𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝘆𝗲𝘀, ( 𝗺𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿 )

[10] THE WORLD WAS DARK AND SO WAS SHE

IT WAS DARK OUT, Mariella DeGray notices as she shakily unlocks the door to her house. Her eyes were puffy and red as she opens the door, too.

"Mariella? Mariella!" Her mothers voice rings her ears as she listens to the clink of her mother's heels on the tiled floor.

Mariella stands in the doorway of the open door and drops her bag to the ground, staring blankly at the floor. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion as she listens to her mother yell out for her father and how she's pulled inside and arms are wrapped around her tightly. She wasn't used to her mother hugging her but instantly hugs back as tears begin to trail down her cheeks once again.

"He's gone. He's gone, mommy. He's really gone," Mariella whispers, voice breaking over and over and over again, eyes closed tightly as she listens to her father clamber down the stairs and embrace her as well.

"I know, Marlie. I know," Her mother whispers out, using the nickname she despised, so. Yet, that didn't matyer to her at the moment, all she could think about was the ache in her daughters heart.

♧

Mariella has retired to her bedroom for the night, dressed comfortably in purple silk pyjamas as she sits cross legged on her bed while looking through her memory box.

Solo photos of Will and Mike and Lucas and Dustin she had taken in it as well as group photos. Tears plop onto them as she holds a photo of her and Will her father had taken from the day they began the project which started their friendship to her heart.

She couldn't believe it. This couldn't be real, she thought. Dropping the photo and getting off her bed and pacing the room, she picks up one of her teddy bears off her bed and tosses it at the wall angrily, sobs beginning to leave her mouth which she quickly attempts to stop by clamping her hand over it and walking over to her desk, grabbing her rosary and looking at it in distaste.

"Why? How could you do this? He was my best friend!" She cries, falling to the floor while clutching the cross of the rosary and eventually she falls asleep like that, on the floor with her rosary in her hand.

♧

Her parents didn't make her go to school the next day, Charlie and Emma entering their daughters room at 8am and finding her on the ground with her rosary in hand. Emma's heart breaking even more as she watches as Charlie picks up their fragile daughter and places her in her bed, taking the rosary out of her hand in the process.

The morning went on as normal, Charlie going off to work at the law firm and Emma finishing up cleaning before heading back up to her daughters room to check up and tell her she has to run errands despite feeling as if she shouldn't leave Mariella alone.

When she opens the door, she meets eyes with Mariella staring blankly at the ceiling. "Morning, Marlie. I'm just going to head out and run some errands, okay? You... You can come if you like," Emma says, smiling softly at the seemingly empty void which is her daughter.

"No... It's okay, Mama. I just want to stay here...." Mariella mumbles, turning to her side and shutting her eyes.

"Alright, Baby. I'll be back later on. If you need anything don't hesitate to call Dad," Emma sighs, before turning away and walking off.

♧

"Mariella! Mariella! Mer-Eee-Ella!" A staticky voice calls out from her backpack which now sat in the corner of her room.

Ignoring it, she gets up from bed and attempts to act as if Will was still alive and today was just a normal day and that everything will be the same.

"Mariella! Answer me," The staticky voice repeats, she already knew it was Mike. She already knew just by the way her enunciated 'Ella' in her name.

Ignoring it again, she opens her closet and sifts through her blouses, her hand lingering over a white short sleeve button up.

"Mariella Sloane DeGray-Egan! Answer before I call the law firm and tell your dad that I think you got hurt!" Mike's voice sounds through the walkie again and Mariella groans, dropping her hand and walking over to the bag and unzipping it begrudgingly.

She notices her dads pistol at the bottom of her backpack and grabs it alongside her walkie. 'So much for hurting the monster which hurt Will,'.

"What? Over." She speaks into it as she grabs the pistol and walks through the house to put it back where she had gotten it.

"Oh, you responded! Come over. Over," Mike's voice says through the walkie as she enters her parents room.

"Mike, I really want to be alone today," Mariella sighs, walking back to the closet where the safe resides. "Over," She adds.

Opening the closet, she bends over and presses the code into the keypad. 2-14-71. It her birthday, February 14th, 1971, she didn't need to guess it. Her father had told her the code in case she was ever alone in the house and there was a break-in.

"It's about Will, Mars, just come and I'll explain. I already talked to Lucas and Dustin is coming too. Over," Mike responds, voice pleading.

She presses down on the button and exhales. "Will? Ah. Whatever. Okay, I'm coming. I just need to get ready. Over and out," She says, leaving the room and going back to hers. 'When did my life become so messy?'