Autophobia II ♡ r.t

Chapter Nine

Standing outside her childhood home was a trip to say the least. She hadn't been back to Derry since she left for college, not once. If she wanted to see Jen, Jen would always come to her, and up until now she didn't see the point in coming back even if it was just to visit.

She tried not to think too hard about what the house was going to be like without Jen there. She tried not to think about whether Erica would have painted over her murals. She'd like to think she wouldn't have.

She stared at the door intently, honestly half-afraid to knock. She hadn't been in contact with Erica at all since jens funeral and she was trying her best not to feel guilty about it as she knocked softly on the door.

There was a pattering of footsteps as the familiar red-headed woman opened the door to her, her jaw dropping slightly at the slight of Caroline

"Jesus-Caroline?! What?? Why?!" Erica asked, confusion lacing her words even as her face lit up, pulling the blonde girl into a tight hug.

"It's nice to see you too Erica" Caroline laughed, though it was more of an exhale as she simply returned the hug.

"I haven't seen you in what? Two years? You didn't even call to say you were coming into town!" Erica scolded, slapping her playfully on the wrist and dragging her inside once she had pulled out of the hug.

She followed the woman almost wordlessly into the house, and god nothing had changed. And she meant that in the best way possible.

Same photographs, same colourful paint swirling across the wall, same thrifted furniture. But no Jen. The house felt strangely empty without her, despite that fact that Caroline has barely been inside for a minute.

She sat awkwardly in the small kitchen with Erica, both of them looking around aimlessly, unable to make conversation.

"Erica" Caroline spoke up suddenly, shifting uncomfortably in her seat "I really don't mean to be rude but I'm in a very intense time-restricted situation right now and need to find this specific thing so would you mind if I....rooted about through my stuff?"

"Intense? Time-restricted? Carrie darling are you safe-" Erica questioned in a concerned tone, being cut across once again by the anxious girl.

"Yup! Totally safe I just-really need to find this thing."

She smiled awkwardly at the older woman, who looked at her with quite a bit of confusion before standing again and reluctantly leading the girl up the stairs.

Caroline followed behind, smiling slightly as she walked upstairs for the first time in god knows how long.

"Do you know exactly what it is you're looking for sweetheart?" Erica questioned, looking back at Caroline as she reached up on top of the doorframe for the key to her old room.

Caroline stood completely still for a moment, still not able to grasp onto any fully realised memories of her time alone, clearly another instance of her brain trying to protect her from whatever lay deeper beyond in the dark depths of her childhood.

"Yeah! Totally~" Caroline lied, jolting herself back to reality as Erica hummer softly, turning to key and opening back the door.

As Caroline took a step towards the threshold of the door, she quite honestly felt herself tear up a little at the sight.

"She didn't change anything?" Caroline asked in disbelief, stepping inside as she looked around, smiling so wide her face felt as thought it would cramp up.

"Oh she insisted on keeping it the same. Just Incase you ever visited" Erica explained wistfully, her smile dropping slightly as she continued "you never did visit though..."