Impassive

17| Bed

She sang quietly in the shower, glad that no one could hear her.

MATTEO

My phone rang, shattering the stillness of the night. The sound felt wrong, out of place in the quiet darkness. My heart skipped a beat before I even registered what was happening, and my hand shot out to grab it, the cold screen a shock against my palm.

I wasn't expecting a call. 

"Mr. Bellandi, you need to come outside." The voice on the other end was strained, urgent, and instantly, every muscle in my body went rigid. It took a moment for my mind to catch up to the words.

"What is it? What's going on?" I could hear the sharp edge in my voice, while I rubbed my face.

"Mrs. Bellandi, she's outside. Just in a towel. She's standing in the yard." A chill ran through me, ice cold and sharp. I sat up in bed, my thoughts spinning, but all I could hear was the pounding of my heart, louder than anything else. No. This couldn't be happening. Ava shouldn't wander outside at this hour, not like this. She couldn't be.

"What do you mean, outside? In a towel?" The words barely made it out of my mouth. I couldn't make sense of them.

"I don't know, Sir. She won't respond when we call to her. We've tried everything. She's just standing there." 

My blood ran cold. I didn't even wait for the next word to come out. "I'm coming. Stay with her. Don't leave her alone." My voice was steady, almost mechanical, as I threw off the blankets and jumped out of bed. I didn't think, didn't hesitate. I moved, urgency in every step as I rushed down the dark hallway, my footsteps loud in the silence. My thoughts were a whirlwind, a thousand questions bombarding me, but none of them had answers. Why was she outside? Why wasn't she in bed, asleep like she should have been?

I reached the frontdoor in what felt like seconds, my hand shaking a little bit as I gripped the handle and pulled it open. The cool night air hit me immediately, biting at my skin. The house was silent except for the distant hum of the security lights, the faint rustling of the trees in the wind.

Then I saw her.

Ava was standing in the middle of the yard, the harsh light casting shadows across her pale skin. The towel around her was barely clinging to her body, and her hair hung wet, damp from the moisture in the air. She didn't move. She didn't acknowledge me.

"Ava!" I shouted, but the words barely seemed to reach her. She didn't react. Her eyes were wide, unblinking, but there was something distant in them—something far away that didn't belong to her. I stepped forward, calling her name again, softer this time. "Ava, look at me."

But she didn't respond. Her gaze didn't shift, didn't focus on anything. Her expression was blank, hollow, and I felt the panic tighten its grip around my chest.

I moved closer, reaching for her shoulders, my fingers trembling as I touched her. She flinched at my touch, as if she didn't recognize me, didn't know who I was. I pulled her towards me, but she didn't fight. She just let me guide her, like she was floating through some nightmare I couldn't understand. "What's happening?" I whispered under my breath, but there was no answer. I looked into her eyes, and it was like looking at someone else. A stranger.

"Ava, please, talk to me," I said, more desperate now, trying to get through to her. "Why are you out here? What's going on?"

Her lips parted, but the words that came out were a soft, breathless whisper. "I don't... I don't know..." Her voice was distant, like she wasn't fully there, and my heart thudded painfully in my chest. She wasn't herself. Something was terribly wrong. My hands shook as I gently guided her back toward the house, not sure how to help her, not sure what had happened, but knowing I couldn't leave her out in the cold like this. "Matteo?" she asked, her voice soft and hesitant, her eyes slowly regaining some focus. "Why are we outside?"