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♪RUNAWAY - THE NATIONAL♪

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Harry.

The sun streams through the small basement window, pouring down its rays on my cold skin. Once my eyes are fully open, I look around the room. It's eerily quiet considering Deven usually snores in his sleep, but I get the sense that it's nearly noon. My neck and back are aching from sleeping improperly on the floor, so I move not an inch. I glance beside me to find Adeline sitting up in the pull-out. She's staring blankly at the wall.

For the last few days, Adeline's mind has been clouded in grey fog. Her mood ricocheted between low and even lower. She had no energy or motivation to do anything—that included eating and socializing. Most of her days were spent down here in this basement in her pyjamas. She was also building up an exhibition on the nightstand using half-filled cups of water that she never seems to finish.

A habit I've recently discovered.

Although Adeline's mood swings have always surprised me, this time, it didn't. Even though she didn't say it, I knew she was missing home. But, I was too afraid to talk to her about it. I didn't want to pester her about something she was bound to face. I know, Adeline knows, everyone knows that eventually, Adeline has to go home and confront her father.

It was just a matter of; when?

I knew most of all that she missed Caleb. It was clear to me that he was the backbone of her happiness, and was the most important person in her life. But, here she was, in Deven's basement, away from her pride and joy. God, do I want to be able to make her smile, genuinely. These last few days, no matter how hard I tried, I just didn't have the same ingredients as Caleb.

There she is.

Still and out of touch with her surroundings, lost in her head. For a while, I lay there watching her, yearning to find some sort of clue to what's going on inside that head of hers, but there's none. She just sits there, staring blankly into nothingness.

"You miss them, don't you?" My voice is groggy, but I know she understood what I said.

Her head snaps in my direction, her eyes blank and endless of iridescent waves peer down at me. When she faces me entirely, I can see the trail her tears left behind on her cheeks. She wipes them away immediately once she realizes I'm analyzing her.

"Every single day." She retracts her hand from her wet cheek. Her voice is low, but I can hear the tightness in her throat. She is drowning.

"So then, why are you doing this to yourself?"  I inquire more.

"I don't know." She turns away. I watch as she brings her legs to her chest and cradles them tightly.

"Well, I know that I can't see you like this anymore." I sigh, rising from my makeshift bed. "Let's go."

"Go where?" Adeline's eyes fill up in curiosity.

"Home." I declared.

"I'm not going home, Harry." Adeline groans, frailing her arms around like a hungry toddler.

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