Between the lines

Chapter 7: Stella

I twist the doorknob, and walk out the door, strolling down the never ending hallway that I seem to have passed at least half a dozen times now, finally reaching the dining room.

Quincy was seated at the table, which was set for two.
He was looking out the window, seemingly deep in thought.
I notice he does that a lot when contemplating. I was hesitant to interrupt him, but my hunger eventually got the best of me, so I approached him slowly and sat down in the vacant chair across from him.

We began to eat, but there was an undercurrent of awkwardness in the air. We each took small sips of our soups and ate our bites of vegetables in silence. Even when we made eye contact with each other, it was only for a brief moment before we both looked away. I couldn't help but notice that Quincy seemed to have a slight frown on his face, as though something was weighing heavily on his mind.

This time, I intentionally stare at him for a little over five seconds when he speaks up.
"If you don't have anything worthy of my attention, then go eat your food and let me eat mine in peace."

I sigh "Were you always like this?"

He leans in towards me
"Always like?"

"You know, this reclused?" I ask him

"Shouldn't concern you." I frown after hearing his answer. He seems to notice my mood shift and answers.

"It's kept me safe and out of trouble, so I see no reason to change."

"Don't you get at least a bit lonely at times? I mean, you're the only person I've seen in, well, a few days and I already feel Isolated. I can't imagine what being alone for, who knows how long you've been here for feels like?"

Quincy takes a sip of from his glass of water, then puts it down.
"You talk too much. It's difficult to hear myself think with the constant sound of your voice."

I roll my eyes "And here I thought you and I were getting somewhere."
I cross my arms while still staring at him, annoyed.

Quincy stands up and tucks his chair in place. "Look, Stacey" I raise my eyebrows "There is no you and I. Don't try to strike a conversation with me, it'll get you no where."

I roll my eyes, "My name is Stella. and even if trying to talk to you gets me no where, I'll be glad to know that I at least tried."

"You'll give up eventually." He claims
and walks out of the room, leaving me with the sound of the dish washer and my own fork clinking against my plate.

After trying to engage with Quincy and getting nowhere, I feel frustrated, and exhausted. I return to my room and close the door behind me. I wonder whether it is always like this for Quincy and how much it must weigh on him.

After a day of exhaustion and trying to distract myself from the intrusive thoughts of loneliness and isolation, I lie in bed, worn out and tired. The night turns into dawn, and sleep drags me towards a light slumber. While my mind is quieting down, my body is exhausted from the tension I've been holding all day long.

As I drift off to sleep, I find myself overwhelmed by a mixture of emotion. I'm tired of struggling with the feeling of loneliness and isolation. I'm angry that things haven't turned out the way I hoped they would. I uses to be tired of fighting against the constant pressure of having to please others or fit in, but from now on, living inside these walls may not even have somebody that I could please.

After a while, I notice everything seem blurry, muffled.
I'm transported to a desolate and desolate landscape, a barren expanse marked by darkness and emptiness. There is no human life in sight, no buildings or structures of any kind. I can feel the chill in the air as I look around, desperate for any sign of life or warmth but finding nothing. My pulse begins to race as the realization that I am completely alone sets in, the sense of loneliness overwhelming my senses. As my panic and fear begin to grow, the landscape surrounding me begins to shift and distort, the darkness enveloping me completely.

The darkness envelops me completely, my sense of fear and terror begins to build. I can feel my heartbeat racing, my breath coming in quick shallow bursts, and a sense of pure panic and terror taking over. I can feel my eyes fill with tears as the sheer terror and helplessness begins to overcome me, the dark expanse seemingly endless and inescapable.

The sense of terror and helplessness grows even stronger as I try to slow my breathing but can't seem to control it. My heart is racing, my limbs are shaky, my breaths are shallow and quick, and the fear becomes overwhelming. I can't breathe, I can't see, everything is black, and there is no escape.

As the terror and helplessness become unbearable, I hear a high-pitched voice calling my name. I gasp in horror and can't move, my body frozen in place. I hear the voice again and again, sounding closer and closer. I'm paralyzed with fear as the voice seems to echo in my ears, my body trembling uncontrollably. I hear the voice again and again, closer and closer, "Stella Stella Stella" the voice beckons, causing me to gasp in horror and let out a muffled shout of

"Please don't hurt me" I shriek, with a lump in my throat, barely feeling conscious.

The voice calling my name starts becoming deeper and seems to shift in tone to appear more masculine, the sense of fear and helplessness turning into warmth. I feel a familiar sense of touch as I feel a hand shaking me forcefully, trying to awaken me. The masculine voice calling my name seems to ring in my ears louder and more forcefully, the feeling of it becoming overwhelming.

The voice beckoning me suddenly changes, transitioning from
"Stella" to "Stacey" in a much deeper, worried voice. The name Stacey begins to echo in my ears in a frightening, sinister and forceful manner.

My eyes snap open, and I jolt up out of my bed, tears still streaming down my cheeks. I open my mouth to speak but find my voice stuck in my throat, the fear and terror from my nightmare still gripping me. I look up to see Quincy in front of me, his expression impenetrable and cold.

I take a deep breath,
"Bad dream?" He stops shaking me, as his tone shifts from worry to unreadable once more.

I close my eyes, processing what happened. "Yeah." I answer him, still frightened from what happened.

"How long have you been here?"
I ask him, wiping away my tears

"A few minutes. I heard screaming come from your room, so decided to check it out." He answered

I give him a small smile
"You were worried about me?

Quincy sighs, looking annoyed.
"No, I wasn't. I don't think having someone die on my property would be that good for my reputation."

I was expecting it, but
I can't help but feel a little disappointed.

"You didn't bring any clothes with you, yes?" He doesn't wait for me to respond. I was biting my tongue, refraining myself from saying something that I'll regret, which was
"No, I did bring my own clothes but you didn't bother to bring them in for me." But realized it would be better to keep that to myself.

"I have a meeting in a few hours
Go take a bath and get ready.
We'll postpone your training til the evening after we're done with business."

He starts to walk away but turns back towards me and says
"I've prepared you a dress, it's in your armoire. Wear it."
He then walks out and closes the door behind him.