The Sanctuary✔️

12

A few days later, Waking up in her bed alone, the sheets were cold and lonely. Though Ashley would get uncomfortable when John was with her in bed at least he made her feel warm and somewhat wanted.

But this was different. She just lays there alone. It should feel freeing, but Ashley felt more trapped than ever.

It was like she couldn't move, she was paralyzed in her own home because she feared that John would walk into the room any moment now and crawl into the bed.

It was that fear, but also wanting.

She almost wanted him to come back, to enter like he always does, unannounced and so sudden. She almost wanted him to crawl into bed and warm her up, bringing her to his chest and holding her there.

Almost. She almost wanted that.

It was obvious she missed him, that she felt bad for him and everyone, that she needed to see him because he had that power over her.

He has that sense over her that made her feel needed by him, that she had to be by him and help him. He had her where he wanted her and it made her miserable.

A small knock on the door made her look over but not move as Danny entered his head into the room.

"Hey, Jack is here to take me home for a few hours. I'll be back later to check up on you. Do you need anything from the store?"

Shaking her head, Danny leaves with a soft sigh as the door clicks and he leaves to meet Jack down stairs. Leaving Ashley alone in the now cold apartment.

Just like her bed, the whole home is cold.

Grabbing her phone to drag her out of the small daze she was in, Ashley scrolls through social media for a bit before getting bored with the phone.

"It's one." Sighing before tossing the sheets and blankets over to the side of the bed, Ashley gets out of the cold bed and steps onto the freezing floor as she starts to get up and wake up.

Seeing that Danny made food, she eats it quickly not even realizing that she was that hungry. Bored and alone in the apartment, Ashley's mind was buzzing and it was killing her slowly.

Thinking was not good.

She didn't want to bug anyone, not by calling or texting because people had their own lives.

Thinking back to the wreckage at the sanctuary, her mind races over and over until she finds herself in a new outfit and in her car on her way down the streets.

Not even thinking about it, Ashley parks In front of Sanctuary and slowly makes her way around the glass and wood everywhere inside.

Looking around, Ashley's hands find their way to her hips as she thinks of how she can help. Even though Gabriel told her to not come here, she wasn't going to let others clean up the mess she was a part of.

Remembering that Danny showed her a closet with cleaning supplies on her first day, Ashley walks around the glass and to the back hallways where everything was neat, clean, and not broken.

Grabbing a broom and dust pan, no one else was here and the cops recognized her from the previous night meaning they would easily let her in the building.

she could clean up before anyone else could, making her happy and content for the moment knowing that she did something helpful.

Starting to sweep the glass away from the hallways, Ashley worked slowly to clean up the dangerous debris that lay around her feet waiting for the garbage.