The Depths of Insanity

0.2 - Echoes Upon Headaches

The last thing she remembered was a burning flame in her lungs. Everything hurt.

Rowan groaned as she rubbed her temple with her fingers, as an attempt to make the aching pain go away.

The immense noise of her mother banging on the door wasn't helping either.

Her mother began to push and slam against the door, trying to break it open.

"Rowan? Is that you? Open the door!"

"I'm fine mom." She tried to tell out through her gritted teeth. "False alarm." She suddenly regretted ever coming back to live with her mother. She was twenty three, more than capable of being on her own. But she knew she couldn't leave her mother just yet, not when she had no one anymore.

"Are you sure? Open the door." Katherine said, her voice laced with worry.

"No mom-" She sighed with impatience. "I'm in the bath mom, I just want to be alone right now."

She heard her pause before she spoke again. "Okay... Just speak to me once you get out, alright. I'm worried about you."

"Yeah mom," she said tiredly. "Sure."

She could tell that her mother, Katherine lingered at the door for one more minute before she finally left.

As soon as she had stepped a foot outside the bathroom, she found herself immediately being cornered by her mother.

She felt like she was going to throw up. She didn't want to deal with this right now. Hell, she didn't need to right now.

"Where have you been?" Her voice was hard and cold just at the edge of crumpling. God, she was angry.

Rowan closed her eyes.

"Where have you been?" She repeated, putting too much stress on each word.

She opened her eyes.

"I was out with Jackson. I told you before I left."

"And I told you to be home my 12," she glared at the clock, exasperated and tired. "It's 2:30 a.m. Rowan. You didn't think for a second for how I'd feel? Why didn't answer you phone? You didn't think to call? What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing," she tried to be assertive and sure of herself but her voice faltered. "You don't need to worry about me anymore. I'm not a kid anymore."

"You're my kid." Katherine said, firmly. She hesitated before speaking again. "You can't keep waiting for him to come back."

Rowan felt her heart drop in her chest. "Don't" she croaked, not wanting to start something.

"He left us!" Katherine yelled, her eyes glassy with tears.

"I know." She said bitterly, a lump forming in her throat.

"No. I don't think you do."

She interrupt her. "I have work tomorrow."

Katherine lost it for a second. Her face crumpled and she cried as she rested her hands on her forehead. All this stress and worry all fell on her at once. Rowan dismissing her had made her snap. She let out a strangled cry as she said, "What am I going to do with you Rowan? Don't you want to be happy?"

"Of course I do, mom," Rowan said faintly. She was scared. She hated seeing her mother like this. But was this was probably how her mother saw her. She slowly moved closer towards her mother and rested her hand on her shoulder. She wasn't good in these type of situations. "Everything will get better, you'll see."