Behind The Scenes (Completed) ✔️

20• Quarante Huit Heures

Fourteen days after one of the most painful mental tortures he had ever been subjected to, Colby finally began to notice that it didn't feel as horrible as it did in the beginning anymore.

One morning, after one of the viewings, he realised he hadn't felt anything more than a mild pang during the whole thing. He found it so hard to believe that he decided to blame it on the tiredness. The mental pain went up quickly again, but the frequency of those occurences increased during the following days.

And one wednesday, he realised it was completely gone, even after watching the video seven times consecutively. At midday, he felt his skin itch for the first time in those long sober days, and he realised he craved a shower. And when he went to the bathroom, none of the visions and thoughts that usually accompanied his every move followed him.

In the afternoon, he resumed his viewing, still nothing at all. He didn't even feel like a monster anymore as he watched the bloody scenes without batting an eye. He didn't even feel the painful guilt that always burned in his heart when the brown haired boy under the cape stabbed the crying girl to death on the satanic altar. It just felt like watching a movie. He suddenly felt so disconnected from it, that he even began wondering if that had actually been him.

In the evening, Sam came in with a box of food from Tender Greens, which he put on the couch as usual; and for the first time, Colby ate it with real appetite. And when he finished, he started feeling sleepy, for the first time in ages, and he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

The next morning, he woke up after the first sober night free of nightmares. He realised he had even seen Sarah in his dream, who was always in the main cast of his nightmares, but even though he couldn't remember the details, it hadn't been bad at all.

He thought about the previous evening, and he realised, with an actual smile on his face, that it had been the most peaceful evening he had ever spent in an eternity.

It had taken three full weeks, but the method had worked.

It was the beginning of a new life.

He threw his blanket off, and his feet out of his bed, then went to open the blinds. The morning sun was shining, early birds were chirping, and Colby was so happy to realise he actually felt happy and normal that he stayed there, watching the ever so amazing sky, until his stomach started rumbling.

He was so glad he could finally feel hunger that he decided to enjoy the sensation for a moment. Turning around to look at his dusty, messy room, he decided it was time to tidy it up.

Downstairs, his four roommates were busy doing their weekly meeting in the living room, when suddenly, the sound of the vacuum cleaner came from the bedrooms. Corey instantly stopped talking, and looked towards the three, who stared at each other in disbelief.

"Who's that ?" He asked in a shaky voice.

"There's no way that's Colby," Sam whispered.

"Is that a ghost ?"

"See, I told you our house is haunted."

After a long moment of hesitation, they all stood up carefully, and crept towards then up the staircase. They soon figured the noise was coming from Colby's room.

"Is he finally back ?" Asked Aaron as they crossed the narrow corridor and stopped in front of Colby's door.

"I don't know," replied Sam. "But he has to be in a good mood if he's finally cleaning his room..."

Jake stepped closer to the door and knocked thrice. "Colby ? Are you there ?"

"Dude, of course he's there."