Finding Direction

Chapter One

Eva Hunt

Eva's long fingers glided swiftly across the keys as she typed, completely immersed in the new story she was writing. She had a tendency to do that. To fully loose herself in the story, that she often stayed for hours in front of her decrepit laptop, which was quite outdated.

But she didn't care.

It was the only item of hers that held much value and more so, it allowed her to escape the reality of life, even for a moment.

She loved how the internet gave her a chance to be a completely new person. Online, she lived a different life altogether. She could forget all her troubles and pains, and that was probably the only thing that kept her going right now. To know that there were people out there who cared about her as a person asking things like how her day was.

Granted they didn't know who she really was as she kept her full name a secret, but the amount of people who read her work was rewarding enough.

Undoubtedly, if her followers did know the real her and how utterly poignant her life has been, they would have judged her right away. And she planned on keeping her identity a secret for as long as she could, no matter how selfish her reasons were.

The distinct smell of alcohol invaded her senses, bringing her out of her element.

She grudgingly looked up to see her roommate, Gemma, staring at her through red rimmed eyes and a mischievous smile on her face.

Eva closed the lid of her laptop and knew that she couldn't write anymore even if she tried. She didn't like to be disturbed whilst she was writing and knowing her, she couldn't keep an eye on her toxicated roommate if she immersed herself into obliviousness anymore.

She let out a long sigh, tugging her loose ponytail tighter. "What do you want, Gemma?" Her voice was hoarse. Most likely from the lack of use as she had spent most of her day on her trusty laptop.

Gemma gave her an uneasy smile as she shifted on her other foot, trying to keep her balance.

"Was gonna ask if you have some money I can borrow love?" she drawled on the word love and Eva cringed a bit from the word. She hated endearments. "I'm a bit short and I have to pay some ... deliveries."

Eva's eyes filled with rage. She wasn't naive. She knew all the things Gemma got up to but couldn't persuade her enough to stop it. She hated how her flatmate would always glide into her room, asking for money when she worked so damn hard for it.

"I don't have anymore money to lend you, sorry," she lied.

Gemma scoffed and looked down at her fingernails. Like inspecting them was far more important than talking to Eva; like she didn't want to talk to her at all. "And what do you have to spend it on? You spend all your life cooped up in this room and in front of the rotten computer of yours."

"My money," She hissed. "Is spent on paying for the house rent and other bills which you don't give a damn about. If it weren't for me," she pointed at her chest. "we would be both on the streets right now. And all you care is that god forsaken boyfriend of yours who get you to do things you know is wrong."

"I--" Suddenly, there was a glimpse of her real self as she processed Eve's words . Gemma's head was bowed down in shame. "I can't stop. I want to... but I can't. I'm too far gone."

"I thought I told you to stop, Gemma." She said softly, knowing that deep down, Gemma knew better.

Her friends eyes lightened at her concern. "I can't. You know I can't." Her voice was filled with emotion as she grew weak.