DESOLATION

18

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INEZ

Day 1 in Garristown

The sound of a heavy thunderstorm wakes me up. I look around in fear and notice that my hands are shaking and there is sweat on my forehead. The noise was so loud that I got scared, while it was just the storm. I sit up in bed and try to calm my heartbeat. No one is here. It is just me in this cottage. Living alone in a strange place often scares you and especially when all the houses are far away from you. I should move somewhere else.

There is no guard here to keep an eye on me. When I get a good job, I will think about shifting somewhere which is at least surrounded by people and other houses.

I lean my back against the headboard and smile. This is the first time in months that I have woken up alone without Lorcan's touch surrounding me.

I look at the empty side of the bed and sigh. I am glad that I am away from him, but there is something inside me that is missing him, his presence, his touch, and his warmth. I smack my head at this thought.

No, I cannot miss him. I am glad that I am away from his suffocating presence. I hate that I have to take each breath in fear when I am near him. He has the power to make my breath stop just by his mere presence. I close my eyes to forget about him.

A cold wind blows inside the room, making me shiver. I open my eyes and look towards the closed window. It is still raining, but it is colder than it should be. Looking towards the fireplace, I notice that the fire in the fireplace died long ago, but there is still wood in it. The air must have extinguished it, but from where is it coming? I can feel the chill in the chair.

I get up and go into the living room. Upon entering, I found one window open. I cursed under my breath. The window is open and is giving access to the cold air and the rain. How can I be so stupid as not to close it before sleeping? What if someone had come inside? I should be more careful now.

I quickly go towards it and pull it close while getting a little wet during the process. I look down at the floor and sigh at the mess the rain has made. There is water here, and now I will have to dry it up.

What a great morning! I first decided to light the fireplace because it is cold inside the cottage. I set fire to the woods and look at the flickering fire, hoping to feel warmth, but I don't get anything much. Because of the water, some wood has gotten wet and will be of no use now.

I get up and dry the floor. I look outside the window. I hope the rain stops soon, as I cannot wait to go outside and explore this beautiful place. I brush my teeth and get ready for the day. As I plan to explore Garristown once the rain stops so I choose the dress accordingly. I wear a long grey frock which reaches my knees and, after pairing it with matching shoes, go into the kitchen.

Why is this cottage so cold? The burning wood is doing little to warm the inside. I check all the cabinets and then the grocery items in the fridge, and take out eggs and butter. For today, I will keep it simple. Fresh omelet with toasted bread. Luckily, I found a toaster in one of the cabinets. The toaster looks new. So, this is what Lorcan meant by doing preparations.

It took me all fifteen minutes to make my breakfast. It had been so long since I made my breakfast, so I loved the feeling. I would have loved a cup of coffee with my breakfast, but since there is no coffee maker and no coffee beans, I will just grab one from one of the shops. There is a lot of buying that needs to be done.

I enjoyed my breakfast in silence while looking outside the window of the kitchen. The rain has almost died down, and I am sure soon the weather will clear up. When I am done with breakfast, I clean the dishes and arrange everything as it was before I started making my breakfast. I went into the living room and was about to sit when my eyes landed on the stairs.