Trigger

seven • mirrors

I watch Levi's intense and devastating downfall from the sidelines.

He doesn't get better- not at all. He barely comes outside, sometimes not even for the bonfire. He barely eats, and barely sleeps- I only know the latter because I hear him up at the shooting range every single night, from midnight up to early dawn. The bags underneath his eyes are scarily prominent and the haunted look is constantly. Finn tries to help him- I know he does- but even Finn is beginning to get anxious about the whole situation.

"He'll be fine," is all Finn tells me when I ask how he's doing. "It's better to just leave him alone when he's like this."

It frustrates me.

It frustrates me because I can't do anything about it, even though I desperately want to. It frustrates me because I'm receiving the same exact answer from Finn every time I ask him about something, even though Levi had once told me he didn't want to be alone. It frustrates me because even though I'm not getting the answers I want and I'm incredibly confused about the whole situation, there's pretty much nothing I can do.

Right now, though, Finn is keeping my mind off he whole thing. We're on a motor boat, both of us drowning in our lifejackets- as ironic as it sounds, though they really are very big and bulky- as Finn slows to a stop in the middle of the lake, admiring the blue water and forested lands and cliffs around us.

"It's beautiful here," I mutter, my eyes trying to capture his moment and never let go of it. The sound of the waves, the cool breeze and the fresh air is my favourite type of relaxation.

Finn hums, nodding as he leans back, one hand over the side of the boat and grazing the cold water. "I love it," he agrees, fingers dipping into the water before he pulls his hand out, wiping it on his shorts. "I'm guessing you're familiar with it, though."

I shrug, "I go out here a lot, yeah. My dad really likes going on boat rides. But... I don't know, every time I come out here, it's just more beautiful than last time. It's so... calm, and quiet, and beautiful."

Finn nods in agreement, leaning his head back and closing his eyes, as if wallowing in the fresh air and tranquility that this place offers. There's no cottages down where we boated to, no other boats at the moment and no nearby roads. It's just nature, beautiful and peaceful nature.

Soon enough, though, the sun begins to set- which is amazing, considering the way the water begins to sparkle- and we agree that we should head back. It only takes about five minutes until the cottages come into view, where I can see Jeffery and my dad outside, cooking on the barbeque in front of the Allen's cottage. Levi is, of course, no where to be seen.

Once we dock and get out, Finn is asked to set the table while Katherine surprises me by approaching me and asking, "Levi's in his room and he needs to eat. He's been fine all day, do you think you could try and coax him out? Don't feel discouraged if it doesn't work- it hasn't with me for days now."

"Sure, I can try!" I assure her. She gives me a grateful smile and I return it, heading inside the cottage. I run upstairs, pausing for a moment to try and figure out which door belongs to Levi, but then realize it's probably the only closed one. I approach slowly, knocking on the door. There's no reply. "Levi?" I finally try.

A pause. "Kinsley?"

"Hey..." I begin slowly, "Dinner's going to be ready soon."

Levi opens the door. He's in black basketball shorts and a thick sweater, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Did Katherine send you up?" he asks. His voice is rough and tired, the haunted look prominent in his eyes.

I nod, "She did. She was kind of worried."

A flash of guilt appears in Levi's eyes, and I'm afraid for a moment he's going to get stuck in his thoughts, but instead he just nods tiredly. "You can come in, I'm just going to go brush my teeth."