Fade Away: Case Closed [ERA contest]

Fade Away: Case Closed (part 2)

Song- Case Closed by Little Mix

McKenly had dropped Samantha off at her house with kind recommendations pertaining to her overall health. Their time together had concluded in an agreement they would meet again to review the case, because there were still a few things to do despite it being closed.

It was rather late at night and so Samantha decided to go to bed. Burrowing herself into the covers, she thought with a sigh how unusual it felt to sleep alone, in a small bed, facing a window, in a completely different apartment... After life had taken a dangerous turn on an icy slope, she'd managed to go forward again, only this time, she felt alone, and the conditions had entirely changed.

Okay, maybe she wasn't alone, but she had no one to relate to, and that made her lonely. She'd lost contact with most of her friends sometime during her recently-ended relationship. After charming her to paradise Jake had isolated her, slowly making her cut off ties with other people. Male friends were the first who were discharged from their titles.

When he had become jealously possessive for the first time, the display had been called adorable. The young woman had blushed then, his arms wrapped securely around her, while he glowered at Aiken. She had seen little of Aiken after that, the phenomenon occurred again.

Then, believing all she needed was her boyfriend, she'd started distancing herself from Sion. She had no siblings or parents, no close family she wanted to meet.

From the window in her little apartment, she could see the crudely cut-out silhouettes of torched paper bending wildly in the faint glow of the town. If she looked to her far right, she could see the neighbour celebrating something gaily with his wife and children. Shouldn't I be celebrating too?

Yes, but she felt empty, drained of energy. It mattered to her that Jake was found guilty, but it did not put her at ease. She realized with a tremble that she feared he would come back for her, that he would find her after all he had done and been condemned for, and make her pay for it. She could still feel his hands holding her head, her hands, her entire body. Suddenly she couldn't breathe.

Freeing herself from the bedsheets in a panicky manner, she rushed to the washroom. Under the blinking bulb, she undressed, eyes avoiding the mirror, and entered the shower. She left the doors of it open to feel less caged, and began to run the water. Under the scorching jet, her skin became red as she rubbed herself clean.

He would never completely leave her. He had made sure of it by making her love him, and then by making sure he was all she knew. She still cared, and she was disgusted by it. The possibility of it being wrong only dawned on her a night when he acted violently, and she escaped to hide in the park- which was a dangerous place at night, but she couldn't bring herself to be more scared than she already was, her heart beating so violently she feared her ribcage would crack open like an egg.

It was a brutal awakening, and today of all days she was unable to block out the sensation it aroused in her. The water had become too hot, and she turned the knob so it was freezing instead. Extremes are known to wake people from dazes, but what happens when it does not? What if she hadn't awoken to discover her utopic life had become a veritable nightmare?

The cold of the water made her insides feel warmer and she finally stepped out onto the damp floor to dry up. Having selected new pyjamas, she planted herself in front of the television to watch her favorite childhood film, which was rather comforting.

The next morning, sprawled over the sofa, she heard knocking on the door. Braiding her hair quickly, she went to see who it was through the peephole. Sion. It seemed Sam hadn't needed to reach out to her former best-friend.

She bit her lip, not sure if she really should open the door. As if the other girl sensed her presence through the wood, she spoke, "Sam, I'm sorry." Sion hung her head against the door, one hand on the frame, the other in her pocket. Her eyes were filled with tears. Guilt, regret and sorrow, perhaps over their lost friendship. "I understand if you don't want to see me." Her fingers ran over the softened corners of the folded paper in her pocket, and with a sniff, she straightened. "I shouldn't have come," she muttered to herself, "in my wake lies only deception."

Sion turned around and retraced her steps down the stairs of the building. Her shoulders were hunched sadly.

"Wait!" Sam didn't know why she had bolted out the door. Actually, she knew why, but the feeling curled inside of her was odd and she didn't understand it. At her outburst, Sion had froze. "I... Can we talk?"

Before Sam could react, she was engulfed in a warm hug. "I shouldn't have left our friendship fade away," Sion murmured to her.

"Don't blame yourself, Si."

"I introduced you to him." She paused. "How did you break free? I was too ashamed to watch the reports."

"He was drunk." So few words, but full of meaning. Sion's arms tightened reassuringly around her shorter friend.

The past is unchangeable, but the future obeys the will of the people in the present. The past wasn't ever going to disappear, but the future was an infinity of possibilities. Just then it was clear to the pair that the control over the future they sought after was in the palm of their hand.

In the hallway, teetering on the edge of the staircase, a tangled human mess knew the answer of purpose, desire, motivation and wasn't going to let go just yet.

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Special thanks to landofpaperflowers who patiently proofread this story and made the beautiful cover!