Chapter 6: The Storm Inside her
814 Words
Aria didn’t need to look to know he was home. The sound of the door slamming downstairs was enough. It always was.
Her body went still, every muscle tightening as she listened. The house, which had felt quiet moments ago, now seemed to hold its breath with her.
Then came the footsteps.
Heavy. Uneven. Familiar.
They dragged across the floor like a warning she had learned too well.
Aria moved quickly, stepping away from the window as her heartbeat began to rise. She didn’t make a sound, didn’t take any chances. She had learned long ago that silence was safer.
A dull thud echoed from downstairs, something had been dropped or thrown, and then the faint clink of glass followed.
Aria swallowed, forcing herself to stay calm. Panic would only make things worse.
Don’t make noise or get noticed.
The words weren’t new. They had lived in her mind for years, repeating themselves on nights like this.
She crossed the room quietly and sat beside her brother, her movements careful as she lowered herself onto the edge of the bed. He stirred slightly but didn’t wake, still lost in a peaceful sleep that felt far removed from the reality around them.
Aria placed a gentle hand over the blanket, as if her presence alone could shield him.
She wished it worked that way.
Downstairs, her father’s voice rose briefly, low and unclear, before fading again. Another object shifted, a chair maybe, or something worse.
Aria didn’t try to guess.
She just waited.
Time passed slowly, stretching in a way that made every second feel heavier than the last. Eventually, the noise faded, and the house settled again, returning to a quiet that didn’t feel safe, only temporary.
Aria exhaled softly, though the tightness in her chest didn’t ease.
It never really did.
That night, sleep didn’t come easily. She lay beside her brother, staring into the darkness, listening to every small sound the house made. By the time her eyes finally closed, exhaustion had pulled her under.
And then, the dream returned.
It always did.
Rain fell from the sky, cold and relentless, soaking everything it touched. Thunder rolled above, loud enough to shake the ground beneath her feet.
She wasn’t alone.
Someone was holding her.
Running.
The woman’s arms were tight around her, her breathing uneven, almost desperate. Aria could feel it, even now, the urgency, the fear that surrounded them like a storm of its own.
Then suddenly, they stopped.
The road stretched out ahead, empty and silent beneath the rain.
The woman lowered her, carefully, gently.
Too gently.
Aria reached for her, small fingers trembling as she tried to hold on.
“Please…”
Her voice broke, swallowed by the storm, but the woman didn’t stay. She turned and walked away.
“No…”
Aria tried to move, tried to follow, but her body wouldn’t respond. Her voice felt too small, too weak against the sound of the rain.
She couldn’t see the woman’s face.
She never could.
It was always just beyond her reach, hidden, like something she wasn’t meant to remember.
And then, like always, she was alone.
Aria woke with a sharp breath, her chest rising quickly as she pushed herself upright.
For a moment, she didn’t move. Her fingers gripped the blanket tightly as her heart pounded against her ribs.
The room was quiet again.
Dark. Still.
Safe, at least for now.
She closed her eyes, forcing her breathing to slow.
That dream again.
It had followed her for years. Ever since she was seven, it had come and gone without explanation, always the same, always unfinished.
“Just a dream…” she whispered softly, but the words didn’t convince her.
They never did.
Morning came like it always did, too soon and without warning.
The routine continued.
School. Work. Home. Survive. Repeat.
Nothing changed, and yet something felt different.
Not around her.
Inside her.
It was subtle, almost easy to ignore, but it stayed with her throughout the day. A quiet feeling she couldn’t explain, like something unseen was slowly shifting into place.
Like her life was moving toward something she didn’t yet understand.
That night, she found herself back at the window again.
The moon hung in the sky, calm and distant, just as it always had been.
Aria rested her head lightly against the frame, her gaze steady as she looked up at it.
“One more year,” she whispered.
Her voice was softer this time, but steadier.
“One more year and everything will change.”
She held onto that belief, even when doubt tried to creep in.
Because without it, she had nothing.
But as the night stretched on and the silence settled around her, a quiet thought slipped into her mind, one she couldn’t shake.
What if things didn’t change?
What if this was all her life would ever be?
- Writer
