EXPEDITE ▇▇▇▇ VOLUME TWO
━━ ❛ 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 ❜
chapter no. 037!
PIPER WATCHED WITH DILIGENT EYES AS FRANKIE KANE WAS STARING DOWN AT HER HANDS, TEARS FALLING INTO HER LAP. She'd been quiet for the past ten minutes, gathering together her thoughts. Meanwhile, the team stood around and waited patiently.
Something was up with the girl, the redhead could tell. Frankie Kane was hiding something.
"So, no one else got hurt?" Frankie finally spoke, her voice rough and scratchy.
Caitlin raised a brow slightly and looked to Piper, darting her eyes between the two, signaling that the heroine should be the one to talk. After all, she was the one who saved the girl and everyone inside the hospital.
Getting the message, Piper shook her head. "Luckily, no. You don't have to worry about that."
Looking up, the girl nodded, well aware that her cheeks were stained with mascara and smeared eyeliner. "What about John?" she whispered, pushing down the lump in her throat.
Barry glanced at the woman next to him, anxiously tapping her foot on the ground. Frowning, he moved closer to her, wrapping his arm around her waist comfortingly.
Piper relaxed and leaned into his touch, feeling a sense of security and safety in his arms.
"The DA's prosecuting him for what he did to you. So, I think he's gonna be serving time and never gonna be anybody's foster father again." Joe spoke from where he stood next to Harry, his arms hanging loosely by his side.
Frankie nodded. "It's just so strange being responsible for all of this and not remembering any of it," she admitted, turning her head to look at the two speedsters who were standing considerably close.
The Flash raised his head slightly and shifted his weight, his eyes narrowed curiously. "What do you remember about how you got your powers?" he asked, glancing at the woman beside him whose body had tensed. In an attempt to ease her anxiety, he rubbed her side with his hand, pulling her closer. "How this all began?"
Blinking back tears, the girl licked her lips. "Um... I started having dreams, at night, of Magenta." Frankie started, rubbing away the mascara and eyeliner smudges painted under her eyes.
Knitting her brows together, a worry line etched itself onto the woman's forehead. Piper took a step forward, leaving the comfort of Barry's arm as an unsettling rumbling took place in her gut. "Dreams?" she echoed. "What kind of dreams?"
Cisco's eyes darted between the two curiously, his arms folded neatly across his chest.
The young girl looked her way, sniffing as she played with her fingers again. "They were more than dreams. It was like I was living another life or something. And then I started getting them all the time during the day. And the more it happened, the more painful they became. Then I started hearing a voice."
"What voice?" Piper asked shakily, her tone not going unnoticed as everyone furrowed their brows.
"It was a man. Named Alchemy. I told him that in the dreams, I looked different. Older. It almost didn't seem like it was me, but Alchemy told me it was. He told me that he could give me what I wanted and make me powerful again, as long as I remained loyal to the Dark Lord." Frankie explained, glancing around the room.
"The Dark Lord? Like Voldemort?" Cisco questioned, raising his brows as Harry shot him a glare.
She shook her head. "H-He talked about the Dark Lord and the true name that we should refer to him as, b-but I can't remember it."
Barry frowned, the corners of his lips curling downwards as he glanced over to Caitlin, who appeared to be just as lost. In fact, everyone was confused. Everyone except Piper Lita, whose face was now an ashen grey as her breath hitched in her throat.
"I didn't understand. I thought I was going crazy."
A searing and precise pain infiltrated her brain, and she squeezed her eyes shut behind the eyepiece. Clenching her teeth, she walked away from the team, bringing her hands to her ears as a deafening ring echoed.
Everything was normal and quiet to the others while, in Piper's mind, everything felt like a slicing cut to the heart as her head pounded.
A combination of nails scratching a chalkboard and hinges squealing consumed her mind. Pressing her lips together, she held back cries of agony that were pleading to be let out.
Suddenly, she felt a warm substance wrap around her fingers, which were pressed tightly to her ears, preventing her from listening in on the continuing conversation. Shakily, she removed one of her hands and brought it down. There, bright red blood was trickling down the palm of her hand. Her blood.
Gulping, she withdrew her other hand, holding them close to her chest as she looked down. Both of them were crime scenes, splattered with red paint and reminding her of the blood that had covered the purple suit five months ago.
A drop of the metallic liquid traveled down her cheek as her head was lowered, her hair falling around her shoulders and shielding her from the others.
Remember, Piper. I know you remember what happened— how you got here. All you have to do is give in to the pain, and you will know the truth.
Squeezing her eyes shut quickly, she ground her teeth together as the ringing got louder.
It was him. It was Savitar. He was back and still able to get into her head.
And Piper was just as powerless and worthless as she was back on Earth-Four. Nothing had changed with her. Nothing that she was aware of yet.
Remember.
Aureolin did so much damage to her soul. She turned her into an emotional, roller-coaster mess, and Piper hadn't even had a chance to heal before Savitar entered the picture.
Athena destroyed her life, but Savitar turned her into shattered shards of glass.
The blue and silver speedster was obsessed with messing with her mind—her memories. That was how he kept winning. All he had to do was use his telepathy to project illusions and recall past events. It was as simple as that.
Sitting up, she wiped away her tears, sniffling. Piper grabbed the keys from her purse and started up the car, buckling. She backed out of her parking space and turned right, heading down North Main Street.
Get yourself together, Piper. You're meeting Miles and Damon soon. They can't see how much of a mess you are right now.
The car stopped as she pressed down on the brake, glancing at the red light before flickering her eyes over to the photos that'd spilled from her purse.
Carlos Aether, one of her team members, had taken pictures of Savitar last week during an explosion downtown. After finally developing the photos, he gave them to Piper immediately, knowing she'd want to look at what he'd captured on screen before anyone else did.
The sound of the car behind her honking snapped her out of her thoughts, causing her to let off the brake, resuming driving towards the exit she needed to get on to get home.
At the last red light before the exit, she glanced back to the photos, her eyes landing on the one that was close to the passenger car door. Quickly reaching over, she snatched it as the light turned green. Placing it in her lap, she turned right, merging onto the highway.
Picking the photograph up, she held it out to the side to see it while she drove. Glancing over, she narrowed her chocolate-brown eyes as a glimpse of gold caught her attention.
In the photo, Savitar had his back facing the camera. A sliver on his suit was split apart on the right arm, showing the tiniest bit of skin. Piper could see a glimpse of the arm that belonged to the man beneath the armor. Around the wrist—
At that moment, every nerve in her body fought back against the prevailing force in her mind, snapping her back to reality.
Hollow, dark-brown eyes flashed open and slowly faded to warm chocolate. Breathing in deeply, she felt her shoulders shake. Looking back down to her hands, she gulped and glanced away, blinking back tears as her back still faced everyone else.
Harry furrowed his brows, noticing how the redhead had been uncharacteristically non-hyperverbal for the past five minutes. Something wasn't right, and he seemed to be the only one who noticed.
Barry, Joe, and Caitlin were talking to Frankie while Cisco was listening intently. After sweeping his eyes around the room, he diverted his gaze back to the silent girl whose wavy hair covered her entirely.
Pulling back from the group, he silently walked over to Piper. Turning to face her, he noticed that her head was pointed at the floor. Looking down, he saw that there was a small pool of blood growing in front of her feet.
"Piper, hey, are you okay?" he whispered, knowing that the last time he'd called her out in front of everyone and questioned her, she blacked out. He didn't want that to happen again. He didn't want to be the source of any pain she endured.
The redhead was unresponsive as her fingers were back to being pressed against her ears, trying her hardest to block out the noise.
"Piper?" Harry whispered, bending down some so he could look her in the eyes. Once her face was within his vision, he nearly gasped. Any negative reaction, or any reaction at all, could trigger something; that was the last thing anyone wanted. No one had seen her have a complete PTSD episode yet, and he wanted to keep it that way.
His eyes traced over the dried, jagged line of blood that decorated her right cheek, following up the side of her cheeks until he reached her ears, noticing that bloodied hands were pressed against them, which were also bleeding. The woman's eyes were squeezed shut, and her teeth were clenched. It was more than clear by the creases and indentions on her face that she was in severe pain.
Reaching forward, he tucked her hair behind her ears and placed his hands over hers.
This small action was what finally caught the attention of everyone else. Frankie and Joe were walking out of the room as the core three looked over to the unspoken scene taking place only a few feet away. Barry's eyes widened as he watched Harry tuck Piper's hair behind her ears, placing his hands over her own, which were against her ears. Feeling something tug inside him, the scarlet speedster furrowed his brows.
"Harry... What are you doing?" Barry asked slowly, walking towards them. Caitlin and Cisco shared curious yet worried looks as they followed behind.
The scientist looked up, his eyes wide with worry and fear, two things that were extremely rare to come from him. "I-I noticed that Lita was being quiet and wanted to make sure she was okay, but I don't know what's happening. She won't snap out of whatever it is that she's trapped in." Harry stuttered, looking back to Piper as the others joined his side.
"Holy Hannah!" Cisco whispered, his eyes trailing from the line of blood on the redhead's cheek down to the puddle on the floor.
"Piper?" Barry whispered, stepping closer to her. She remained unresponsive.
"I-Is this one of those episodes Director Warren told us about?" Caitlin asked, her eyes glued to the woman who was shaking slightly.
Harry shrugged helplessly. "I don't know, but I'm praying for her sake, and ours, that this isn't," the scientist replied, cringing slightly as he noticed how similar she and Jesse looked regarding facial expressions. The corner of their eyes crinkled when they were in pain, and both had the habit of grinding their teeth.
All at once, a force of pin needles inserted themselves into Piper's skin, and she stumbled back. It felt as if someone had pressed the palm of their hands against her chest and shoved her backward.
If you would just let me in, I could show you everything. I could give you everything.
Piper winced, holding back from whimpering as her brain began to pound against the inside of her skull.
You turned down my offer to be a God on Earth-Four. I'm not taking 'no' for an answer again.
"No," she grunted, shaking her head as the pounding only intensified.
Barry's eyes widened as he and the others saw how her hands were coated in dried layers of blood. There were trickles of it spewing from her fingertips and ears as her hands remained pressed to each side of her head.
You're mine, Piper Lita. Mine.
"No, stop!" Piper whispered, her rib cage tightening as she could not breathe in the fresh air. Feeling her support system give out, she dropped to her knees, pressing her hands against the tiled floors. Gasps of air came from her lips as she felt herself becoming light-headed.
Do you remember what Aureolin said? Right before you killed her? I believe it was something like, "Doesn't it get exhausting? Pretending to be happy, pure, and good? I know that for me, it would, and I bet you're burned out. There's a darkness in you, Pipa Colada. Darkness you keep hidden because you're afraid. Afraid of how people will see you once you embrace all that pain and suffering. Afraid that no one will love you. Afraid that it'll drive them away and leave you alone, again."
Those words struck a nerve, and Piper tensed up, her eyes fading back into hollow pits as she stared at the bloodied hand-prints on the floor.
"Nobody can see you for who you truly are when you play the role of poor, sweet little Piper Maeve Lita."
"Get out of my head!" she screamed, feeling something inside of her flip. And then, the noise ceased.
Barry's eyes were wide, and he flinched at the volume of her voice. No one had heard her scream since Zoom had brought her back home months ago. Sure, she'd snapped and shouted but never screamed.
The Cortex was scarily still as the woman on the ground was staring at her stained hands. Everything was fuzzy and hypnotic. A blur.
The redhead felt her bottom lip tremble uncontrollably as the reality of what just happened sunk in. Everyone had just seen her at one of her weakest points; one of her points where Savitar had, once again, brought her to the brinks of insanity. Everything around her crumbled whenever he got in her mind, and she was left behind to pick up the pieces.
It had only been two weeks since she'd returned to Central City, two weeks since she thought she'd escaped his torment, but she was wrong. Savitar was back, and he wasn't going to leave her alone until he got whatever it was he wanted.
No one around her was safe.
Piper pressed her lips together, squeezing her eyes shut at the thought of those she cared about being hurt by the man in silver and blue. Although her eyelids were closed, heavy tears still managed to make their way down her cheeks, gradually washing away the bloodline covering her cheek.
"Piper..." A soft voice whispered, nearing closer to her. "Are you—"
"He's here," she croaked, her voice strained and scratchy. Barry shut his mouth, lowering himself down to the ground slowly. "And he can still get i-inside my head," Piper hiccupped.
────
STEPPING OUT OF THE SHOWER, SHE RECOILED AT THE INTENSE ARCTIC TOUCH OF THE BATHROOM FLOOR. Goosebumps trailed up her arms as she trod across the small room, her chocolate-brown eyes glued to the reflection of a pale, petite woman in the mirror that looked downright and utterly broken to the core.
Pressing her lips together, her chest rose up as she breathed in deeply. Trailing her stare up to her face, she simply blinked at the sight of the dark circles underneath her eyes. Casting her gaze down and to the side, she stared at the thin, straight battle scar that decorated her left shoulder.
The black towel wrapped securely around her body dropped to the floor, and the long, jagged scar across her abdomen was promptly visible. Just the sight of it caused the beat of her heart to pause. Blinking, the sound of her heart running returned, and she looked away.
The two scars reminded her, all over again, that particular darkness was coming. It was coming, slowly but surely, and it would be there soon enough. She could feel it. Every day was becoming harder than the next. The hours seemed to drag on longer, and the forced smiles continued the rippling effect of pieces of her soul being bitten off.
And despite being back home, she felt more alone than ever.
Although there were moments where she felt genuine happiness, they didn't last long; there one minute and gone the next. It was the universe's way of tormenting her, she supposed. For the world to stay balanced, there had to be a restoring order. Something could not be taken without something being given. She took another's life; therefore, she had to sacrifice and give away her morals and sanity. Inevitably beginning the downfall of every bit of goodness in her soul.
It was impossible to talk about what was happening without accepting that it was real and powerful. If she talked, she accepted. It was as simple as that. However, that didn't make the conflict at hand any less maddening.
No one had picked up on the small change that was slowly growing as days went by. No one noticed the changing color of her eyes or how frequently she pressed her lips together. No one had taken the time to really look at her. One person had, but he couldn't fully see the poorly stapled heart that was tearing at the seams. The redhead only showed the scarlet speedster what she wanted to show him, just like everyone else.
She made the laughter, smiles, and playing hero seem effortless and as a part of her as it was months prior. It was just like Athena said: pretending to be happy, pure, and good had burned her out.
She was burned out and exhausted.
Her heart now was beating without purpose, and her mind was lost at sea, wandering for an unknown object or person, starving for a reason to keep moving forward. Desperate for a good and inviting memory that could give her the strength she needed to keep putting on this mirage— to keep Piper Lita alive. However, it was a challenge to remember the last time she had felt so happy that wings had sprouted and taken her to cloud nine; the last time she smiled so widely that her cheeks stung for days and laughter lines etched themselves onto her face temporarily.
What she could remember, though, was the blood that stained her hands earlier that day. The same blood that she could still feel covering every inch of her body. The blood that she could taste as she harshly bit down on her bottom lip to keep herself from sobbing in the shower. The blood blanketed her body after she killed her childhood best friend.
Leaning forward, she pressed her hands against the sink, squeezing her eyes shut as a wave of nausea overcame her.
Flashes of May twenty-sixth overwhelmed her mind, and the tips of her fingers curled against the counter, gripping onto it tightly.
A knock at the door was what loosened the hold the redhead had on the sink, her eyes flashing open as the wave of nausea passed.
"P, is everything okay? I heard the shower turned off almost half an hour ago, and you never came out," the concerned voice of Barry Allen echoed from outside the door. Butterflies flew around in her stomach, reminding her that some good was still left.
"Uh yeah, yeah, I'm fine, everything's fine. Just give me a second. I'll be out in a minute." Piper called, her voice wobbling. Pushing away from the sink, she grabbed her clothes and changed into them quickly, brushing out the mess of curly wet hair. After hanging up her towel, she shut off the lights and exited the bathroom.
Upon exiting, she noticed the speedster sitting on the edge of her bed, playing nervously with his hands.
Ever since they'd gotten home, he'd been trying to find a way to bring up what happened. To finally ask some of the questions that everyone wanted the answers to yet was unable to receive.
It wasn't until Harry told him that something was going on with Piper that they needed to know as much as they could about Savitar and Earth-Four. The only person who relatively agreed with the scientist was Je, but everyone else was either apprehensive or entirely against the idea.
They knew she needed more time. Piper had only been back two weeks, and that wasn't nearly enough time to heal and open up to those she cared about. As far as they knew, the woman hadn't even opened up to Miles and Damon.
She wasn't ready, and Barry knew that more than anybody. The redhead had told him herself that she wasn't the person she was five months ago. She still needed time to try and find a way to forgive herself and move on from the past. That was why the two weren't together and why she hadn't confided in him.
He hadn't pushed, and he didn't want to. He wanted to do all he could to help her and respect her privacy, to wait until she came to him. Pushing somebody who isn't ready into something unknown and startling isn't smart. Pushing anybody, period, isn't smart, and Barry knew that.
This is why he sat on the edge of her bed, playing with his fingers anxiously as he kept his eyes trained on the hardwood floors.
Furrowing her brows together, Piper gave the speedster a curious look when he hesitantly peered up. "What's wrong? You're playing with your hands, you tend to do that when you're nervous or anxious," she noted, making her way towards him. As she got closer, his eyes dropped to the floor. "Barry?"
"You really scared me today," he whispered quietly, his words making her freeze. Barry also felt himself frozen for a moment, having no clue how he was supposed to do this. All he knew was that right now, he only wanted to tell her how he felt. Not how the team felt. "I was so busy being focused on Frankie that I didn't notice that you were in pain or bleeding or that something was wrong. I knew something was up when you stepped out of my arms, but I brushed it off. I shouldn't have done that. I should have kept an eye on you and ensured you were okay."
Piper frowned as she watched his hands clench into fists. Making her way over to the bed, she sat down, placed her left hand over his, and brought her right one up to cup his cheek. She tugged lightly, indicating that she wanted him to look at her. Slowly, the brown-haired man turned his head, his glistening eyes meeting hers.
"I'm right here, okay? I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere. I'm not mad or upset with you over today. Yes, I'm upset at the fact that Savitar is here and can get inside my head, but I'm not upset with you, Barry. No one noticed, and that's fine. We were doing our job, which was talking to Frankie before she left to live with her new foster family. You were doing your job as the Flash. That has nothing to do with me and is not something for me, or anyone, to get upset over, all right?" she asked, raising a brow. Barry nodded gently.
The two of them remained still, their eyes connected as everything faded away.
Before Piper could say another word, he leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers. All the muscles in her back seemed to relax at that simple act of affection, and she smiled.
"What was that for?" she murmured, tilting her head.
The speedster responded with silence, his eyes savoring the sight of her staring at him with bright eyes and a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "I just wanted to do that before I ask you something. Just in case you get super pissed at me, and I never get to kiss you again," Barry replied, his words causing the redhead to freeze once again. "That's a really dramatic statement, honestly, but—"
"Barry." Piper cut him off, causing him to close his mouth.
Nodding, he frowned as her hand dropped from his cheek. "Savitar and your relationship with him are both touchy subjects for you, and I respect that, but the team needs answers. If he's coming here with Dr. Alchemy and the Rival, we deserve to know what we are up against. What it is about him that terrifies you so much? What did he do to you? What is he capable of? What—" Barry's voice began to fade as he felt their hands disconnect.
Piper stood up from the bed and walked a few feet away, her eyes directed at the wall. Her back faced the brown-haired man, and the room grew tense.
She knew that everyone was going to need answers. They deserved to have their questions answered, but it was too soon. It was too much. If she couldn't admit and talk about what was going on with herself, then how could she with anyone else?
Barry knew it was too soon. She'd told him that it was. Numerous times. So, why was he asking when he already knew her response?
"What happened with you and Savitar?" Barry urged, standing up from the bed. "Piper?"
"Piper—"
"Barry, don't!"
The volume of how loud her voice was echoed in the house, and the brown-haired man took a step back, flinching, even though this was exactly the reaction he wanted from her. All of his planning had led to this. The last moment where they would be together as Barry and Piper.
"Get out," Piper finally whispered miserably. Her words caused Barry's head to snap up, his brows raising. "Get out of my house."
Blinking, the redhead was rushed back to the present, her gaze still on the white wall in front of her. Her brows furrowed almost immediately in confusion as she tried to understand what she saw.
She and Barry were fighting again.
This was the second time she'd flashed back to a fight the two had. Both distant memories were a part of the same fight, but pieces were missing. She only saw small parts of the memory, not all of it.
"Piper?"
"I can't talk about it," she muttered, knowing that even though her voice was incredibly quiet, he still heard her. Looking down, she noticed that her hands were trembling. Barry had also noticed this, his eyes focused on them as she spoke.
"What did he do to you?" the speedster finally whispered back, afraid of the response that he would get.
Pushing down the lump in her throat, the redhead pressed her lips together. "Why are you asking these things?" she asked, turning around slowly. Barry frowned deeply when he noticed a small tear gradually sliding down her cheek. He did that.
He triggered something in her— a memory or flashback. He was the one who was making her re-live the darkest moments of her life. Him. Barry Allen.
"T-The team—"
"No. Why are you, Barry?"
Piper waited for an answer as she watched his face fall, even more guilt appearing as he stepped forward. Once he was inches away, he reached out for her hand, but she took a step back, deepening the already present frown on his face.
"Harry figured that the only person you would open up to besides Erin or Cisco would be me," he began, "and so he said that I needed to be the one who asked the questions that we need answers to. I know you need more time. I know that you're not ready. I didn't want to do this. Piper—"
"You're right. I'm not ready, and I need everybody to respect that. If no one can understand, or at least try and give me time, then don't hesitate to let the door hit you in the ass on the way out." Piper cut Barry off; her stare was as cold as ice, and her eyes became dark pits.
This was the first serious argument that the two had ever had. It was the first, but little did the two know, it wouldn't be their last.
Moving his gaze to behind the woman, he met the silent stares of the team. Everyone was there, waiting for answers. Joe had proposed that if she wouldn't talk to Barry, they could all talk to her as a family.
Noticing where his line of sight was directed, Piper turned around to see everyone she loved standing in her bedroom doorway. Breathing in deeply, she felt a flicker of anger spark in her chest. They were pulling an intervention on her. For what? She'd only been back for two weeks.
"Lita, we deserve answers," the scientist, who was responsible for this event, stated. His fixated stare on her was stone-cold and determined, while hers was a mirage of anger, disbelief, and disappointment.
"We're family, and family doesn't give up on one another. All you've ever done is be there for all of us. This time, let us be here for you." Joe added, glancing at the man on his right.
Piper narrowed her eyes. "If we're family, then you should be supporting me and my decisions— letting me deal with this and coming to you when I'm ready. Not when you're ready. There's a difference, and I really hope your blind ass," Piper pointed to Harry, "can see that clearly enough."
Caitlin's eyes widened, and she glanced at Erin, who was deathly silent, her stare resting on the furious woman.
Piper walked towards the door, wanting more than anything to get away from everyone and breathe. Noticing her movement, the brown-haired man grabbed onto her arm.
"Get out," Piper finally whispered miserably. Her words caused Barry's head to snap up, his brows raising. "Get out of my house."
Stepping forward, the brown-haired man grabbed onto her arm. Almost immediately, she pressed her hands against his chest, pounding onto it with her fists. With every strike to his chest, she sobbed, her vision becoming harder to decipher by the second. Grabbing onto his leather jacket, she shook him back and forth. "Get out," she sobbed, landing her fists against his chest one more time before she collapsed to the floor.
Barry stepped backward, watching with pitiful eyes as the redhead broke right before him.
Spinning around, Piper came face-to-face with the scarlet speedster, and she yanked her arm out of his grasp. The pitiful look he had given her in the flashback was etched into her mind as she stared at him with pressed lips, eyes blazing with frustration.
"Don't touch me."
The three words slipped from her tongue before she could stop them, and Barry's heart dropped. His face fell as it settled in how much he'd just screwed up. He pushed too far. He tried to get her to talk when he knew that she couldn't. He didn't respect her decision, and he'd hurt her.
He hurt her.
Piper turned around and pushed past everyone, stalking out of the apartment and slamming the door shut behind her.
Iris couldn't help but flinch at the sound, frowning as she looked at the brown-haired man who appeared to be on the verge of tears.
"Allen—" Harry began, but the speedster cut him off.
"I told you that we shouldn't push her, but you didn't listen. Do you even care about Piper, or do you only care about taking down meta-humans? Because right now, you don't seem to give a damn about her." Barry snapped, his clover green eyes narrowing on the scientist who was frozen to the spot at his words. "And to everyone else who wanted to disrespect her decision and wanted to get answers that we don't need right now, screw you. I hope you're satisfied with your results."
Like Piper, Barry pushed his way out of the bedroom and out of the apartment, the door slamming shut for a second time.