Illusion

3 | Raid

3 | Raid

IRIS TUCKED HER HANDS into the pockets of her hooded jacket, and the wind whipped her hair before her eyes. She pulled her arms tightly together, meeting at her midriff, though the tucking of her arms so close to her chest failed to warm her. Tonight would be another cold night. She continued to lug her bags to her temporary home, hoping and praying with each step that the police had not found any trace of her or prevented her from entering.

It was cold windy nights like these that made Iris consider Payton's frequent offers of hospitality. But fear of endangering her first friend in Marston Springs always brought her back to her already rigid frame of mind. Iris observed her surroundings, one of the joys she found in walking to all of her destinations. She looked at the bulky suburban trees that lined the sidewalk; the burly roots, almost frighteningly worthy of power, bursting through the cement sidewalk – proving itself as leagues ahead of the tough confinement.

She admired the thick, regal trunk holding such delicate leaves in its spindly fingers until the wind intervened and pulled the two apart. The leaf floated down from the branch and landed delicately in front of Iris too quickly for her to avoid. Iris winced as her foot crushed one of the last of the orange leaves, upset that she tainted the beauty of its nature.

When Iris arrived at her apartment she treaded carefully, searching extensively for any traps, newly installed cameras or anybody patrolling that she didn't want to be seen by. She reached the door, still unlocked and pushed it open slowly. Although the police force in the town was hardly forceful and expecting a big operation for a small squatters situation, it had never hurt Iris to be a little more than careful.

Her stomach dropped at the sight of what met her back at the apartment. The food she had stored was no longer packed in the cupboard but the empty packets were scattered across the couch and surrounding floor. The dishes Iris had left in the sink were still there with an additional plate and cup. The window she had left open had been pushed wider and the thin drapes blew inwards in the wind.

​Iris rushed to the cupboards, searching for the food she had left in there, and was slightly less surprised to find that it was no longer there.

Iris was hit again by the same feeling she had in class that morning; the despair, sadness and heavy-heartedness hit her all at once all over again. With everything that had happened to her in one day, she didn't know how much longer she could hold on. Her search was becoming passive; her body was tired and soul needed rejuvenating.

Iris, feeling more than washed out, moved towards her bed, forgetting all about unpacking clothes, cleaning the place and acts of the like. She kicked off her shoes and lay on the bed, curling up in the tightest ball, wrapping her arm around her head as her heart broke again. A stray tear rolled silently down her cheek, stopping at her lips. She wiped the tear away with a depressing sigh and closed her eyes softly.

She was tired of trying to think of a way to make things better. She was tired of trying not to cry. She was truly broken and done with her life.

By the next morning she was feeling no better about the situation. The new sunlight came with a dull headache and a soaked pillow. The same nightmare attacked her that night, but the force was not as strong. Iris seemed almost indifferent to everything now. She was numb, and it didn't bother her if it meant the loneliness would leave for a while. She fought the urge to remain in bed all day, and got up sluggishly. A shower and a new set of clothes didn't improve her mood so she set off to school, mainly for something to do with her day.

Things seemed awfully quiet at Marshall High. People seemed to move through the halls at a slower pace than usual and the typical rush of students seemed to have become jaded. Every one was minding their business as if they all knew a secret and didn't want to risk sharing it. Iris didn't mind at all - especially today when interacting with anyone in any way would have been a challenge in itself, let alone acting like she wanted to.