Chapters
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. The closet felt like my only sanctuary, its narrow walls a fortress against the outside world. Inside, the scent of my nest, the mixture of coconut and vanilla, wrapped around me like a comforting shroud. I had crafted this refuge with my own hands, a secret place where I could be myself, if only for a fleeting moment. The clothes hung high above, obscuring the view from the door, while beneath them lay the soft nest that cradled me. I clutched the burner phone in my trembling hand, my heart pounding…
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77.2 K • Completed
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The light shining on my face made me raise my arm over my eyes to block it, but as my skin touched the back of my eyelids did I remember I wasn't supposed to be here. I can't even fucking kill myself right. I turned my sore and achy body away from the window and hugged my knees to my chest underneath the thin sheet that covered me. The room was bright, decorated in soft blues and creams. Even though I didn't get a good look, I could tell the window was open because it let in a salty sea breeze,…
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21.3 K • Completed - Edited
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I always found the smell of the sea so cleansing. It was one of the reasons why I chose a cruise for our vacation. I was desperate to get out of the city just for a little bit to breathe. Even though it took some convincing and a lot of budgeting, I finally got everyone a ticket. Today, the sky was clear as the seagulls sang the song of their people over the horizon. The air was a little crisp, but the sun packed in so much heat that the cold air felt almost nonexistent under the rays. I gripped the…
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21.3 K • Completed - Edited
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Something entered my waters, something that shouldn't be here. I could feel its emotions from my resting place amongst the sand miles away, judging by the faintness, and I could tell it was human by the taste of the complexity of their delicious despair. It's been so long since I have feasted upon a human, especially one that has seemingly already accepted death. I was practically salivating as my tentacles and ink propelled me forward toward them. As I got closer, I saw their body sinking further into…
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21.3 K • Completed - Edited
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Rubbing my eyes hard with my palm, I closed my laptop with a click. Classes were starting to pick up, and the most recent assignment was kicking my ass. With the clock ticking and the online classroom about to lock me out, I finished with a few minutes to spare. I just hoped I had enough information there to pass. I would even take a C at this point to pass the STEM class. A shaky sigh escaped my lips, only to be cut short by an enormous yawn that made my jaw pop, eliciting a wince. Vroom. Vroom.…
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58.3 K • Completed - Edited
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I hadn’t been in class in a week. You’d be surprised how little your professors cared about you even when the syllabus screams to have perfect attendance. As long as you were paying your tuition, they were silent. I knew it wasn’t high school, but if someone didn’t respond or show up, and they were supposed to show up for a week, it should get someone talking. Right? Despite knowing that I should prioritize my grades, all I could focus on was the overwhelming desire to crawl…
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58.3 K • Completed - Edited
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“You look like shit,” Saul grunted as he got a good look at me with his piercing black void for eyes. Saul was in his 60s, but his hair was already completely white. He was wearing a plain white shirt underneath his apron, but you could tell just how strong he was from the biceps muscle peeking out from underneath the sleeves. Probably from all the years hauling the animals he butchered for a living. “Just been a rough week.” I shoved my hands into my jeans pockets, shrugging my shoulders…
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58.3 K • Completed - Edited
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I had parked on the side of his store where he had his small parking lot. It felt secluded, which made me feel fractionally safer but also more exposed. I unhatched the back and placed the box as far back as possible in my trunk, pushing over all the junk I had yet to empty from my car. Even though I organized my business items, kept my lab in impeccable condition, and ensured my appearance was flawless, I couldn’t remember the last time my car wasn’t a disaster. I couldn’t recall the last time I…
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58.3 K • Completed - Edited
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It didn’t take long for me to fill Saul in on what had happened to me moments ago and last week. The fury on his face would have comforted me, but the numbness inside of me took over after my emotions ran high earlier. So, after filling him in, he told me to come back tomorrow after I got some rest and fed both myself and Samwise. Since he was kind enough to give me a sandwich, I knew that would be easy. Water fell incessantly against the muscles of my back, soaking my hair and cascading around my…
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58.3 K • Completed - Edited
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Ping ping! Ping ping! Ping ping! Smothering the snarl back, I canceled the alarm and clicked on the Zoom link. Five other people were on the call as we waited for the rest of the department to show up. Not everyone worked in the office anymore, so weekly Zoom calls became necessary. I continued coming into the office because it beat staying home in my empty apartment. I wouldn’t mind the meetings so much because I rarely had to talk, but I hated keeping my camera on. I hated smothering my…
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58.3 K • Completed - Edited
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