"Hello, Jacob. Your mother tells me that you have been struggling with some... complicated emotions. Do not worry about them. I can make them all go away if you just let me help you."
Dark, thick clouds hung like a blanket over the city, keeping out any rays of light that attempted to break the seam. They expanded with all the rain that they could hold but refused to let any of it fall. As Ingrid leaned out of the window of the apartment, she couldn't help but feel trapped by them. They were like a cage, keeping her confined to this hellish reality. Even though the dark truths had now been revealed, that did nothing to soothe her worry. She found herself listening to every little sound, watching every movement, and replaying every detail in her head over and over again. Carrie was out there. And she was close, Ingrid was sure. She was messing with the people closest to her and Connor: Mike, Mr Cartman, the corner shop owner... Who was to say that she wasn't doing the same with Andrew and Jodie? With every passing second, it was getting harder for her to hold on to any kind of hope.
"Ingrid? Are you okay?"
Ingrid didn't reply; there were no words to describe how "not okay" she was. Connor took her hand and pulled her back inside, hugging her tightly to his chest. His hands were shaking, and Ingrid could hear his heart pounding.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied.
The silence that followed told Ingrid that they both knew that that wasn't true - for either of them.
"What are we going to do?" she asked more quietly after a while.
Connor let out a shaky sigh.
"I don't know. I really don't know..."