INHERITANCE OF SHADOWS

THE TREAT

The door slammed shut behind Edmund, the sound echoing through Edmund's apartment like a death knell. She jolted back to reality, her world crumbling around her. Tears streamed down her face, her heart screaming silently. She couldn't find her voice, couldn't form words to beg him to stay.

Slowly, Sydney gathered her belongings and with a heavy heart, trudged to her one-room apartment. The meager space was a constant reminder of her struggles. A mattress, some clothes, and books - that was all she could afford. The walls remained unpainted, a bleak testament to her financial struggles.

As she entered, her gaze fell on her picture, the one she had taken with her family on her father’s birthday, it was hanging on the wall. Memories flooded her mind, and she felt a fresh wave of pain. "Sydney, how could you let him manipulate you this way?" she berated herself. "How could you be so foolish not to know he never loved you?"

She approached the picture, her hand reaching out to touch the faces of her father and siblings. The tears flowed anew, as if the frame had become a conduit for her grief. She recounted the quick moments she had just had at his apartment. Edmund’s words had pierced her soul.

"It's just blood," he had said, his voice devoid of empathy. "I know some medications that can help us take care of it."

Sydney's mind replayed the argument, the pain still raw. She recalled how she had stood up to him, her voice shaking with anger and fear, he tried to hold her but she avoided his grasp immediately.

"Don't you even dare touch me, you beast! How dare you call my baby just blood?"

Edmund's response still haunted her. "You're just too naive for my liking. Do you want to halt what’s going on for me? Meet me when you're ready, and we'll discuss the abortion."

The memory of his words was like a fresh blow. Sydney felt the desperation creeping in, the fear of being alone with nothing but her thoughts. She knew she had to try and hold on to Edmund, no matter the cost.

"Please, baby, don't do this to me," she had begged, her voice barely above a whisper. "Remember how you promised to take care of me, to support me?"

Edmund's response was a cold reminder of his true nature. "Change is the only permanent thing in life, Sydney. Edmund said coldly, his eyes devoid of emotion. "If you will not clean yourself up, I'm no longer interested in this relationship." With that, he turned his back and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him like a tornado leaving a trail of destruction.

She was not certain how she ended up in her apartment because she had been oblivious of everything happening around her. Sydney's heart felt like it had been ripped out of her chest, shattered like a broken glass lying carelessly on the floor. Acidic tears burned her eyes as memories of their time together flooded her mind. She threw herself to the ground, screaming her heart out, but the pain only seemed to intensify.

Her neighbors wondered why the seventeen year-old girl was shouting and breaking things in her room, but only Helen, the concerned fellow, dared to knock on the door. When she got no response, she tried to open it, but it was locked from the inside.

“Sometimes we go through s**t, but everything is going to be just fine. I promise.” Helen assured and left for her apartment.

Sydney stayed indoors for a week, missing her classes and her tests. She was frustrated, feeling like she'd hit rock bottom. She wouldn't be able to face her blind brother, who saw her as his pride and his hope for a brighter future. The thought of his disappointment and her own failures seemed to suffocate her so much that coughed. The pain was overwhelming with each passing day, like a tidal wave crashing against her soul. Sydney threw herself on the bed, her body shaking with sobs. She felt like she'd lost a part of herself, like she was drowning in a sea of despair. Sydney would close her eyes to sense a fog of darkness closing in around her like an enveloping shroud. She often dreamt of the first time they met - she and Edmund. If only she could turn back time and correct this event. She was sure would not let him share her umbrella.

Sydney was on her way from school, her eyes sunken and her skin pale. She was hungry. The rain poured down like a curtain of tears, matching her mood. She walked mechanically to her cubicle sized apartment, her small purple umbrella struggling to keep her dry.

"Excuse me," a masculine voice called out, "may I share your umbrella with you, please?"

Sydney hesitated, her eyes fixed on the stranger's charming smile. "Sure, you can," she said finally, her voice barely audible.

"I'm Edmund," he mentioned, trying to start a conversation. His eyes crinkled at the corners.

"And you are?"

Sydney's heart skipped a beat as he held her hand to keep the umbrella steady.

"Sydney," she mumbled, with her crackling voice.

As they walked together, Edmund tried to make small talk, asking about her day and her studies. Sydney responded curtly, her mind preoccupied with her problems. She did not dissuade him so he continued talking.

“I am a master’s student in biomedical technology. I’m new to this street. Do you have any friends here?”

Sydney was taken aback by his friendly demeanor, “am I not supposed to?” she questioned. In actual fact, she did not. She would have a thing for keeping to herself and some of her coursemates described her as permanently moody.

She tried to avoid Edmund’s gaze but he was able to get her attention. She noticed that his eyes sparkled with kindness.

“Well, I’d like to be friends with you Sydney. You seem like someone who could use a friend right now.”

Sydney’s heart skipped a beat, no one had shown her kindness in a long time. She said nothing as they continued walking.

As they approached his house, a duplex with high rent, Edmund asked, “Would you like to come in and dry off?”

Sydney, without hesitating, shook her head. He said “thanks” and ran off into his house, forgetting to ask for her number.

Two weeks later, Sydney returned from a hectic day to see her room plunged into darkness due to unpaid electricity bills. With an exam looming the next day, she was desperate to study, but her phone's low battery made it useless. She thought to visit the park nearby, she would study there for an hour or two as it was often lit and quiet. As she stepped out of her room, she was surprised to see Edmond standing outside, his face lighting up with delight.

"Oh, my friend!" he exclaimed. "I was just wondering which room was yours”. He tucked his hands in his pockets and added “I came to say thank you for your help the other day."

Sydney was puzzled, unsure how he had found her.

"I hope you don't mind my presence," he added, displaying his charming smile. "I thought I'd say hello."