The apartment felt quieter, the air thicker with unspoken words. Alicia had been unusually distant, and it left me feeling uneasy. Every movement seemed off, as if I was walking on thin ice.
I couldn't take the silence anymore. "What's going on?" I asked, trying to break the tension.
Alicia looked up from the couch, her eyes meeting mine for a long, heavy moment. "I don't know how much longer I can keep this up," she said softly.
"Keep what up?"
"This game," she replied, her voice low. "You keep pushing me away, and I keep pushing, but I don't know if I can do it anymore."
I didn't know how to respond. "Alicia, we can't-"
"I know," she interrupted. "But it's messing with my head. You're not like the others, Mommy. I can see it."
Her words caught me off guard. "You don't know anything about me," I said, my voice tight.
Alicia stepped closer, her eyes searching mine. "I know more than you think. And it's not just about helping me."
I swallowed, unsure of where this was heading. "Alicia..."
She reached out, her fingers brushing my arm. The touch sent a shock through me, and I froze. "Why don't you just let go?" she whispered.
I wanted to pull away, but something inside held me there, unsure of what I wanted anymore.
YOU ARE READING
The Horrors
HorrorMitochondria, a quiet subject at Murkoff Hospital, is assigned to care for a 17-year-old girl named Alicia as part of a strict program. Along with fellow subjects Ave, Zz, Sera, and Lyn, Mitochondria wears an orange jumpsuit and a tamper-proof track...
