After eleven o'clock

Chapter 1

Drip, drop. Drip, drop. The slow inhale of breath caused a rattling sound to filter through her chest. Drip, drop. Drip, drop. A sharp exhale, followed by an almost immediate inhale. In other words, hyperventilating. Drip, drop. Drip, drop. The once placid, steady heart beat began to pick up, going faster and faster. Drip, drop. Drip, drop. The erratic thumping in her chest was causing her to go mad, and she silently willed it to slow down, to quiet down.

"They'll hear.. They'll hear and th-then they'll know..." her voice was nothing but a hoarse whisper. The raspiness from her voice was caused by the non-stop crying she had been doing.

Drip, drop. Drip, drop. The deep, hazel eyes were wide and wild, frantically scanning the small white-tiled bathroom. At this moment, even her breath stilled in her throat as she listened and waited.

Hearing no sound other than that of the drip drop, she gradually allowed her body to relax, her heart beat and respiration rate simultaneously picking back up.

Drip, drop. A soft sigh escaped chapped, pale lips. Her head tilted downwards, the hazel eyes reflecting the crimson puddle that was her own blood. It had grown to about the size of a watermelon, and was for the most part still. Every few seconds, however, another drop would fall down from her damaged flesh, creating the rhythmic drip dropping sound.

The cut was three inches long, and about two inches wide. It was positioned on the inside of the girl's right thigh, creating a dark, foreboding stain on the pale skin.

She was standing, partially leaning against the shower wall, using it for support. A faint dizziness had overtaken her, along with nausea, and she knew it was from the blood loss.

Remaining in this singular position for what felt like hours, but what couldn't have been more than a few minutes, the girl slowly pulled herself out of her depressing stupor. Her cheeks were shiny with tear tracks, and her nose twitched as she sniffed.

Wincing, she reached over with her right hand and pulled back a wet cloth, placing it against the gash decorating her thigh. She held it there for a few long moments, steeling herself, then tied it around her bony thigh.

Carefully stepping out of the cramped shower, she turned the water on, watching dazedly as the water turned red, then disappeared into the drain. Once the water ran clear again, she shut it off and made her way to the bathroom door.

Grasping the cold brass doorknob, she let herself out of the bathroom, and walked to her bedroom, which was only across the hall. She made sure to keep her footfalls silent, her brother's bedroom right next to hers, and their sleeping parents' room only down the hall.

Once inside the room, the girl turned and shut the door softly behind her. She then walked to her bed, where her own personal medical kid was already laid out. Quietly rifling through the metal tin, she came across what she was searching for, and pulled the items out.

Lying the sterile needle, thread, and bandages out on the comforter, she sank down onto the bed, pulling her injured leg up. Then, she threaded the needle and brought it towards her soft, pale skin. Inhaling and exhaling a deep breath, she began pulling her skin back together, stitch by stitch.

She had done this so many times that it was no longer difficult to deal with the pain, though it was never pleasant. Once finished with this process, and the thread was securely tied off, she began bandaging her leg, winding it around and around until she was satisfied with it.

The girl then proceeded to pack up all of the unused medical supplies, and slid the locked box noiselessly underneath her bed.

After going through her nightly routine of getting into pajamas, brushing her teeth, and combing out her hair, she returned to her bedroom and shut the door, this time not intending to open it again until morning.

Shutting off the ceiling light, she then pulled back the comforter and top sheet of her bed, and climbed inside. She pulled the sheet and comforter back over herself, wiggling down until just her eyes were peeking out.

This was how she slept every night, cocooned in the warmth and safety of her own bed. Pure darkness enveloped her as she closed her eyes. Sleep began to drag her in, and with it, the happy, bright Charity emerged from her resting place in a distant part of the girl's mind.

The morning would start a good day, just like every other morning did.  

Hey guys, I'm back! I know it's been forever, but.. I have a few new story ideas in mind, so if you're interested, stay posted!