Ecstasy

06: Returned

𝟎𝟔: 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝

Sunday rolled around, and I hadn't slept a single minute the night before. How could I? My mind had been racing all night, every little sound making me jump.

The digital numbers on my alarm clock blinked 6:00 AM as I stared at it, exhaustion clinging to my body. I sighed, dragging myself out of bed. Stretching, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror—my hair a mess, my eyes heavy with bags underneath them.

I brushed my teeth, feeling like a zombie. As I washed my face, I noticed a faint bruise forming on my arm. My fingers lightly traced over it, the memory of his grip flashing through my mind. My stomach churned. I couldn't stop thinking about it—how he held me, how powerless I felt.

I needed to call my mom. As much as I tried to distance myself from her, it felt like things were spiraling too fast. I had to do something before things got worse.

Heading downstairs, I noticed Jessica was already gone. It was unusual—she normally left around 7, but it was barely past 6:30. I made myself some cereal, plopped down on the couch, and mindlessly flicked on the TV. Of course, the news was on, flashing more bad news that I wasn't in the mood to hear. I groaned, switching the channel to something lighter.

SpongeBob.

The exhaustion caught up with me quickly, and before I knew it, I was drifting off to the sound of SpongeBob's laugh.

When I woke up, noises stirred me from sleep. Rubbing my eyes, I looked around the living room. SpongeBob was still playing, and from the clock in the kitchen, I realized I'd only slept for about two hours. Still, it was better than nothing.

I yawned, hearing another noise. My body stiffened. The sound was faint but unmistakable. Something—or someone—was upstairs.

I debated for a moment, but this was my home. I couldn't just sit here and do nothing. Grabbing the remote control—the closest thing to a weapon I had—I made my way cautiously toward the stairs. My heart pounded in my chest as I took each step slowly, listening for the sound again.

The noise was coming from Jessica's room.

With the remote gripped tightly in my hand, I steeled myself, took a deep breath, and swung open her door

"What the heck?!"

"Ani?!" Jessica's startled voice met mine, and I blinked, feeling ridiculous as I lowered my weapon.

"Oh my God, Jessica... I thought you went to work."

She raised an eyebrow at the remote in my hand. "And you grabbed a controller to protect yourself?"

I glanced down at the remote, feeling heat rise in my cheeks. "Yeah... well, I panicked, okay?"

Jessica smirked, shaking her head. "I didn't go to work today. I went on a date."

I blinked, surprised. "A date?"

"Yeah," she said, her face lighting up. "Met this guy from my job. He asked me to grab coffee this morning. He's really sweet."

I smiled, genuinely happy for her. Jessica had been through so much since her parents passed away, and she'd always been wary of dating. Seeing her excited like this—it was a relief. I'd missed seeing her so carefree.

We chatted for a bit, catching up on her job and some light gossip. It was nice to forget about everything for a little while, to just be in the moment with Jessica.

Jessica went back to her room, and I headed back to the living room, settling down on the couch. I was about to turn the TV back on when the doorbell rang.