Webs

4.

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Warning: This chapter contains graphic abuse scenes and can be triggering. Read at your own risk.
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The only sounds Sapphire could hear were the crunch of gravel beneath her shoes as she walked towards the old bench in front of an abandoned storage building.

This was the most comfortable place on campus for her, especially as the library was rapidly becoming the best place for spreading silly rumours.

A chilly breeze blew against her, darkening skies matching her countenance.

She could not shake off the feeling of dread that had weighed down on her shoulders after she locked gazes with Josh.

He was coming for her.

And that nightmare just worsened matters.

As she hopped up to the pavement, her foot hit something and she stumbled forward, nearly losing balance.

After steadying herself, pushing her floppy hoodie out of her line of sight, she looked down.

Beside her old sneaker, lay a dull brown rectangular book. A few feet in front lay a pencil which was crushed in the middle. Nothing extraordinary.

Thud.

But for some reason, Sapphire's heart began a slow beat of dread.

Nobody ever came here, except some losers, occasionally or other weirdos that needed a break from reality.

Point is, someone was here.

She picked up the book and studied the plain cover. Opened it. Met a blank page with a Ruth M. Meyers written obscurely in a corner.

"Ruth."

Sapphire had no reason to, but she just knew it was the same Ruth that had pulled her right out of the safe shadows and into Josh's radar.

The same Ruth Bryan and Josh currently had beef over.

Flipping a few pages open, Sapphire's blue eyes skimmed rapidly over the pages.

It was a journal.

She lowered the book, about to toss it into the hedge of flowers to the side, but stopped when her mind registered the lone word her eyes had caught on one of the pages.

She raised the open journal to eye level again, eyes burning with curiosity. There it was.

The word. One word. Twelve letters.

Asphyxiation.

Sapphire's lips parted. Her eyes ran over a line in the rumpled page.

It would be painless. The beauty of inert gas asphyxiation. I would rapidly suffocate and slip away into darkness. He used to choke me too. I hated it. I loved it. I would struggle to breathe, feeling like I would die the next second. Exhilarating. I wonder if it'd be as fun when I'm truly dying. Would it be that beautiful? I could make a video, capture the moment life leaves my eyes. Sad. I would not be able to watch such a masterpiece.