Starting Life From Another Choice Than Zero

Chapter 8 - Stephanie's Tale

The colorless curtains glowed with a tinge of bright orange, a crack of sunlight beaming through, it's glow smearing the wooden floorboards, forming a narrow bridge of light that trailed towards two legs laying motionless, stretched out, and beyond that, a torso belonging to that of a boy, sitting against a bed slightly dampened by tears. A phone in one hand, the other lazily sprawled out onto the floor. His eyes, puffy and swollen, still wet, an unfocused gaze out the window, on a face devoid of any sort of emotion. Empty... hollow as a shell.

Subaru sat unresponsive, blinking only occasionally. Unthinking, unfeeling. Within his barren mind, evoked a recollection of a time gravely identical to the conditions of his current state. An empty husk of himself, incapable of speech, of life. Like a machine that ceased its functioning, taken apart, with all of its components missing. It was a time he tried, only to fail... an endless loop of self-destruction. All his valiant, albeit, erratic efforts, amounting up to nothing.

Nothing. A word that best describes his expertise, excelling at a field lacking in any sort of use, benefiting no one, and most usually, hurting everyone, and this one fact alone, extinguished the already dying flame inside him, snuffing the toiling embers in its wake.

Even when a faint knocking was heard, he paid little heed to the sound, even less, when the creaking of a door stirred the sullenness air to life. The footsteps shortly after, were practically inaudible to the misty-eyed Subaru.

"There you are. I thought that was your messy hair hiding behind the bed."

A voice full of energy and life, imposed upon the gloominess that had lingered on for far too long. Soft, gentle and womanly.

"Just thought I'd make sure you didn't run out on us again."

Almost in a trance, Subaru slowly turned his head to the side, looking up. A sight of bright yellow met his heavy, lifeless eyes. A nightgown belonging to a body of a woman, smiling with eyes still drowsy. Clumps of hazel brown hair, scruffy and rumpled, running down the length of her body, stopping only at her hip.

"Stephanie..." He said, voice silent and gruff.

"Good morning to you too, Subaru." She greeted him with cheer.

Subaru stared at her, unblinking. Her figure was basked by the warm glitter of sunlight, almost like a personification of the sun itself. Her eyes, kind and bright, green as a four-leaf clover in a bountiful meadow. A complexion the shape of a heart, with a smile that could cheer even the worst days in life. It was as if he was staring at a sunflower, in a season of full bloom.

His transfixed stare did not go unnoticed by Stephanie, whose lively expression quickly changed to that of concern, catching sight of his reddened eyes.

"Hey... did something happen?" She inquired, bending low, hands on her knees.

He knew that look, having been subjected to it times aplenty, each always feeling like the first. It was the worried look of a mother, uneasy for her child. The softened yet tensed expression. Eyes, care and sympathy defined clearly within, with a tone of voice that urges you to spill your troubles, knowing full well that they will understand you, no matter the circumstances.

Just seeing that, even if it was just a short glance, was enough to pull at his heartstrings, and without even realizing it, tears were already beginning to stream down his still moistened cheeks.

"S-Subaru? What happened? What's wrong?"

His hand made a futile attempt to stifle his sobs ever growing, a chocking noise emerging from the depths of his throat. He shook his head rapidly, barren of reasons to do so, as his clogged nose made an attempt at an inhale. All the while, Stephanie's bewildered, concerned expression seen just barely over distorted vision.