Warning: There is a great deal of swearing in this story, as well as some minor violence.
(C) Copywritten 2002
����������� There were sparse little patches of white idling on the side of the highway on this particular Friday morning. They sped past the windows of a long passenger train as it churned its way towards Muchin in haste to keep on schedule. There was no doubt that several other beasts like this one were all traveling towards Muchin as well from different directions.
����������� On a map in which quiet little towns were pinpoint dots, Muchin was the size of a child's thumbprint. It was an overwhelming city.
����������� Andrew didn't like big cities. He didn't like trains either--too fast for him. He always preferred the long leisurely ride, or not riding at all. He always said that the walks he took late at night were to clear his head, but in actually he just liked to walk. He wasn't alone when he walked. The thoughts in his head, which would wisp back and forth from the distant to the recent and from the important to the mundane, were all he needed to stay comfortable.
����������� Regardless, he had packed his old gym bag and climbed aboard for the long four hour ride. He remembered feeling lucky that he could find a train station close enough to his little town. Above all else, he would have hated to have had to have flown.
����������� He watched as the snow mounds zipped by. By now the train would be passing through the final stretch of country before the tall blocks of the big city would surround him. The sun, which he loved so much, would fade behind the towers reaching to snatch the clouds from the blue sky. Andrew sighed. "I hate big cities" he said.
����������� He had gotten the letter two weeks ago. It had been waiting for him on the kitchen table of his tiny two bedroom apartment. His roommate Stan always left his mail for him there before he went out to his job at the garage. Andrew had tossed the two letters from the student credit union in the garbage right away, since he had no intention on buying a credit card. He was about to toss the third letter when he realized that the credit union didn't usually send their letters out signed in pink gel-pen ink.
����������� He almost didn't recognize the hand writing, but the almost invisible strokes through the T's and the tilted lower case E's gave it away. It was from Kim. She was inviting him to come and visit her on her 23rd birthday party at her new house she had moved into with several of her classmates from the University of Muchin.
����������� At first, Andrew couldn't believe that his old girlfriend had actually kept his mailing address after a year. What boggled his mind more was the fact that he was actually being invited to go and visit her. He couldn't believe it.
����������� He and Kim had ended their relationship of four years only eleven months prior to his reading of her letter in his kitchen. All of their promises of undying love and passion together forever came to a close on Kim's dorm house porch. The life of a University student in the megatropolis of Munich's finest post-secondary institute had quickly overwritten the four years of small town living Kim had spent with Andrew in a matter of months, and she found happiness in her new life that Andrew could no longer compete for.
����������� "We can still be friends" she had said to him. He believed her. He returned to his small town, and lived his small life. The sting eventually became less apparent as Andrew would write in his diary each night and shower each morning. However, Kim had never completely left his mind. He had had other girlfriends since... all complete with every curve and tenderness he could want. Still, Kim left a lasting impression that he never could escape.
����������� Time after time he tried writing her letters and calling her, desperately attempting to conjure up some kind of subject the two of them still could talk about together. "Remaining friends" he called it. His new friend soon went the way of his old lover, but he just couldn't forget about Kim. Kim, who he had gone swimming with in the river just outside of town many times during the summer. She was a shadow in his mind--a deep, black shadow.
����������� He figured that maybe seeing her again after such a long time would spark in her some deep feeling of regret for falling so out of touch, and that he might redeem that which he felt he lost so much of during the late March night he frequently revisited. The thought also occurred to him that she was just putting effort into getting as many people to come to her party as she could. Regardless, he felt it would be somewhat discourteous to disregard such an invitation, whether it was from Kim or not.
����������� The ride had been uneventful. In a situation where Andrew was forced to endure the uncomfortable pressure of unfamiliarity, such as where he was now, shuttled between the rows of crowded seats and busybody travelers, he would freeze. He would lock himself up and hide where the eyes of outsiders couldn't see him. He was truly terrified of them, and he could never come with a reason why. It was just who they were, and who he was.
����������� Eventually, the cold walls of Munich's urban ocean did rise over the horizon to meet the train speeding towards it, and before long Andrew was peering through his dirty windows at things he could never place in reality.
����������� Here, there was an elderly man walking six dogs at once; and there, two young women walking down the street holding hands.� "This place" Andrew thought to himself, "is not right." He just didn't like it.
����������� Once he had gotten off the train, Andrew took several minutes to check and recheck his one bag that he had packed (which was more or less the gift for Kim he had picked up and a different shirt, since he had not planned to remain in Munich longer than necessary.) He knew what he had, and he knew that nothing was missing. He just needed something--anything--to give him time enough to muster the courage to call a cab. Finally, his fingers punched in the numbers on the payphone, and his chauffer was given his location.
����������� Andrew stood outside the station, observing the chaotic world around him. "How could anyone possibly live in such a mess?" he thought sharply as he spied a short, fat man coughing into his gloves as he waddled past.
����������� The cab was uncomfortable. It stank of greasy pizza. Andrew drew in breaths short and controlled so as not to absorb any of the cigarette smoke that was soaked into the seats.
����������� "Where to, fella?" the troll of a driver had barked at him. Andrew felt assaulted by the question.
����������� "44 Western Street. Near the University, please." He could hardly hear himself speak. The smell was plugging up his nose and his mind.
����������� The driver, a mid-forty year old man with hair all over his face, nodded quickly and jammed the gas petal, rocketing into traffic. This sudden action shocked and horrified Andrew as he collapsed into his seat like a crumbling piece of rotted wood. He sensed that at any moment, the car would come to a sudden halt, crashing against another vehicle, and sending him firing through the windshield into oblivion.
����������� Though terrifying, the speed of the insane little driver delivered Andrew to his destination quicker than he could have ever thought possible in such a dense and crowded city. He paid the fair gladly, as if he was paying for his own life back.
����������� The house Andrew now stood before was old and large. It stood like a mountain beside the narrow path of a road. Its bright red bricks climbed past several doors and windows before stopping beneath a massive shingled roof. The windows stood silently, draped from the inside by curtains of unknown color. The front door was, at one time, painted a solid eggshell white that had faded by now into almost a tan color.
����������� "Things don't change much in the big old city of Munich" he said to himself. He kept waiting for the old sting of the breakup to rush to meet him. The whole train ride he had been dreading the images and feelings that being back in the vertex of his past miseries would undoubtedly conjure up.
����������� He picked his bag up and very slowly paced towards the stone steps before the front door. A sudden rush of panic gripped him at that moment. He hadn't thought of what he was going to say when he saw Kim. "Maybe I should just turn and leave now" he thought. "She wouldn't miss me? She has probably forgotten completely about me. I'll bet she didn't even realize who she was sending the letter to when she mailed it."
Before he knew it, he was staring face to face with the eyehole, his finger pressing in the doorbell button.
����������� "Shit. Why did I do that?" The panicked voice in his head was screaming at him. "What am I going to say?" The doorknob began twisting, and the door flew open with much racket and unease.
����������� A face appeared in the doorway. It wasn't Kim. It wasn't even female. The guy looking back at him was young, and had a look of unsurprised comfort in his eyes.
����������� "Hey, you here for Kim?" the young man said instantly. Andrew didn't quite expect such a response so quickly. His mind was still a few steps behind him on the patio.
����������� "Wha... yes. Um, she sent me an invitation" he managed to mutter out while fumbling in his pocket for Kim's letter. He was searching frantically. "Please tell me I remembered to put it in my pocket like I had planned to" he thought. What if he couldn't find it? He would be stuck out on his own in Munich, with no confirmation as to why he was there.
����������� "You're Andy right?" the guy asked. Andrew looked at him. His face, still calm and expecting, was looking him over--sizing him up. Andrew hadn't been called Andy by anyone in almost a year... eleven months actually.
����������� "Andrew. Yes that's me. I'm an old friend of Kim" he said timidly.
����������� The young man in the doorway smiled. "I remember her talking about you" he said, sounding louder than he did before. "I'm Rick." The fellow held out his hand.
����������� Andrew was relieved at the degree of comfort Rick had offered by extending such a welcome, and raised his hand to meet Rick's. The two shook briefly, Andrew feeling somewhat overpowered by Rick's tight grip.
����������� "You are a little late there Andy. Most of Kim's guests are already here." Andrew could smell an assortment of salted snacks and beer coming from deep within the castle of a house he was standing in front of.
����������� He entered into the small lobby, where several pairs of shoes were sprayed in disarray on top of a dirty mat near the door. Laughter and voices crept from rooms unseen, and Andy felt a sliver of fear strike up his spine. The realization that he was going to have to socialize and spend time with strangers--namely friends of Kim--hadn't dawned on him until that moment.
����������� He suddenly felt like running. He wanted to go charging out of that house and into the streets of Munich, away from what he knew would be nothing but painful old memories.
����������� Andrew didn't have time to reflect too long on these thoughts. Kim spun around the corner, obviously unaware of Andrew and in search of Rick. "Rick, honey? Who is at--"she stopped.
����������� Andrew forced a smile as Kim's eyes met his. Kim was slender, but by no means slim. She wore a white University of Munich sweater over her blue jeans, which he could remember her always wearing. She normally had on her glasses, but he noticed that today she was without them. She also had acquired a deeper rouge color of hair from what he remembered her having, and it was short too. She had trimmed it down now so that it was just past her ears. Andrew thought she had looked better before, when she wore her hair long and straight.
����������� "Hey Andy" she said quickly, and walked to him. They embraced briefly, and Andrew's mind was drawn back to each and every time he and she had held each other in the past. There was so much more love in those memories, but he returned to the small lobby with great haste.
����������� "You still call me Andy. You always called me Andy" he said quietly, more to himself than to her. The words were hardly out of his mouth before he began to regret saying them. "What kind of greeting was that, Andrew?" he thought.
����������� Rick put his arms around the both of them, like they were all pals now. "Come on you crazy kids let's go join the party." Before either had a chance to reply, Rick was heading back in the direction of the voices. He turned suddenly, and approached Kim from behind. Coming up rapidly, he kissed her on her right temple. "I'm going to get the other case from the basement." ����������� Kim nodded, and then Rick slapped her lightly on her bottom. She jumped and giggled as he darted out of sight.
����������� Andrew was slightly stunned. "New boyfriend?" he asked. Again, he cursed his own words.
����������� "Heh, yeah. Rick and I've been seeing each other for a while now." Andrew felt the jealousy swell in his stomach, but somehow, he suppressed it.
����������� "He seems... animated enough. I am sure he is a blast to be around at a party." He wasn't looking at her. He avoided her gaze at all costs.
����������� Kim smiled. "Yeah, he's pretty fun." There was an eerie silence. Andrew never wanted to run away more than he did at that moment. Instead, he went forward, past Kim.
����������� "Place hasn't changed much has it?" he said. The wooden floors that he stepped onto creaked and moaned under his weight. He had walked through the hallway he was now passing through several times before, but it still was very foreign to him--and scary too.
����������� Kim joined him as they entered the living room together. It was not a small room by any measure. Eight people could have easily and comfortably sat in it and conversed about their lives. Instead, Andrew saw only six.
����������� Rick had sprawled out along a decaying grey sofa. Its previous owner must have gotten sick of its musty eminence and resemblance of a scratch post, and thrown it on a curb for the university scavengers to find. Rick looked somehow as if he was a perfect match for it.
����������� Across him, sitting cross-legged on the beige carpet, leaning back against another healthier looking loveseat, was a chunky little woman with curly long hair. She was munching on what looked like a handful of cheesy snacks.
����������� The loveseat itself contained a pair of what Andrew could obviously tell were star-crossed lovers. The young man laid comfortably and quietly with what Andrew thought was quite a cute little short haired blond stretch out on top of him. He sported glasses and a wilderness of heavily gelled hair, and Andrew immediately thought of all the bullies and assholes that used to push him around as a kid when he looked at the young man's face. There was that same hostile structure in the way he looked.
����������� �The girl opened her eyes, and lifted her head long enough to slid her hands under her chin. "How's it going?" she said to Andrew.
����������� He couldn't think of anything to say that he wouldn't regret later. Kim spoke. "Guys, this is Andy, an old friend." The guy with the wild hair lifted his arm in a lazed greeting and mumbled an inaudible "sup" to nobody. The girl now propped on his chest waved her hand quickly.
����������� Andrew's eyes traveled upward, past her to the other couple that was sitting at the wooden table near the other side of the room. There was a silent young man sitting hunched over his drink, which he sipped carelessly. He was tiny, and had long hair. He wore a long, dark, hooded sweater and dirty, ripped jeans. Across from him, staring out the nearby window, which was glazed with frost, was a dark haired beauty that Andrew couldn't help feel attracted to. She was dark skinned and slender, and had a body Andrew had only seen in magazines. Somehow, she just didn't seem to fit into the rustic setting of this old house.
����������� "Andy this is Roy" she said, pointing to the guy with the wild hair, who still hadn't moved, "and that is May. You've met Rick, and the two fireflies over there at the table are Marty and Melissa." Melissa smiled briefly, and said "hello" Marty looked up from his drink and waved.
����������� "Hey everyone" Andrew said. If he was going to be forced to spend the evening with these people, he figured he might as well be nice to them. The big girl stood up.
"I'm Claire. Are you gay?" she said to him immediately and cheerfully.
Andrew had run into people like this one before. They were always out to amuse themselves at others' expense. He commented as if by reaction. "No."
Kim spoke with a laugh. "Guy likes a girl; it's the way of the world." Claire joined her in the second line. "Guy likes a guy; they will always deny!" Soon the whole room was filled with laughter. Rick was coughing up a hoarse chuckle and the plump girl was laughing hard with her hands over her mouth. Marty was shaking his head back and forth smiling, his eyes never leaving his drink.
Andrew felt violated. It was a painful recollection of all the thousands of times he had felt the sting of the laughter of others. He hated laughter. He couldn't stand people he didn't know laughing anywhere near him. Whether they were or not, he always thought they were sneaking taunts and jeers towards him when his attention was elsewhere or nowhere at all.
He cracked a nervous smile. Claire spoke again "I'm just kidding, pal." Andrew had heard that phrase so many times in the past as well, and he still didn't trust it. "Have a seat. Want a drink?"
"Yeah man, we got anything you want. Blue, Bud, Heineken, whatever man" Rick boasted.
Andrew was never a fan of beer. "Just water thanks" he said, trying his best not to sound offensive.
"Blue it is then" Marty chirped as he rose from his chair and headed for the kitchen. Andrew wasn't about to try and argue. His first attempt had failed, and he wasn't feeling up to try a second.
Kim went to go sit on the couch where Rick was stretched out. He protested, "What are ya doing? I'm sitting here you know?"
Kim smiled at him and said matter-of-factly "I'm taking a seat."
"Ya well your seat is getting my way" he retorted equally stylishly, and shifted his hips suddenly, sending Kim straight onto the floor.
"Ow. Asshole" she said as she threw a feeble swatting hand to his chest. She got to a sitting position, leaning against the couch and crossed her arms.
Roy was laughing quietly to himself and Rick was also snickering. "Yeah but you still love me."
Kim sighed. "Yeah, but you are suppose to be nice to me on my birthday!" She stood up and stuck her tongue out, trying to make the ugliest face she could at him.
"Lovely Kim" he said, heartlessly. Andrew felt confused at what he saw. Still, he sat quietly and observed.
When he and Kim had been dating, they would play around like that in much the same fashion. Andrew could never remember being as mean as Rick was, but he supposed that when two people are together, that sort of thing was acceptable.
The party proceeded along rather slowly, Andrew thought. A movie was put on, but nobody was paying any attention to it. There were drinks going around of every color and texture. Andrew suffered through the glass of beer he had received, and after an hour or so, he was still only half through it. He never liked drinking that much. It always gave him a headache.
Kim and Claire were constantly talking. They went over everything from their latest trips to the mall to the homework they should have been doing, but weren't.
�Andrew found that soon Marty and the cute little dark skinned girl were also beginning to get into the "spirit" of the party. Heated gossip and discussions of who was doing what with who were beginning to flood the room. Claire seemed to be the expert on the subject; she had ever detail memorized, and Andrew began to feel guilty hearing all these private facts about all these people he never met.
Marty was the first to actually address him since Andrew had sat down nearly an hour and a half ago. "So Andy, what do you do?" Andrew hated that question. He knew nobody cared; it was just the easiest question to ask someone you hardly know.
"I'm taking Multimedia in college actually" he answered.
Rick spoke up, almost not hearing him. "Web cams huh? You dirty bastard." Another roar of laughter.
Andrew couldn't help but force what laughter he could from his lungs. "Yeah... well I haven't quiet gotten to that stage yet."
"Well let me know when you do" Rick continued. "I got some lady friends that I want to introduce to that kind of technology." The same laughter, only this time it was from Claire and Roy.
More time passed and the sunlight faded quickly. There was a mellow air circulating the room. Kim, now sitting in Ricks arms, was eyeballing her watch.
Rick began speaking to her, sounding somewhat slurred due to the seven beers he had consumed during the afternoon. "Kim, would-cha stop worrying about the goddamn time?"
"We have to be there before seven" she said in protest.
"We'll get dere. Just chill, kay?" he retorted. His tone was repulsive to Andrew. He never used to talk to Kim like that.
Andrew stood up. "Hey Kim" he said, "You got any aspirin?"
Kim went to get up, but Rick repeatedly pulled her back onto her back, chuckling each time like a little kid. Finally she gave up. "It's in the kitchen, Andy... on the fridge."
"S'matter Andy" Roy said, "that one beer of yours got a handle on ya?" he half laughed the last few words.
"Yeah..." Andrew replied "I guess so." He walked past Marty and Melissa, who were sitting quietly and whispering back and forth to each other.
The kitchen was tired and filthy. Dishes that long needed cleaning were lying dead in the sink, and the counter was a mess with disorganized spices and wooden utensils. Andy saw several small white bottles on the fridge, which was littered with thousands of random photos. Many of them had Kim in them, along with faces of strangers and unknowns. He selected three bottles from the many that were lying on top of the fridge. One had small black printing on it that read "Prozac".
"Heh, maybe later" he said to himself. He put it back and popped open the Tylenol bottle. There were three pills remaining. He swallowed one dry and hard, and replaced the lid.
"You okay?" The voice startled him and he turned suddenly. It was Melissa. She was carrying several empty bottles.
"Yeah. Never liked drinking that much" he answered. She smiled slightly as she walked by him.
"Yeah well... that's all they pretty much do around here." He snuck in a quick glance at her attractive body as she walked through the far doorway into another hallway. Her voice sounded yearning, like she was used to this sort of behavior going on in the house she lived in, but had given up long ago the effort to do something about it. Andrew leaned on the counter, and wished so badly that he could be her savior. He pictured driving up late on night, sneaking into the house, awakening her and taking her away to some warm piece of countryside where the two of them could learn to love each other.
Kim came into the kitchen. "Hey Andy. Y'okay?" she asked, sounding slightly sincere.
Andrew broke from his little daydream and looked at her. She looked tired as well, but there was a tranquil sense of happiness that rested lightly on her forehead.
"Yeah" he said, "I'm alright." He made no real effort to cover up his lie.
She stood there staring at him. He could feel the irritation seeping out of her. "Come on Andy. You could try to be a little more cheerful you know!" She spoke more harshly then he had ever heard. "Can't you just forget about the past and accept that I am here now with my own life?"
He couldn't think. She had cornered his fears and was tearing at all the old wounds once again. "Kim, I just--"
Rick staggered into the kitchen, collapsing on his wobbling legs and panting like a lion after it had just chased down its prey. "Waddar you two doing?" he bellowed. Andrew became very scared of the tainted man that stood before them. "You guys making out in herrr..." he trailed off into his beer bottle, which he tilted backwards and sucked on violently.
Kim darted over to him and snatched the bottle out of his hands. She looked frightening now, much like her boyfriend, but in a far more controlled manner. "You're drunk as hell again, Rick. Who's going to take me out to dinner now?" she was nearly screaming.
He glared at her, taking a minute to compose himself. "Will you just shut the fuck up? You've been bitching all day at me. Just cause it's your party and your birthday--"
Kim interrupted him. "I am not cleaning up your mess again Rick, so either you sober up or--"
"SHADDUP!" Rick cried and brought his hand swiftly across Kim's cheek. The slapping sound made Andrew jump and gasp. Kim made no noise, but fell backwards and made contact with the dirty tiles of the kitchen floor with a dull thud sound.
Andrew's mind emptied. The thoughts of Melissa and her cute little ass; the pain that Kim had stirred up again in his emotions; the fear he had of her and Rick--it was all gone. His legs and arms simply followed some invisible path set for them to follow at that very instant.
He walked rapidly up behind Rick, and uttered a "hey" to get his attention. Rick turned his head fast and in surprise, and Andrew fired his own head forward as soon as their eyes met. Andrew's forehead came into hard, solid contact with Rick's face, and the impact caused him to instantly rocket his neck backwards.
He hadn't expected the intensity of his actions to be so powerful. The pain flared in his temples and between his eyes, and all he saw was red. His balance was faltering, but he somehow managed to fix his legs in a stable position. He pressed hard on his head, where the inflammation was dense and overwhelming. Finally, the pressure began to give, and he let out a long moan of ache as the shapes of the room began to take form.
He could see Rick on the floor. More so, he could hear the nasal screams coming from the big man, who had his face buried in his hands. Andrew noticed that trails of blood had begun to sneak between his fingers and were forming collective pools on the tan tiles.
Andrew moved to the nearest wall, close to the entrance of the kitchen, and leaned on it. His head still rang and he wasn't sure how long he could keep his balance. In his stupor, he saw Kim rush to her feet and quickly move to inspect Rick's new wound. She looked up at Andrew in utter horror. "Holy shit Andy. What did you do?"
Andrew shook his head. He was searching for words to explain himself, but he found none. Rick climbed slowly up to his feet, never letting go of his wound, like he feared his entire face would come away if he did. She was screaming at him now. "What the hell did you do that for, Andy?" He was thrown even further off balance by her volume and tone. "You broke his nose you fucking asshole!"
Rick staggered over to the sink, and turned the squeaky headpiece. Water rushed into the silver tub beneath the faucet, and he began to wipe the blood off his face. Kim was still hollering at Andrew. "Is it because I am with Rick now? Are you just so fucking jealous that you have to be a prick like this? Is that it?" She sounded so assaulting, and Andrew felt as if he was being spoken to by a stranger.
He said nothing. He never liked the idea of being mad or upset at anyone, and he disliked someone showing hostility towards him even more--especially her. The fury was very much alive in him though, and he feared he couldn't control it.
He turned and rushed to the front door. He grabbed his gym bag, which was resting on the stairs near the lobby. The sweater inside that he had bought for Kim before he had boarded the bus to Munich was forgotten completely as he hurriedly tied his shoes.
It had gotten dark out already, and Andrew knew it would be a little bit more than terrifying for him to be out on his own in this goliath of a city. He didn't care though. He was tying his last lace when Kim finally charged after him from the kitchen. "Oh what, you are going to leave now?" She was angry and aimed to let him know about it. "You think you can just come here and act all fucking tough? You think that is going to get me back or something Andy?"
"You can have your fucking life, Kim" he shrieked back at her. She stood frozen in surprise at his outburst. "You can have your house and your friends and your parties and everything, Kim. I really don't care anymore." He walked towards her. "But I knew a little girl once that loved swimming and playing with kitties." He kept talking as he stared into her eyes. He wasn't going to hold his thoughts back anymore. "I knew someone who used to love getting tickled and used to get so cold she would beg me to hold her and keep her warm." Tears were forming in his eyes as he continued. "I used to know someone who was cute, and who would never be in the slightest bit interested in some fucking ego-loaded jerk that treated her like shit. You used to tell me that nobody was ever as nice to you as I was." He paused, catching his breath. He wiped the tears from his eyes. "But now you are just someone I've never known. The Kim I have known is gone. So good fucking luck to you and Rick" he sneered the name, "in the future. I'm heading back to my life now. Goodbye whoever the hell you are!" And with that, he spun around and yanked the door open. The cool air rushed to his cheeks and made a chilling contact with the warm streams going down his face.
He marched out the door, down the stairs once again, and turned left, walking quickly--as quickly as he could.
Kim stood in the doorway, looking at him as he walked off. She kept expecting him to turn around and look back at her, but he never did. He rounded a corner, and Kim never saw him again. She slammed the door shut, and braced herself against it. Marty and Claire were standing at the end of the hallway, looking towards Kim with expressionless faces. Roy was inspecting Rick's nose, which was still stained and looked very swollen.
Claire was the first to speak after a long silence. "What the hell was wrong with him?"
Rick shouted from the kitchen. "Yea... dat badard broke by dose."
Kim only looked at the floor. She was replaying what had happened over and over again. Her rage had been replaced with something. She wanted to call it sorrow, or compassion, or pity, or acceptance, but it had no name. She just locked it away. She began climbing the stairs slowly. She wanted to be alone, and she figured her room would be good for a few minutes at least. The others called to her from the foot of the stairs, but she ignored them.
Kim finally reached her bedroom. Her thoughts still hadn't silenced, and she wiped a tear of her own on her sleeve as she closed the door and locked it.
