Chapter Seventeen

"The sky today was fine

the rain was fleeting...

And even though I opened my window again

it was without a reason...

Those memories that are from yesterday

in this room.

I will kill, by sighing."

(...)

The room was dimly lit, only illuminated by the greyish light that filtered through the window. The distant sound of some straggling firecrackers marked the echo of a celebration that had already ended. But for me, all that remained was emptiness.

I ran my hand over my face, trying to shake off the lethargy. There was something about the morning after New Year's that always made me feel strange, like I was trapped in a bubble between the past and the present. But this year it felt different... this year, everything was broken.

Axl and Anne still didn't talk to me. Or at least Axl, because Anne, although more receptive, didn't make the effort to look for me either. It hurt me more than I wanted to admit.