttering, her eyes vacant and distant. I turn and run, my heart pounding with fear. Penn will know what to do. She has to.

I burst through the door, my breath coming in ragged gasps. Penn immediately stirs from her sleep and looks up, her expression shifting from confusion to alarm.

Elijah: Something's up with Elodie. She had a fight with her boyfriend

Penn didn't hesitate. She jumped to her feet and rushed to Elodie, with me trailing behind her. Elodie was in the same state I left her in, broken and deranged. Penn immediately dropped to the floor, next to her and cradling Elodie in her hands. She soothed her by rubbing a hand on her back and combing her fingers through her head.

El seemed to relax a little, but she still trembled with every intake of air. Her mumbling had stopped, and her eyes closed as her friend comforted her. They stayed like this until El fell asleep.

Penn: Help me with her

I immediately sprang to action, carefully holding El in my arms before bringing her to her bedroom.

Penn: Thanks for looking out for her

Elijah: Yeah, she's part of the family now

Penn sent me a small smile

Penn: She's lucky to have you guys, even though she doesn't know it yet

I nod, my eyes trailing back to her sleeping body

Penn: Can you make up some kind of excuse for your mom? I don't think she should go to school tomorrow.

Elijah: Of course, are you going to be here with her?

Penn: I can't. I have a practice exam tomorrow, but as soon as school's done, I'll check up on her

I nod

Elijah: Okay. I think I'll stay home with her then. I don't think she should be alone

Penn: Yes, I agree

We stood in silence for a bit, not knowing what else to say or talk about.

Elijah: Right, See you tomorrow

Penn: Yeah, goodnight, Eli

Elijah: Goodnight