❝ PICKET FENCE! ❞ → GRAY ✓

→ iii.i

Act Three, Scene One

→ ❝ she missed michael! ❞

             The sun shone through Carol's window, and she squinted her eyes shut as the bright rays woke her up, readying her for the day ahead. The pattering of rain against the window pane confused her, but made her excited to look for the rainbow that would definitely be decorating the sky. She rolled over, flopping her arm over the mattress to her left, and rested a small smile on her lips.

             Just as it had every day for the past five weeks, Carol's smile dropped when she realised that nobody was in the bed beside her, and she had woken up just as lonely as she had gone to sleep. No matter how hard she tried to remember, Carol forgot every single morning that she and Michael no longer shared the same county, let alone the same bed. For the first few days, Carol was sure she regretted leaving with such impulsiveness, but as the hours dragged on and she heard nothing from the Shelby or Gray family, her guilt was slowly replaced by a sense of betrayal, and she had almost persuaded herself that she was glad to have left the family for good.

             Of course, there was no denying that she missed Michael, and so much had happened that she was undeniably desperate to tell him about, but her mother had convinced her that turning her back on his cruel lifestyle was what was best for the both of them. Carol, however, was quick to remind herself that her mother didn't know everything that was happening.

             The smell of bacon floating up the stairs dragged Carol from her bed, forcing her to shrug on her robe and slippers before the hungry groaning of her stomach became so loud that it would shake the house. She moaned as the pain she felt in her back and stomach the night before rushed through her in a tidal wave, causing her to grab onto her chair for support until the discomfort had passed.

             Carol patted the small bump on her stomach gently, turning to the side and looking at herself in the mirror. She wasn't heavily showing, and her mother mistook Carol's tiny weight gain for her finally being fed properly again, now she was back in the comfort of her home. Whenever her mother brought up the subject, Carol had to bite her tongue and not tell Janet that the Grays could afford more food in one meal than the Goodwins could in a week.

             She tilted her head to the side, smiling as the imagined the mini Michael growing inside her. It lifted her heart, for months she and Michael had no success and now, finally, it was happening. Reality quickly shot her heart down like a bullet, reminding her that she was now a single, unmarried mother in a deafeningly Christian community, and the prospects for her and her child were limited. The only person she had told was her cousin James, who said he and his wife would take the child in and raise it as their own to stop Carol from suffering the shame of a bastard babe. It was a kind gesture, but Carol wasn't sure how she would carry to term without her mother finding out, or how she would let the only piece of Michael she had left go.

             The pain shot through her again, and Carol sucked in a deep breath until it disappeared, exhaling unsteadily.

             "Breakfast, Carol!" the shouts of her mother echoed through the house, but suddenly the idea of food was extremely unappealing to the young girl, and all she wanted was a warm cup of tea to soothe her rapidly beating heart.

             "In a moment!" she replied, doubling over and clutching one hand to her stomach and another to her back. God, it was absolutely agonising; she couldn't go down to breakfast in this state, her mother would undoubtedly begin to ask questions that Carol wasn't prepared to answer. Her voice cracked as another shock knocked into her, "I'll just be a moment!"

             An unusual feeling began between Carol's legs as she let out another slow, shaky breath. She moved her hand below her dressing gown and ran her fingers between her legs, and felt the colour drain from her face when she was met with a warm, sticky substance.

             Blood. Thick, deep blood coated her fingers and thighs, running slowly down the inside of her legs. No, no, no, no. She was about to be sick, she was sure of it. Her worst nightmare was happening, finally, and the memory of Michael was slipping from her reach. Her future was turning bleaker with every second that passed, and tears were rolling down her cheeks with more ferocity than the heavy, autumnal rain that was now battering her window. The sun had gone in, and Carol was sure there was no chance of a rainbow now.

             The baby. The baby.

             "No!" she cried, falling to her knees. The pain she felt in her legs was nothing compared to the pain that was smothering her heart as she sobbed, or the pain in her back as the blood continued to leak from her, "Oh, God! Please, no!"

- HONEY BEE BUZZES!

well hello there!!!

not the happiest of chapters to kick off  act three with, i'm sorry. i hate that i put poor carol through this, but miscarriage is a subject that is (unfortunately) very close to me and if this chapter upset you for personal reasons feel free to pm me <3

anyway (sad face) we're ready for act three! series four, here we come! what are your predictions for what will happen to carol?  as of me publishing this chapter, i have officially finished writing all the chapters for the rest of this book (it's taken me a while, i'll be honest!) and am slowly editing them. you guys are in for a few shocks, for sure, and nothing you can say will make me change my mind about what happens. well, maybe if you're really persuasive but you'll have to try your hardest.

right, that's me off. i'm so excited to publish this act, and i am loving the love that you're all showing through comments and votes and messages!! my love for you all is literally endless youre so motivating lmao