The radio blares out incessantly, invading her sleep…
I have to block out thoughts of you so I don't lose my head…
The heavy wooden door stood slightly ajar.
The dust that still helplessly clung to the desecrated ground below showed no sign of disturbance.
She frowns slightly, placing her palm flat against the door; it falls open easily at her touch. She coughs a bit as the dust swirls up in choking clouds, and the pressure of memories begins to gag her.
They crawl in like a cockroach leaving babies in my bed…
Though she promised herself she would never return, she steps into the foyer, heels clicking softly on the marble. Her eyes slide close as she stands there, soaking in the memories she had thought she had buried so deeply in these walls. The Manse was of the past, a past she didn’t want to remember. Still too close, still too painful.
Dropping little reels of tape to remind me that I'm alone…
A brilliant flash of light falls across her face, causing her to squint before carefully opening her eyes. She blinks rapidly several times to clear her vision, sweeping her eyes across the entryway before her.
She’s not alone.
An ounce of peace is all I want for you. Will you never call again?
Her eyes slide across the folds of the handsome white suit, the long dark hair. He stands there, his back to her, with a piece of parchment in his hands. He seems to be intently reading the spiky black writing that litters the page and has taken no notice of her. She simply stares at his back in shock and utter disbelief.
And will you never say that you love me just to put it in my face?
A soft, metallic clang shatters the silence between them. A metal collar lays on the floor, glinting softly in the sickened sunlight.
“You abandoned me,” she says finally, still staring at him.
And will you never try to reach me? It is I that wanted space…
He turns his face to look over his shoulder at her, but no emotion can be discerned past the dark sunglasses he always favored.
“How does it feel?” Valen answers softly.
Hate me today!
Hate me tomorrow!
Hate me so you can finally see what's good for you.
