{{Unedited}} Marielle stirred, realizing that she must have dozed off at some point and looked into Austin’s eyes. They were fixated on her, unblinking. What time was it? She must have slept for quite a while. It felt like hours, and she had to use the bathroom. He knew, and nodded, getting up, and going …

{{Unedited}} Vincent dragged himself to the shower and was staring at the wall, broken and distant- when he reminded himself that he had no time to do this; not enough minutes or hours to lose himself in the flow of hot water that ran over his body. It wasn’t comforting. The entire world had turned …

{{Unedited}}   Austin slowly lifted the top of the elevator just enough to peek in. The man was alone, and the angle was perfect; he couldn’t see anything. Austin glanced at Marielle, then carefully lifted the panel with his fingertips; both held their breath. Then, he dropped in behind the man, and snapped his neck …

{{Unedited}}   Vincent didn’t know who he was expecting when opened the front door, but it certainly wasn’t Austin. Neither Vincent, nor Marielle had seen Austin in a while; not since the restraining order. He’d been at Valorant here and there, but he was always at least a hundred feet away as the order stated. …

{Unedited}}   Silent tears were streaming down Marielle’s face as she looked up into Vincent’s sad, brown eyes. “You think I’m ugly, don’t you?” She asked brokenly. Vincent’s eyes watered, and he shook his head from side to side, “Non, Marielle. Tu es belle. Les fantômes sont présents et j’ai peur,” Vincent breathed against her …

{{Unedited}} ————–   Marielle slipped back into bed with Vincent, and paused, her eyes growing wide with concern. The empty area that she’d left was warm; he’d been laying there. He knew. He always knew. He was awake, wasn’t he? Wincing, she settled herself and sighed, heavily, waiting in the dark. He might have heard …

{{Unedited}}   ——————————————   The first thing that comprehended was that she couldn’t feel her legs. In fact, she couldn’t feel anything, and the world around her was blurred and upside-down; she couldn’t make heads or tails of. All that registered was an intense ringing in her ears that was suddenly coupled by harsh pain …

{{Unedited}}   ———————–   Kirra opened the door in her white lab coat and glared at Austin for a few moments like she didn’t recognize him; emotions warring in her expression that he didn’t quite understand, and this scared him. “Hi,” he said, flatly as he crossed his arms and looked down, abashedly. “I’m sure …

{Unedited}   ——————————————————————————————————————-   “Here, love,” Vincent whispered, putting her coffee cup to Marielle’s mouth, and gently tipping it back. She swallowed a little, and pushed it away. “You have to drink more,” he insisted. “I made it just the way that you like it.” She drew her knees up to her chest again, and …

{{Unedited}} Austin opened his door to Marielle, who had been gone nearly an hour. He was still shaky and uncertain although speaking with both Vincent and her had given him a reason to not simply give up in his mind. He stopped for a moment to look her over, intention beaming in his expression. “What?” …