The War.

Chapter 39: The Rain.

TW: MENTIONS OF ABUSE,
tw: roger
creds to mi4lottes1x for the letters <3

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They stood there, staring at Roger's lifeless body, the finality of it settling over them like a thick fog. None of them spoke for a while, each processing the moment in their own way. Mia was the first to break the silence, her expression unreadable as she bent down and snatched the letter he had written. They moved to the living room, the tension still lingering, as they settled on the couch.

Mia unfolded the letter, her eyes skimming over the words. "Let's see what this bastard thought was worth writing," she muttered, her voice sharp with disdain. As she read it out loud, Reece and Autumn leaned in to listen.

The letter read:

To: Autumn,

No matter how far the thunder is, the rain will always come harder, lightning brighter as the darkness slowly fades.

To: Reece,

Dead flowers. Dead like your soul. Dead like your relationship with your sister. Wilting like your happiness.
Dying like your safety.

To: Mia,

The makeup that you smear upon your face,
Hiding the tears and the pain in your eyes. When will you realize?
No mask can bury the hurt, Amelia.
Beneath the surface,
You're still broken.

Mia rolled her eyes as soon as she finished reading her part. "This bitch," she muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. A sarcastic smirk crept onto her face. "Would've punched him but he's dead." Her voice was mocking, but there was a faint bitterness beneath it.

Reece grabbed the letter from her, reading his part with a half-hearted chuckle. "Oh, how clueless he is," he said, tossing the paper back onto the table.

"Was," Mia corrected with a dry laugh. Reece snorted in agreement, trying to shake off the weight of Roger's final words.

But Autumn remained silent. She stared down at the letter, her brows furrowing slightly as she reread her portion. The poetic nature of Roger's words struck her, but the meaning eluded her.

"Since when was Roger so poetic?" Mia joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Autumn didn't respond. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something behind those words. Something Roger wanted her to understand, something more than just his usual cruelty. She sighed, exhaustion pulling at her body and mind. They had killed him, yet somehow he had still found a way to get inside her head, even in death.

"I'm going to bed," Autumn mumbled, getting up without another word. The weight of the day was too much, and she needed to be alone.

- * -

Autumn lay in bed, but sleep wouldn't come. Her mind churned, dragging up memories she'd buried deep—memories of Roger, of the beatings, of the fear that used to claw at her chest every time he came home drunk or angry. The pain he caused never fully faded, but she had learned to push it down, to silence it. She turned over, her eyes drawn to the window.

Outside, the sky was heavy, dark clouds gathering. It looked like rain was coming. And suddenly, she was a child again, sitting at her window, staring out at the falling rain after one of Roger's violent outbursts. The rain had always soothed her, its steady rhythm calming her when nothing else could. It was her escape, her way of grounding herself in a world where everything else felt chaotic and dangerous.

The rain will always come harder, his words echoed in her mind. What had he meant by that? Why had he mentioned the rain?

She sighed, frustrated that even in death, Roger was still able to haunt her thoughts. She wanted to let go, to finally be free of him, but now it felt like there was something left unfinished. He had left her with a riddle, one she didn't have the energy to solve right now. But deep down, she knew it wouldn't let her rest until she figured it out. Roger was gone, but the scars he left behind were still fresh, still aching.

As the first drops of rain began to tap against the window, Autumn closed her eyes, trying to let the sound wash over her, hoping it would bring her the peace it once had.

But the question lingered: what did Roger mean, and why did it feel like he had one final game to play?

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sorry for extremely short chapter gang

next chapter will be out shortly (ignoring the fact i haven't written in a week oopsie)

do y'all want an explanation of what roger meant (i'm not giving it to you yet 😜😜 you'll find out when autumn does)

hope you enjoyed !

bye loveliess!!