"We never realize the power of a single human being until one comes along and conquers your heart." ~Unknown
Chapter Sixteen- Photograph
August 5th 3012, 6:00am
I woke up to the sight of an exhausted looking Claire standing beside my mattress. She stood with her thumb and forefinger squeezing the area of her nose right between her eyes. Her skin looked paler than normal and the area under her eyes was dark. She looked so different from the Claire that I knew. Her bright eyes were squeezed shut behind her eyelids. I watched as she let out a shaky breath, seeming so unsure.
“Oh, Danny.” She said in a rough voice. “Here you go.” She said, holding out a small white pill. I took the pill from her hand and swallowed it down easily.
Pain was the first thing to hit me. The dread followed almost immediately. The lurching of my stomach acid hit me next. I ran to the trashcan that was located just a few feet away. I heaved and gripped onto the edges of the bin as my stomach emptied itself. I felt the cool tracks of tears developing down the sides of my face. Claire’s hands gathered my hair and pulled it back. I hurled and heaved until there was nothing left for me to give. Then I hovered above the bin and let the tears fall.
Damn Jaxon. Damn him for not coming home! Damn him for not trying hard enough! Damn him. Damn him. Damn him straight to fucking hell. I’m done crying over him, damn it. I’m done feeling hopeless and absolutely and entirely destroyed. I’m done. I’m done. Damn him.
I wasn’t done though. I was still broken. I could tell myself all day that I was fine and that Jaxon’s absence didn’t hurt, but I’d be lying, and at the end of the day it would still hurt.
“You look like shit.” Claire said in a scratchy tone as she sat down on the floor beside me. I looked over at her pale and slightly sunken in face.
“You’re one to talk.” I said.
She smiled at me. I glared back at her. Why the hell was she smiling? Her smile grew bigger, as if she could hear my thoughts. What is wrong with her? I felt a smile pulling at the corner of my lips. Claire noticed immediately and burst into a fit of laughter. I followed right after. Our laughter bounced off the walls of the mall and my sides stared to ache. I laughed and laughed until tears came to my eyes. Claire let out a sigh, finalizing her insane burst of laughter. I stopped laughing but tears continued to fall. I let them fall without bothering to wipe them away.
“Come with me.” Claire said, standing up and holding her hands out to me.
“Where are we going?” I asked as I placed my hands in hers and let her pull me up.
“Shower day.” Claire said.
***
The gym was just as I remembered from my last visit. This time, however, as I walked into the bathroom I saw a group of girls drying their hair. Rebecca, Audrey and Elizabeth took up three of the six mirrors. Audrey and Elizabeth locked eyes with me, sending a chill down my back and forcing me to take a step towards Claire. They looked better than Claire did, and if Claire said I looked like crap then I’m positive they looked better than me too. Their eyes were bright and the underneath area of their eyes wasn’t darkened like it was under Claire’s. They were perfectly fine.
My eyes drifted over to Rebecca as Claire strode away from me. She was too busy throwing a brush and other items into a bag to look at me.
“Come on Becca.” Elizabeth said when she caught me staring. Elizabeth and Audrey turned and started to walk out. I clutched the spare clothes Claire had advised me to grab close to my chest as they walked past. Rebecca took one last look in the mirror, frowning, and looking extremely displeased at what she saw.
YOU ARE READING
Void
Science Fiction"You don't feel! You're not human, you're just an emotionless shell!" He yelled at me with a passion that was unknown to me for so long and was now overwhelming me. "Maybe you're right, I'm not human," I said, forcing my voice and expression to be...
