"Sometimes memories are the worst forms of torture."
-
"Well, if it's not frostbite, then what is it?"
"It's disgusting is what it is, Carol," Gwen scrunches up her face.
"Yeah, seriously. Listen to Pengwen and get it off the table. We're eating h...
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╔═══*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═══╗ NUMB SHOWERS AND MONSTERS ╚═══*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═══╝
(TW // panic attack -Summary at the end)
After pullinginto the Henderson driveway, Jonathan turns his body to face Gwen who sits in the back seat. "You sure you'll be okay?" he asks in a quiet voice.
Gwen just nods her head numbly and opens the car door before getting out. She still hasn't said anything since the woods besides asking for Jonathan to drop her off.
Nancy and Jonathan share a look of concern for the girl, but they decide not to push her.
Gwen walks into her house without a care of anyone seeing her since her mother has the late shift again. Gwen turns around to close and lock the door as soon as she steps inside.
Dustin shoots his head up at his sisters presence and stands up off of the couch. He's been waiting all night for her to come home. "Gwen! Thank god. Elev-" He pauses when Gwen turns around and he sees the state shes in. She's completely covered in dirt and slime from the other world, and her eyes are bloodshot and void of emotion. "Jesus... Are you okay?"
Gwen walks past Dustin, still numb to what's happened. "Go to bed, Dustin."
Dustin is left standing there in confusion and concern, but he knows better than to push her to talk when she's like this. It's always better to let Gwen sit by herself until the next day, and if she wants to talk then, she will. If Dustin were to push her too early, she'd lose it, and that's the last thing he wants.
Gwen decides to take a shower to get all of the dirt and slime off of her body, so she picks out a pair of pajamas and goes to the bathroom.
There, she turns the knob on the shower, and closes the curtain to let the water heat up. She strips her body of her clothes and slowly looks up at the bathroom mirror. Taking a hand, she wipes away at the steam so she can see herself through her slightly blurred vision.
Gwens eyes are puffy, blood vessels popped and red, contaminating the white in her eyes causing her blue irises stand out. She has scratches on her entire body and light bruises already taking form on her arms.
She is exhausted.
Turning back to the shower, Gwen pulls the curtain back and gets in slowly. She does her full shower routine, washing her body, and shampooing and conditioning her hair. All in slow movements, Gwen cleans away both the dirt and hopefully the memories of tonight, still feeling an overwhelming numbness.
