Cigarettes and Butterflies (Incomplete)

Chapter 5: Or Fight

Beads of cold sweat run down my face, aggravated by the heavy heaving of my chest. The strain of the lack of air in my lungs sent a dull throbbing pain through my torso, causing me to crouch down onto the uneven gravel of my driveway. I place my shaking hands onto my thighs and take a moment to catch my breath. The dry winter air chokes me with its icy claws, tightening on my swelling throat. I cough roughly in response.

The past twenty minutes of my life have been a straight marathon of running in a panicked stupor. Mrs. Matheson's words hadn't kicked in until a few minutes after I began my trek away from the bar. I was running blind. When my thought process had kicked back into gear I realized that I had made a bee-line to the nearest bus stop. My wallet had been in my hand and already was reaching in to pull out whatever banknotes I had.

Even my subconscious was telling me to get as far away from this place as possible.

I had almost waited at that stop, the heightened residual paranoia nearly rooting me in place. All I could think about is that whatever that damn thing was that tried to have some form of control over me, was back. My body became hollow feeling. The weight of my heart had become heavy and its relentless crashing against my ribs nearly threw me off balance. That bus stop was my means of escape. Until I remembered.

Brian is still at the house.

Several emotions had rushed through my body all at one at this revelation. Anger, fear, agitation, panic, and the ever so confusing surge of remorse. My thoughts backtracked and suddenly I was running in the direction of my home, using every ounce of energy I had into making the trip as fast as possible.

That brings me to the present.

Wiping my palms onto the fabric of my dress pants, I composed myself and quickly head to the door. The once cheerful glowing porchlight that hangs above my doorway now casts an ominous and dirty glow onto the frost speckled porch. It flickers in a cheesy horror movie way, almost screaming out that there is danger ahead. Gingerly stepping up the slippery steps and onto the ice caked concrete, I reach for the doorknob with trembling hands. Swallowing thickly, I grasp onto the chilled metal and slowly twist the knob. A small click emits from the door. I almost laugh at how stupid I am.

Of course, it's locked, I locked it before I left.

Swiftly, I reach down, and grab hold to the small ring of keys attached to one of my belt loops. I search for the small flame printed key as I unclip the ring, the sound of jingling echoing off the houses red paneled walls. Unceremoniously, I jam the key into the lock and unlock the door with a sound click. I try the doorknob again. The door cracks open. I take a deep breath and open the door fully.

"Oh my god!"

I cover my mouth with a cold clammy hand to stop myself from saying more.

My entire living room is in a state of disrepair. The once stark walls are covered in dents that vary in all sizes, only being accompanied by large scratch marks. My furniture has ether been toppled, smashed, or ripped to bits. The aqua couch has tears so large that not even the sweet seamstress in town could fix it. My television lays on its face, the little smashed pieces of its screen poking out from underneath the bulky plastic. The only thing that is, surprisingly, intact is the elegant glass coffee table.

I take small wobbly steps into the house, snapping my head towards every small noise. My heavy breaths become shallow, the panic flooding my veins becoming more prominent. I begin to feel small pinpricks in the corner of my eyes. I look at the walls with heightened scrutiny, my wayward thoughts making the worst of it, then they snap back to look at the room some more. Blinking rapidly and mutely shaking my head, I keep moving. The air is heavy, my feet can barely take the smallest of steps without creating a muffled but loud stomping noise on the living room carpet. The lightheadedness that formed from the harsh run over here begins to worsen. I shuffle slowly until I reach the main hallway. Spots of black being to fill my vision and I have to grab onto the wall corner for support as soon as I see it.