Chapter 16: Into the Shadows

The weight of the past few days settled heavily on Mary's chest. She walked through the halls of the school, her head down, her footsteps echoing louder than the murmurs of her classmates. It was as if she were moving through a fog, a suffocating silence enveloping her, though the world around her buzzed with the sounds of lunch breaks and chatter.

Her thoughts were consumed with the harsh words she had heard between her parents, the pain of Mark's unexpected return, and the overwhelming weight of everything she couldn't control. Her father's disappointment, her mother's exhaustion, the mounting pressure and everything collided in her mind, pushing her further away from the people who had once made her feel safe.

As she entered the classroom, she tried to ignore Mona's cold, mocking gaze. Mona, as always, had a way of making Mary feel smaller, more insignificant. Today, though, it felt worse than usual. There was something different in Mona's eyes, something sharper, as if she reveled in Mary's suffering.

that the face of someone who's actually *trying*?as Mona whispered, her voice dripping with venom. Not that it matters. You've already given up, haven't you?

Mary flinched, her stomach knotting. Mona had always found ways to make Mary feel invisible or worse, inferior. But now, they hit harder. Mary's grades had slipped. Her family was falling apart. Mary didn't want to burden Sophie with her darkness.

Her fingers itched, a familiar, cruel compulsion stirring inside her. She could feel the need for release, for a moment of control amidst the chaos.

The rest of the school day passed in a blur. She couldn't focus on the lessons, couldn't engage in any of the conversations that normally filled the air. When the bell rang, signaling the end of the day, she didn't immediately rush to meet Sophie. Instead, she quietly slipped out of the classroom, making her way to the bathroom. There, she stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection, feeling nothing but emptiness.

*They don't care about me,* she thought bitterly. *They never will.*

Her hands trembled as she reached into her bag, pulling out the pin she had used before. She stared at it for a long moment, the desire for the sharp pain growing more insistent. She was so tired. Tired of pretending to be fine, tired of being judged, tired of feeling like she was sinking while everyone else moved on.

Just then, she heard a noise from behind her,footsteps approaching the bathroom door. Panic surged through her, and she quickly shoved the pin back into her bag. Her hands shook as she wiped her tears away, forcing herself to breathe evenly.

It was Mona, stepping into the bathroom with a smug look on her face.

Running away, are we? Mona taunted, her eyes narrowing. You really think you can hide from it all? From everything that's happening to you?

Mary's throat tightened, and she felt trapped, unable to escape either the confrontation or the dark thoughts that consumed her.

"Don 't you have something better to do?" Mary muttered, trying to mask her pain with indifference.

Mona only smirked, enjoying the power she had over Mary. Maybe you should just leave. You're a lost cause anyway.

With that, Mona turned and walked out of the bathroom, leaving Mary standing alone in the silence. The words stung, but they didn't hurt as much as they once would have. Mary was numb.

She left the bathroom without a word, retreating to a corner of the schoolyard. The sky above her was overcast, matching the heaviness in her chest. As she sat alone, she thought about everything that had been happening at home,her parents' constant fighting, her brother's return, the way the tension had suffocated every ounce of hope. She had no one to talk to, no way to escape.

The isolation felt more like a choice now, an unspoken truth that had taken root. No one understood her anymore, and part of her was beginning to believe they never had.

By the time she returned home, the house felt cold and foreign. Mark was upstairs in his room, avoiding his parents' scorn, while her mother buried herself in books and her father was out in the garage, lost in his work. There was no conversation, no warmth, just the silent understanding that everything was falling apart.

Mary retreated to her room, locking the door behind her. She sat at her desk, staring at her homework,an endless, unimportant pile of assignments that felt like another reminder of her failures.

Mary's thoughts turned inward. The feeling of isolation grew, settling in the corners of her mind, suffocating her. She wanted to scream, to break down, but the only thing she could do was keep it all inside, locked away where no one could see it.

Her self-harm thoughts resurfaced, but this time, they came with a sense of hopelessness. *What's the point of trying anymore?* she wondered. *Maybe this is who I am now.*

With trembling hands, she pulled out the pin again. The need for control was stronger than ever. As she pressed the pin against her skin, a small part of her wondered if this was the only way she could truly feel alive.

But in the back of her mind, something else whispered a faint, desperate plea to stop.

For the first time in a long while, Mary felt torn between the darkness that called to her and the faint light she still clung to, the hope that maybe,just maybe there was a way out.