𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖯𝗂𝖺𝗇𝗈 | 𝖬𝗂𝖼𝗁𝖺𝖾𝗅 𝖫𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖽𝗈𝗇

Chapter Four

Anastasia sat on the floor of her suite as she leaned back against the foot board of her bed, taking deep breaths as Mallory looked through the multiple pages she had just drawn into her notebook. Ana felt like she was on the brink of insanity, and she figured she looked the part too. Her face felt sticky with old tears and her head still slightly pounded from her headache. The only thing keeping her from bursting into more tears was the hand that was being held by Mallory's. Ana felt terrified, because never in the months had she spent there, had she acted the way she did just minutes ago.

"Do you remember anything?" Mallory sat the book down. "I mean, you drew this like eight times, Ana. Surely, you must remember something."

Anastasia looked down to the book, flexing her fingers slightly to rid them from the cramps she had brought upon them. "That's the thing, Mallory." Her weak voice spoke as she gazed off. "I remember it, and yet I can't see it. I can hear the notes play, yet I can't hear anything at all."

A piano had been drawn into her notebook on almost eight separate pages, some messier than others, but it was clear what she had drawn. It was almost like she had been in some sort of trance as she kept drawing and drawing. Even Mallory had felt somewhat on edge at the sight of her friend. She had been crying while she drew vigorously, mostly from the pain in her head.

Mallory sighed at Anastasia, feeling defeated at the lack of not knowing what to say to comfort her friend. "You look exhausted, Ana."

The girl sniffled, feeling more tears brew in her eyes. "Yeah."

Mallory frowned at the tears that formed in her eyes. She scooted closer until the two sat shoulder to shoulder, her hand still wrapped protectively around Ana's. "Talk to me, Ana. Tell me what's wrong."

Anastasia looked down at their intertwined hands, feeling sobs build up in her chest. "Something...something is different this time, Mallory." She whispered as she looked at her notebook with a slightly fearful face.

"What do you mean?" She replied.

"I feel like...something is watching me. My head...it feels like something is trying to claw it's way out. I feel like everything is building and building together but I just can't remember anything." A tear fell from her face as she spoke quietly. "Venable knows nothing about me. She has no answers. So, I'm just...stuck like this. There's this...energy I feel around me. Like it's in my head and in my veins. Like a drug or something."

"God, I'm just so tired, Mallory." She let out a soft sob as she leaned her head against the bed. "And I'm angry, I'm so angry. I can feel it in my head and I'm trying so hard to remember. There's this...name that's been stuck inside me and it's making me sick."

Ana lifted her head to look into Mallory's eyes. "I want to remember, Mallory. I'm trying to remember. Why can't I remember?" Her voice broke at the last sentence and Mallory pulled the girl into her shoulder. Anastasia sobbed softly into her shoulder, not being able to control her emotions. She felt foolish, given that she had been babbling one thing to another to Mallory. However, the grey girl didn't mind it, she was grateful that Ana felt she could talk with her.