prologue
Everything looked still the same. Which was a good sign, it meant that she didn't move away. She grabbed the key for the apartment, it was still at the same spot under the flowerpot. A quick look behind, just to make sure nobody has followed her. The lock clicked as she turned the key in its place. She pushed the creaky door open and landed in the living room. The room was a mess, just like she remembered. The couch table had empty pizza cartons and bottles on it and the tv was on. On the couch lay a woman. Once upon a time, she was very pretty but it was clear that her days of glory were long gone. The pretty woman she once was was replaced by a tired-looking, worn-out person, the only way she could keep up some of her beauty was with makeup. But it was no use against the damage the years of alcohol and occasional drug consume had done to her.
"Hey, mom. I'm back."
The woman looked up, eyes clouded. Surprise washed over her face for a second. Then confusion.
"How was school?", she finally asked. Elloise looked at the digital clock on the wall and furrowed her eyebrows. 3 am. That was not the reaction she expected. She stood there for another couple of seconds. What should she make of this reaction?
"I'll go to my room"
The only response from her mother was a hum.
Her room looked the same, too. Her bed with the pink pony blanket and pillow. Her little desk with her homework still spread on it. Her own drawings hung on the walls. Even her little pink school backpack stood still in the same corner.
But everything was coated in a thick layer of dust. And to Elloise it felt like the person who lived here was too, buried under the dust.
But at that moment she just wanted to sleep. She deserved that much. The bed was too small anyway, so she opted for the floor. It had carpet on it and wasn't even that uncomfortable. As she lay down, the exhaustion overtook her and she fell asleep.
Not knowing that sleep wouldn't bring her peace, but rather pain.