Babysteps

Standing at the top of her stairs made her feel uneasy, but with slow steady steps, she made her way down and reached the front door.

She was left with the option of opening or not. Orei hesitated, before turning the knob and letting the cold air fill the room.

"Heya! I'm back as promised!"

Jecca stood there with a bright smile. 

"Mind if I put my backpack in your house?"

Orei moved to the side and let Jecca into the house. The bag fell with a thud as books started to fall out of the unzipped backpack. 

"Ah… I just hate math! Why does it need to be so much… AND SO DAMN DIFFICULT!?!"

Jecca frustrated looked around Orei's house before asking her if she wanted to go out into town to get something to eat.

The eyes of Orei danced around in her sockets as she was trying to come up with a reason not to go outside.

"We can get some pizza or burgers?"

But as Orei had finally come up with an excuse her stomach growled and Jecca teasingly squinted her eyes at her.

"C'mon… I know you are hungry."

Looking back into the kitchen Orei thought about the spoiled steak and the pickled jars in her fridge. There was absolutely nothing in there and she hadn't had a proper meal in 3 days. 

~GROWL~

Orei held her stomach trying to make it quiet. 

Sensing that she could maybe use this to finally get Orei outside she grabbed Orei's jacket that had been gathering dust for the past 3 years and brushed it off.

Jecca then wrapped the still dusty black jacket around Orei and took hold of Orei's hands.

"Let's go!"

Hesitantly, her feet started to move towards Jecca's direction.

But as she was leaving with Jecca she stopped.

"What's wrong Orei?"

She stopped and turned around towards the stairs. On the second floor, right in front of the stairs stood her brother, waving his hand towards her. Maro had the same smile that made Orei's soul melt. It was as if he was happy for her, to finally take a step outside. 

"C'mon lets goooo!…."

Jecca said tugging on Orei's arm.

But then Maro's body contorted and twisted around. Blood dripped from his hands. The next second he was lying at the bottom of the stairs staring at her with those empty sockets for eyes. A pool of blood gathered at the bottom of the stairs as Maro's body finally levitated up into the air becoming the dark entity I saw in my reflection. 

Just like a monster it slowly dematerialized and vanished without a trace.

"Jecca, I think I should… no never mind, let's go."

Finally having convinced Orei to leave the house Jecca ran out of the door waiting for Orei to follow her. The shoes that had been lying organized on the shoe rack for years stood waiting for her. 

She pulled her black shoes out and put them onto her feet. The shoes barely fit her anymore, it was super uncomfortable and tight but then she looked at the shoes next to them. A pair that had also been gathering dust for years. It was Maro's pair of shoes. 

Her eyes moved back and forth between her shoes and her brother's. Even if it felt uncomfortable and unbearable as if her feet were being smooshed from all sides she decided to wear her shoes instead of taking her brother's.

Orei took the key from her front desk. It was her and the door. Jecca was standing outside staring at her whilst walking around in circles.

Taking one more look behind her, she saw nothing and finally decided that it would be okay. Everything would be alright, nothing would happen. One side of Orei wanted nothing and just wanted to stay inside all couped up in her room. The other one… wanted a change.

The cold wind continued to blow onto her face making her long uncut black hair sway.

All she needed was one step, she wanted someone to help her, the door was right in front of her but yet she couldn't bring herself to advance.

A gentle touch on her back nudged her forwards. She felt a warm benevolent being behind her, encouraging her to move forward. To leave what she had behind and live in the present.

The cold wind turned warm as she felt something caressing her head with a gentle stroke. Then a push, her feet moved forward. It touched the welcome mat. It reached the threshold of the door. It touched the cement foundation of the outside. 

She felt the wind grow colder and colder the more she left the house but then with a final gentle shove both her feet were on the stone foundation of her house. Opening her tired eyes she saw how little things had changed. 

Red leaves fell from the trees as the gentle autumn wind embraced her. 

"Let's go Orei, I'm starving!"

Orei was still trying to absorb everything in. The fact that she had actually stepped over the threshold and was outside after 3 years. It was a surreal feeling and it felt as if she was living in a fantasy world outside.

She struggled to push the key into the keyhole as her hand trembled but eventually, she managed to lock it and turned back towards her best friend who was still waiting patiently for her.

"I'm ready."