Desolation [h.s]

Chapter 24

TW: SUICIDAL TOPICS AND THEMES

Harry Styles

It's cold.

Even underneath the layers of blankets that cover me, cool air still creeps in and touches my skin, goosebumps being left in its wake. My eyes droop in half-consciousness as my body is pulled from its sleep, brain still not catching up with the fact that I am no longer asleep.

There was nothing that directly woke me up, no sound or sudden movement yanking me from the rest I was in. But there was something within me, something in my chest that was tugging on it, begging me to wake up.

Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.

Knuckling at my tired eyes, I push myself slowly to sit up in my bed, the sheets falling to bunch up at my hips. A shiver runs down my spine as the cold air dances against the bare skin of my torso and I let out a soft groan as I grip the sheets between my fingers.

I sat there for a moment, staring aimlessly at the wall across from me that I was just barely able to make out in the pitch black room. The curtains were drawn, blocking out the soft glow that the moon provided at night.

Pinching at the bridge of my nose, I will myself to wake up more, taking a deep inhale and releasing it harshly. I push the sheets off of my legs that were clad in gray sweatpants and swing them over the edge to stand up from the bed.

The floor is cold beneath my feet and my toes curl at the sensation as I walk towards the black sweatshirt that was thrown across the chair just a little bit away from me. Grasping the cotton, I pull it over my head, settling it on my body smoothly. I run my fingers through my hair as I yawn, finally gaining some kind of grip on my surroundings.

My eyes were still swollen with sleep as I shuffled my sleep ridden body to the door, steps loud and slow from not moving for a little while. I don't think it was too long ago that I had fallen asleep. I don't know exactly what time I had gone to bed but it couldn't have been too long considering it's still completely dark as I open my door.

A cold gush runs through my shirt as I step out into the hallway, a more intense shuddering coursing its way through my bones. Confusion fills me as I start walking down the hall to the open door that leads to Seraphina's room. I peek my head, looking around for any sign of her.

The room is completely empty.

Her sheets don't even look like she's been in them, still neatly tucked and done. My brows furrow and I lean back, hand resting on the door frame as I look down towards the foyer. I can feel that pull from earlier return, stronger and feeling as it's yanking me to walk towards something.

I don't even think as I walk towards the living room, my steps getting a bit quicker as the coldness of the space gets more and more prevalent. The first thing I notice as I leave the small confines of the hallway is the open door that leads to the terrace, the whispers of the wind traveling into the living room.

With quick strides, I make my way to the doors, looking out into the city line. The area out here is empty aside from the chairs that usually reside here and the small flower pot in the corner. My brows furrowed in confusion as I looked around for any trace of where Seraphina could have gone.

A heavy huff dances off my lips as I close the doors, stopping the freezing air of outside from getting into the building. I double check to make sure it's locked securely before I turn around and my eyes scan the dark penthouse. They look over the couches for a possible outline of her body only to find absolutely nothing. My stomach twists nervously as I step forward, my sight landing on the kitchen and my heart drops to the polished wooden floor at the sight.