Chapter Text
The 4th worst mistake I ever made was opening the window that night. I doubt keeping it closed would've changed anything, but sometimes I wonder…
11:50 p.m.
I turned off my phone, hid under the covers, and closed my eyes just as Papa opened the door, hoping he didn't turn on the light and notice my room still had clothes, three pairs of shoes, and a bra still strewn across the place. I was supposed to finish packing hours ago, and, after pleading my case of how responsible and adult I am, the last thing I needed is to see him disappointed and hovering over me again.
The door creaked open, a slim streak of light penetrating the dark. I made sure my breathing is slow and steady, and tossed in a few light snores for realism, just enough to convince him. I'm an expert at pretending.
I flung off the covers once I heard the door shut, and the soft receding footsteps behind it. Time to finish packing. Papa always pops in to check up on me at night, and he never likes it when I'm up too late, always worried I'll end up sick if I don't get enough sleep. He thinks I’m helpless. I learned how to pass his midnight inspections pretty early on, just every once in a while.
I refocus all my waning energy into getting the rest of my things in order. Nothing I own says, "Sprezzatura," "haute couture", or at least "I could possibly be one tragic earthquake away from becoming the next Queen of England". I've been poring over magazines for weeks trying to prepare, and yet I still feel so far from ready. Imitating those perfectly poised and confident models is way too much work.
I glance at my alarm clock. We leave at 4:00 am tomorrow to catch our plane to Romania, and it's five minutes until midnight. The time for indecisiveness is officially over. I quickly roll up everything I can into my suitcase, jump on top of it, and zip it closed. Fortunately, everything just fits inside the bulging bag. I'll just have to take everything and decide when I get there.
Satisfied, I fell unto my bed and looked outside my window for what will be the last time, for a while anyway. The silver spires of the grand cathedral stand proud and strong, piercing the surrounding clouds. I can't remember a night when I couldn't see them. It's just now I've started to think about how long this trip across Europe will be. It'll be months before I see those silver spires again. A small part of me already misses this view, but if I'm honest, I'm glad to let it go. I'll finally get a chance to explore the world, meet new people, see ancient ruins and castles I've only read about. After years stuck in this house, the world suddenly seemed so big. This was my chance to finally live. What more could a girl ask for?
I gazed at the pitch night, struggling to see through the dense fog enveloping everything outside. It seemed to almost move through the dark, flowing inside, and apart from the spires, it was a struggle to make out anything else. I felt smothered staring into the surrounding mist and started to back away about to shut the window when I felt my body freeze. My muscles seized and I could feel my breath stagger as the mist descended around me. It was then I saw two luminescent orbs of fire. No, something smaller than orbs, something much more insidious, something focused on me, staring at me.
Eyes.
I flew back as if I'd been electrocuted and fell unto the floor. As I rose up again, determined to close the window, I felt my stomach recoil and my toes curl back. The unmoving eyes, if they were even eyes, or lights or fire, seemed to pore straight through me, sending throbbing shivers up my spine. A pain I knew all too well resurfaced deep in my chest, and I released a deep howl. What was going on? The deep pain pulsed and throbbed within me, so hard I could barely think, my heart shuddering with each sting of agony. I could sense the eyes getting closer and closer and closer, burning brighter in the thickening fog as they cornered me in.
I gathered as much strength as I could to give a single cry.
"Papa!"
To my relief, the door soon burst open., and my father was knelt by my side.
"The… the window…eyes" I stuttered as I raised a finger outside.
Papa's eyes widened, glassy and gray, not from shock, but complete understanding. He stood up, back straight and rigid, and slowly brought the curtain down. Papa picks me up and, holding me close, places me back on my bed.
"Yui, Are you okay? Yui!"
I can barely hear him over the sound of my heartbeat, pounding violently in my chest. All his words, his calls, increasingly growing louder and more frantic are lost in the sharp pains. My pulse feels like its flatlining and skyrocketing all at once. Tears slide down my chin as I start to panic, remembering this familiar agony, gasping for air, for an end to this suffering, as my lungs tighten.
They said I was cured.
DING-DONG.
The ring of the doorbell was the last thing I heard before everything went dark.