#epbarrel

Melody paced around the room, it was part of her routine by now, pacing around the living room trying to piece together everything on her mind, waiting for a call or a text or even divine intervention. She looked at the half bottle of whiskey in the counter. She knew she should stop but the deafening silence of the apartment was making her think too much, and that was dangerous. She needed to take her mind off things. Melody filled a glass half way and started moving to the couch, she stopped, turning back to the kitchen and bringing the bottle with her too. Melody glanced at the clock on the wall before realizing it was futile because none of them ever bothered putting a battery on it, it was purely decorative. She slumped on the couch, turning on the TV and tossed the remote to the other end of the couch not really caring where it landed. She took a sip of her drink and focused on the television, ‘The Princess Bride’ was on - Dash’s favorite movie. Melody didn’t bother changing it, mostly because she couldn’t find the remote that she held 5 seconds ago. She tried to focus on the movie but her eyes kept drifting to the pictures that decorated the living room. Her fault. She had been the one to fill the room with pictures of the three of them, of her friends. She was sure she had put up pictures of her and him, Dash must have taken out, she thought. Melody got up, placing the glass in the table. She couldn’t look at the pictures anymore. As she was making her way to the shelves she heard a knock on the door. ‘Inconceivable’ the movie supplied. Melody stood there in the middle of the room, glancing back and forth between the door and TV. Freaky, she thought. She was confused about who it could be, Dash had keys to the apartment, Tip was recovering in the hospital, no one else wanted to even glance in her general direction. She moved slowly, grabbing an umbrella in case she needed protection, keeping it hidden behind her back. She opened the door, only to come face to face with Barrel “Wh- what are you doing here?”.

After Mel visited Tip at the hospital she felt like it was a waiting game. She couldn’t leave now, anything could happen. But that’s what she also feared if she stayed too long here. Anything, anyone could happen. As soon as they drove past the art supply store her son’s eyes lit up and begged her to go. He was so alike it was frightening, this was her punishment. She parked her car and watched him run to the store greeting the clerk happily. After locking her car she snapped her head at a glimpse of a figure walking up the street. She could recognize him anywhere, even after 10 years. Her heart started beating rapidly, her head was spinning, she felt like she was going to faint. Melody could only manage to lean on her car for support, unconsciously clutching her seashell necklace.

Dash knocked on this door “It’s Dash.” he announced guessing that the boy would be suspicious of random people knocking on his door. “I want- Can I talk to you for a minute? Please?” He looked at the ground, even thought the both of them never went past small talk, now it wasn’t really the time to shy away in a corner and be too embarrassed. Dash knew that Barrel was the only person who had any idea of what happened.

Hey. Remember when I painted your face without giving any explanation why ?

officially finished and I'm already completely exhausted. Good thing I have plenty of booze to get me through.