Silence
Chapter One of One
Walking out of Riley’s apartment, Jay took a deep breath and turned out to look at the large complex. Running a hand through his thick brown curls, he shook his head. Did he make a mistake in dumping her? They had been together all through highs cool and their first two years of college. What went wrong? Confused by his thoughts, Jay decided to back in and check on Riley. They still could be friends, right? Nodding his head, Jay decided to go with his gut instinct.
Smoothing down his striped shirt, he turned walked back up to the door and gave a quick hello the manager. Silently thanking that Riley’s room was on the floor, Jay made his way through the long narrow hall before approaching the familiar door. Deciding that it was best to knock, Jay gave the wooden door a few simple quick knocks.
Silence.
Surprised, Jay shrugged his shoulders. Riley was probably taking a shower; that’s what she usually did when she was sad or depressed. Having a nagging feeling that he caused it, Jay quickly tried to brush the hostel feeling away. Turning the metal doorknob, he was surprised that it was locked. Riley normally left it open, at all times. Pummeling his hand through his pant pocket, he pulled out the key that he kept in emergency cases. Putting the small key into the door, he heard it clicked.
He slowly made his way into the room and closed the door. “Riley?” He called out.
Silence.
A low feeling sunk into Jay. Where was Riley? There was no sound of running water, obviously she wasn’t in there. He peeked into her bedroom. She was not there either. It wasn’t until Jay turned to walk out of the room when his heart dropped.
There laid Riley sprawled out on the couch. Except she wasn’t sleeping; there was no breathing or any sounds coming from her.
“Riley? Come on babe, stop doing this. You’re freaking me out a little,” Jay said. He was met with silence.
Slowly but steady, a wicked laughter came from Riley. Her face and whole body was still hidden by the couch.
Jay let out a sigh of relief and wiped sweat from his brow. “Thank goodness you’re safe, Riley. I was worried about you.”
“Worried about me, was you? Surprising.” She said in an usually cold tone.
“Yeah Riley. Why wouldn’t I care? I actually came back up to talk things over. I think I really screwed things up.”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah. Just listen, okay babe?”
Riley let out a high pitched cackle. Slowly, she pulled herself up into a sitting position and then she stood up. Red liquid was leaking from here.
“Riley, what is that?”
Standing fully erect, Riley puffed her chest up. “You don’t like it?”
A sob escaped from Jay. Riley stood in front of him with a half a dozen nails hammered directly in her chest, precisely to her heart. It was amazing that she was still alive.
“Do you like it?”
“Riley, what?” Jay managed to stammer out. “We have to get you to a hospital right now.” Running up to her, he put his hands on her stomach. Riley pushed him away and turned her back.
“Leave me alone.”
“No!” Jay grabbed Riley’s small waist from the behind and tried to pick her up. Riley put up a struggle and Jay soon released her. Trying to grab her shoulder, he unexpectedly put too much force into the hit and knocked Riley down.
A small gasp escaped Riley’s lips as she landed on the ground making a loud thud. Landing on her stomach, her fall forced the nails deeper into her body, pass her ribcage. From her pale back, you could see the end of the sharp nails sticking out.
Panicking with fear, Jay nervously grabbed his phone. Just as he was about to dial 911, a hand unexpectedly grabbed his ankle and he was pulled down.
A defining sound filled the room.
The sound of silence.
Smoothing down his striped shirt, he turned walked back up to the door and gave a quick hello the manager. Silently thanking that Riley’s room was on the floor, Jay made his way through the long narrow hall before approaching the familiar door. Deciding that it was best to knock, Jay gave the wooden door a few simple quick knocks.
Silence.
Surprised, Jay shrugged his shoulders. Riley was probably taking a shower; that’s what she usually did when she was sad or depressed. Having a nagging feeling that he caused it, Jay quickly tried to brush the hostel feeling away. Turning the metal doorknob, he was surprised that it was locked. Riley normally left it open, at all times. Pummeling his hand through his pant pocket, he pulled out the key that he kept in emergency cases. Putting the small key into the door, he heard it clicked.
He slowly made his way into the room and closed the door. “Riley?” He called out.
Silence.
A low feeling sunk into Jay. Where was Riley? There was no sound of running water, obviously she wasn’t in there. He peeked into her bedroom. She was not there either. It wasn’t until Jay turned to walk out of the room when his heart dropped.
There laid Riley sprawled out on the couch. Except she wasn’t sleeping; there was no breathing or any sounds coming from her.
“Riley? Come on babe, stop doing this. You’re freaking me out a little,” Jay said. He was met with silence.
Slowly but steady, a wicked laughter came from Riley. Her face and whole body was still hidden by the couch.
Jay let out a sigh of relief and wiped sweat from his brow. “Thank goodness you’re safe, Riley. I was worried about you.”
“Worried about me, was you? Surprising.” She said in an usually cold tone.
“Yeah Riley. Why wouldn’t I care? I actually came back up to talk things over. I think I really screwed things up.”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah. Just listen, okay babe?”
Riley let out a high pitched cackle. Slowly, she pulled herself up into a sitting position and then she stood up. Red liquid was leaking from here.
“Riley, what is that?”
Standing fully erect, Riley puffed her chest up. “You don’t like it?”
A sob escaped from Jay. Riley stood in front of him with a half a dozen nails hammered directly in her chest, precisely to her heart. It was amazing that she was still alive.
“Do you like it?”
“Riley, what?” Jay managed to stammer out. “We have to get you to a hospital right now.” Running up to her, he put his hands on her stomach. Riley pushed him away and turned her back.
“Leave me alone.”
“No!” Jay grabbed Riley’s small waist from the behind and tried to pick her up. Riley put up a struggle and Jay soon released her. Trying to grab her shoulder, he unexpectedly put too much force into the hit and knocked Riley down.
A small gasp escaped Riley’s lips as she landed on the ground making a loud thud. Landing on her stomach, her fall forced the nails deeper into her body, pass her ribcage. From her pale back, you could see the end of the sharp nails sticking out.
Panicking with fear, Jay nervously grabbed his phone. Just as he was about to dial 911, a hand unexpectedly grabbed his ankle and he was pulled down.
A defining sound filled the room.
The sound of silence.