The Fall of a Jewel

Chapter Twenty

A/N: This chapter is really short, but the next ones will definitely be longer. Promise.

A week later, I left the hospital with Mom, Dad driving us home while Nora was at school. We got home and I instantly went upstairs, sitting on my bed and staring at the wall for hours. All I did was think. Think about what I did and how many people I hurt and how much Athena hurt me. What she said had shattered my whole mind, leaving me as a walking shell of who I once was.

I barely slept. I barely ate, and I barely even had anything to drink. The only thing I did was stare and think for hours. I didn't even know what I was thinking about, I was let my thoughts fly through my mind at the slowest pace they've ever gone. It was like watching a computer go forwards in slow motion.

Mom and Dad allowed me to stay home until the next week, saying that it would help with my mental health. I barely listened to the conversation, just staring out the window at the passing clouds. I stayed up until midnight that day on accident.

Everyone looked like they worried about me, but I couldn't be bothered to care. I just wanted to sleep, but my mind was racing so fast that I couldn't stay still if I tried. The feeling of fatigue didn't even get to me, just allowing me to space out for super extended periods of time. It wasn't healthy, I knew that, but I couldn't help it. I couldn't be bothered to care enough to do anything.

The idea came to me on Friday. I was watching the TV when a documentary on mental health came on. It outlined what trauma could do to a person's mind and what people who have been hurt by it in the past would do. They would commit suicide or go completely numb, unable to think or care about anything at all.

I watched with numb eyes as a plan began to slowly formulate in my head. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. A thought about what I could do formulated, then disappeared, but still leaving a trace of what it was behind. It took a full hour of staring at the wall, blinking maybe once a minute to really figure out what I was gonna do.

My eyes widened and I flung the blanket I was under across the couch. I ran into the kitchen, searching through the medicine cabinet until I found what I was looking for: the prescription I had gotten from the hospital. It was supposed to get my depression and anxiety back on track, but, so far, nothing had happened. At least now it could be used for something.

I had been home at the time, but, before I could do anything, Mom came home with Nora, shouting a greeting to me from the foyer. Deciding to do it later, I quickly made my way up to my room, mumbling a quick hello to my mom and sister. The pills got shoved into the pocket of my favorite, black hoodie. It was just a size too big, but it felt like a hug. I decided to wear it when I took all the pills that night. There was just one thing I had to do before then.

After dinner, I joined my family for a movie night, watching with a fake smile as Nora danced and sang along to the musical numbers. It was cute.

When everyone went to bed, I waited until midnight before slipping the hoodie on over a tank top and a pair of shorts. I didn't even bother to try and sneak out of my window, just using the door, since I could hear my Dad's snores from my room. Flipping up my hood, I made my way down the street and towards the main road.

While walking, a drop of rain hit my nose. I looked up and was faced with storm clouds. The real storm came after a few minutes, soaking me to my core. I couldn't be bothered to notice; I was on a mission.

I made it to the house I wanted to. It had taken me a couple hours to get there, but, as I stood in front of the hardwood door, I couldn't even feel the exhaustion. The only thing that went through me was determination and a slight tinge of fear. Nothing mattered, except the task I had set out to do.

I raised my fist and knocked three times, the fear twisting into anxiety. It didn't take long for a light to come on in the house. It was the front one on the last floor, the light coming on the a sudden burst of yellow. It nearly blinded me, but I didn't care, I just stood in front of the door as the fear of what I was about to do grew inside of me.

The very person that I wanted to talk to opened the door, their brown eyes groggy and the rest of them annoyed, like they had been trying to sleep.

Annabelle stood in the doorway, her long, brown hair mushed up into a ponytail. She was wearing a red tank top and a pair of green leggings, her feet bare and a tired look in her eyes. Her ears were lost in her hair, her tail hanging limply behind her.

At the sight of her made my stomach knot in weird ways. The feeling of determination quickly washed out of me and replaced with dread and anxiety. I didn't feel like I could do this anymore, but I was there and there was no going back.

So, I did the only thing I could. I fixed her with a cold, hard, but scared stare and opened my mouth. "Hi," I said, swallowing the lump of anxiety in my throat.

A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed this short chapter! More angst to come!