Noise
Theresa is at work when she sees it. She’s sitting at her desk, filing some things, drinking her coffee, going about business as usual. Then the headline catches her eye. Freedom Force: Says Goodbye to two members.
No. It can’t be.
Her mind is still pretty calm at this point. Freedom Force has a lot of members. Don’t get freaked out over nothing.
She only makes it halfway through the article before she stops breathing. She can’t, her chest has constricted too tight to allow anything through. She makes a sort of choking sound, her body convulsing slightly in its seat.
It was Toad. He killed John. He killed him.
Theresa presses a hand against her mouth and keeps reading. She doesn’t know how, but she does. Each sentence, each word hurts more than the last. Why is she torturing herself reading this? Why would she-
Ste ran into the building. Her jaw is clenched, and she’s starting to shake. No. No no no no. He died at the hospital. No one had even bothered to contact her.
She chokes out something to Willard, excusing herself. Maybe it was just a few helpless noises, maybe it was an explanation. She doesn’t wait for his response, just runs. Hurls herself into the bathroom, where she sinks to the floor.
She feels like she’ll be sick, but she can’t bother to drag herself to the toilet. The article is still clutched in her hand. She hasn’t finished it. She can’t.
Her breathing has come back, but it’s rough and jagged and barely enough to keep her going. She tastes salt on her lips and realizes vaguely that she’s crying. But all she can focus on are the sounds. The strange, frightened, wild noises coming from her throat. Muffled by her clenched teeth, twisted by her doubled-over body. Something that might sound like sobs, but aren’t.
Theresa can’t sob. She can’t yell. She can’t get mad. Because if she does, the entire building could collapse. If she starts screaming she’ll never stop. She’ll break everything, hurt people. She chokes back every noise she can, and the effort makes her shake harder.
She’s tearing out her hair and pounding on the floor and her mind never stops. No. No. It’s not possible. It can’t be. Not both of them. Please.
She just wants to scream.
No. It can’t be.
Her mind is still pretty calm at this point. Freedom Force has a lot of members. Don’t get freaked out over nothing.
She only makes it halfway through the article before she stops breathing. She can’t, her chest has constricted too tight to allow anything through. She makes a sort of choking sound, her body convulsing slightly in its seat.
It was Toad. He killed John. He killed him.
Theresa presses a hand against her mouth and keeps reading. She doesn’t know how, but she does. Each sentence, each word hurts more than the last. Why is she torturing herself reading this? Why would she-
Ste ran into the building. Her jaw is clenched, and she’s starting to shake. No. No no no no. He died at the hospital. No one had even bothered to contact her.
She chokes out something to Willard, excusing herself. Maybe it was just a few helpless noises, maybe it was an explanation. She doesn’t wait for his response, just runs. Hurls herself into the bathroom, where she sinks to the floor.
She feels like she’ll be sick, but she can’t bother to drag herself to the toilet. The article is still clutched in her hand. She hasn’t finished it. She can’t.
Her breathing has come back, but it’s rough and jagged and barely enough to keep her going. She tastes salt on her lips and realizes vaguely that she’s crying. But all she can focus on are the sounds. The strange, frightened, wild noises coming from her throat. Muffled by her clenched teeth, twisted by her doubled-over body. Something that might sound like sobs, but aren’t.
Theresa can’t sob. She can’t yell. She can’t get mad. Because if she does, the entire building could collapse. If she starts screaming she’ll never stop. She’ll break everything, hurt people. She chokes back every noise she can, and the effort makes her shake harder.
She’s tearing out her hair and pounding on the floor and her mind never stops. No. No. It’s not possible. It can’t be. Not both of them. Please.
She just wants to scream.