𝓥𝓲𝓸𝓵𝓮𝓽

I found Clara locked in her room that night once Dominic dropped me off.

I knocked on the door.

No answer.

"Clara?" I knocked again.

I stood there a moment, waiting patiently, hoping she'd let me in. In her room, in her thoughts. Tell me what she thought about.

I took a step back when she opened the door, peering out slowly. All I could see was her eye, tears recently fallen and red-rimmed.

"Clara?"

"I'm fine," she said quietly, weakly almost.

"Are you okay? We can talk-"

"No," she interrupted quickly. "I'm... I'm fine. Please, just go away... I'm tired."

I stood there a moment as she slowly backed away and closed the door. I pressed my ear to the door, but I couldn't hear anything. Just complete and utter silence.

Clara kept things inside, I knew that. I knew she had frequent nightmares; I knew she kept the light on at night because she was too afraid of the darkness. I knew she struggled with things. Thinking about things constantly. Her mind was always at war. She never rested.

I sat on the floor, leaning my head back against her door softly so I wouldn't be heard and just listened.

She never made a noise, no matter how long I sat there. But I stayed, hoping she would let me inside her walls and help her. I would be there, waiting, always waiting.