Ignition (MHAH)

52

The house was dead silent when we walked through the doors. Everyone was doing their best to give Ali and I our time to adjust, but the silence just made everything eerie and uncomfortable.

The new bedroom was on the first floor at the end of the hallway, hidden behind the grand stairwell. It was far more spacious than the first bedroom that we stayed in. With two walk-in closets, a master bathroom and a personal miniature library, there was practically everything I'd ever need to avoid leaving the room. Ethan set me on my feet once the bedroom door was closed, allowing me to wander the room.

The bed was off-centre to the doorway, accompanied by nightstand tables on either side, an ottoman resting at the foot of the bed. To the left was the bathroom and one of the closets. To the right, was a lounging area, facing towards the walls. In the lounging area, the walls were covered in shelves and stacked with books, not an inch of drywall to be seen. In the middle of the shelves was a doorway which lead to the second closet. I spot Bunny sitting patiently on the bed, and grab her hastily before continuing my exploration.

The entire room was a greyscale; the walls were white, the bed frame and bedding were black. The couches, ottoman and the legs to the glass table in the lounging area were all a grey. The rugs placed around the room were all either black or white, complimenting the dark hardwood floor.

Off to the corner of the room, between the bathroom and closet, was my crate. It was larger than the old one, but had a similar setup and series of decorations. The crate itself was big enough that I could probably stretch out comfortably while still having my legs bent. The mattress inside was encased in a gentle blue, along with the blanket that draped over the crate. The lights woven between the bars shone a bright purple, a lilac blanket draped neatly inside the crate. A few stuffies lined a wall in the crate as if they were trying to showcase the baby pink pillow. This one even had a door! All I could do was stand there, staring at it in awe.

"We can change anything if you don't like it.." Justin pipes up. I shake my head as I slowly walk towards it, crawling inside. This was safety. In here, nobody could get to me. I curl up inside, facing the wall as I clutch Bunny tightly to my chest.

"Do you like it, bug?" I nod, not bothering to turn around to look at them. I'm not sure if I could handle the worry that I knew drenched their faces.

"Okay.. uh.. we'll be over on the bed if you need anything love." The brunet responds, their footsteps receding until the mattress groans ever-so-gently. I could hear the buzz of the TV as it turned on, the sound of a quiet show filling the silence. The gentle hum from the tv accompanied by the soft breathing from Justin and Ethan, along with the quiet chatter of the show was enough to lull me into a sleep.

"Baby... Time to wake up love." Ethan whispers, rubbing my leg. With a soft groan, I roll over to see the raven crouched by the crate entrance, a plate in hand and a familiar bottle of pills, however a second bottle joined them. I grumble and roll back over, missing the peaceful sleep I was pulled from. He sighs, the plate clattering with the ground as he set it down.

"Bug, I know you don't want to eat, but we need to get you back on your meds and they need to be taken with food.. we can't have you in there if you're at higher risk of seizure." I groan louder as I roll over again, stretching as I sit up, crawling towards the door and sitting back down. He gives me a soft smile and hands me the two pills and a glass of water. I down the meds and eye the second bottle. Those were new. He catches my staring and clears his throat, an aura of discomfort practically radiating off of him.

"They're uh.. Anti-depressants.. We think that it might be a good idea for you to take them considering what happened earlier.. Ma-Maybe it'll help with what you're dealing with.." It was clear he didn't know how to address it or the topic of new medications. It was obvious that this wasn't a topic of discussion or debate, otherwise they would have waited to consult me about it. Taking a deep and regretful breath, I stick my hand out for the pills and down them with more water; waiting to hear the expectations of food.

"Thank you love." He hums, picking the plate back off the ground. "Even if it's just a few bites." He comments. I take a look, somewhat pleased that it was only mashed potatoes. I do as I'm told and take a few small bites before handing the plate back to him and laying down once more.

"Thank You bubas.. have a good sleep." As my eyes weigh down, I could hear the two talking in hushed voices.

"You should've made him eat more." Justin argues.

"He ate. That's what matters. Is it at all anywhere close to what either of us would like? No. It's not. But he ate. He didn't argue, he didn't throw a fit. He willingly ate and that's what matters."

"He's going to starve to death Babe-"

"He just needs time. We need to be patient."

When my brain finally shut off, I was left to deal with the torment of my own dreams; my sleep was cut short when I heard what could only be described as the terrified shrill from Ali. Drenched in sweat, my tears and a wet stain on my pants, I struggle out of the crate, terrified how the two would react when they found out. Tip-toeing over to the bed, I shake Justin's arm as I wipe my eyes, jumping as the brunet jolts awake.

"Bub? What's up?" He asks, his voice raspy and groggy. I sniffle as I look away, a fresh set of tears coming through.

"I.. I need to shower, b-but I don't want you guys t-to worry if you woke up a-and I wasn't there.."

"You can shower in the morning darling." He says, confused as he fumbles for the switch on his lamp.

"N-no.. I-I need to go s-shower." I insist, cringing as the lamp flickers to life, realization dawning onto Justin.

"Yeah.. of course.. let's- let's get you into a shower." He responds, pulling the blankets off of him as he stands up. He takes my hand in a gentle grip as he leads me to the bathroom, my hiccups and sniffles filling the silence.