Chapter Fifty - He Cares

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Song: Panic! At The Disco: This Is Gospel (Piano Version)

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Samuel left. Just as I'd told him to. He didn't waste another second before he trudged out of the room and closed the door with heavy fingers. 

I barely paid attention to the rest of the night. What was once a warm and inviting room had now turned cold. The yellow eyes that plagued my mind just moments before could no longer hold a place in any part of my consciousness. I was completely overcome with the image of my mother's dead body, forever burned into my heart.

The night was spent crying. At some point, I drifted into a fitful slumber tormented with images of dead bodies. Each time I awoke, another round of sobs would attack me. This continued for torturous hours, until I finally gave up on sleeping, and accepted the dark. Tears came silently, then. 

The sun crept into my room, inch by inch. The light turned from the pale colors of sunrise to a harsh glare, shining through the window into my dead eyes. It beckoned me to come outside and experience its warmth, and bathe in its life. 

I stayed in bed. I curled myself deeper into the blankets, cocooning my body so that I was safe from the outside world. If I never left, I wouldn't have to face what happened. I could stay forever in my respite and peacefully waste away. 

As time went on, the sun cast mocking shadows across my room. I could hear voices and movements throughout the house, but I had no desire to follow them. This wasn't needed though, as they came to me. Each time the sun would move a few inches, footsteps would draw nearer to my door, and occasionally, it would creak open. I never bothered to look up to see who it was that came into my room, and likewise, the person disturbing me never made a noise. They would simply open my door and deposit food next to my bed, then leave without uttering a syllable. 

The day dragged on. By the end of it, a pile of food, ice packs, and medicine had accumulated next to my bed. Like everything else, I ignored it. My eyes simply stared at the walls, not bothering to see my surroundings. My thoughts followed suit. They entered into my mind, but when I did little to dwell, they left. In their wake was a numbness, encasing my body. 

The room was bathed in the orange light of sunset when the door creaked open, once more. However, unlike before, the person who entered lingered in the entryway. 

"You haven't really eaten anything," Raven cleared her throat. 

My eyes focused for the first time that day, scanning Raven once over. Her hair was pulled up and it accentuated the anxious light flickering within her chocolate eyes. When she caught my glance, she smiled. I pulled the blankets back over my head. 

I heard her sigh. "I brought some tea. It's what I usually drink when I'm upset."

She settled herself at the foot of the bed. The blankets welcomed her as their own, pulling away from my face as they did. She peered around the cloth to attempt another look at me, but I turned away. 

"It's really good if you give it a try. Not too heavy, so it won't make you sick or something."

A warm cup was placed on the sheets, next to my hands. I stared at steam ascending from the brown liquid, feeling the additional and unwanted warmth invade my cocoon of blankets.

When I continued ignoring her, Raven's shoulders sagged.  "I'm not allowed to leave until you eat or speak. Whichever comes last."

Her words rooted their way into my mind, and before I knew it, I opened my mouth to let out a raspy groan. "Go away."

"There." I could hear the smile in her voice. "You're halfway done."

She shifted, pulling the blankets further away from my face. I glared daggers at her hopeful expression. Raven's face faltered, and she bent her head. The image of her sitting at the foot of my bed, defeated, brought back memories of the previous night. Not the horrific images that plagued my dreams, but the reality that carried just as much weight. 

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