Chapter 9.

My feet are too slow today, it's like they are made of steel or something and I'll explain why I feel this way. All the way from my room, down to the reception area, I have been dragging my feet and it's not by choice but my feet which are like rooted to the ground.

It's as if they don't want to move at all while my mom is moving about normally. I watch her talking to doctor Anthon, who's standing by my mom's car with her arms behind her back, giving off a more relaxed and content like expression while she listens to my mom blabber about God knows what.

When I said that my feet are too slow I meant it, I'm still standing in the front door, staring at my mom and doctor Anthon.

A soft hand touches my shoulder and I already know who it is. I watch the two ladies for a bit, being busy in conversation.

"You know how bad I am with goodbyes, so I won't say it."

" I know." I tell Vicky.

Doctor Anthon calls Vicky and I hear her take a breath before she moves past me and heads over to them. I watch the three women talk and the more I do, something in me feels more empty and unclear right at this moment.

" Bailey, time to go." My mom calls out, pulling me out of my thoughts .

Getting back to reality, I realise that Vicky had just said something whilst walking past me yet I did not hear her." Take care of yourself." This atleast I heard before it was too late.

I can sense that there's more that she wants to say but thinks better of it.

Heading over to the car, I realise that the situation with my feet hasn't changed at all, they are still dragging themselves, this time not only are my feet stubborn but my head and eyes too, which keep on looking over my shoulder and landing on one window in particular.

They expect to see someone there but sadly there's no one.

I watch as Patrick places my bags in the car for a moment before looking back over my shoulder again. My eyes never move from the window even though I'm quite aware of my surroundings, still they never move from where they are trained. I finally decide to look away, not wanting to waste anymore time and open the passenger door, entering inside with a feeling of resignation before I close it, slumping in my seat with a sigh of defeat.

" Bailey." Doctor Anthon nods my way before turning and walking off, followed by Patrick who also shares the same nod before following after doctor Anthon.

Vicky blocks my line of sight and reaches out her hand to touch my own, squeezing it lightly."Take care of yourself." She repeats and this time her words are clear in my ears.

I open my mouth to say something, when the driver's side opens and I know that my mother has just entered. Vicky steps away from the car and I already miss her, especially when she gives me a last glance before she walks away. I feel a light squeeze on my arm which makes me to glance at my mom, a small smile is being sent my way.

" Ready?" No.

I return her smile before looking away and back to the window.

This time however, the window is no more abandoned but someone is occupying that place, Connor.

He is looking at me and I'm staring back at him, I watch his hand move from where it was to touch the window. Staring at him is all I can manage to do at this point, when the car starts moving and the building is slowly moving out of view.

Something strikes in me, as though I'm awaken from sleep and only at this moment do I realize that everything feels wrong. My heart starts beating fast because deep down I know that something is about to happen. Luckily the traffic lights switch on to red and this is when I give my mom one last glance, the only thing which rings in my head are the words, I'm sorry.

" What?" My mom says, and I realize that I just said that out loud.

Not wanting to repeat the words, I take a breath while my eyes close for a second, I stare intently at the flashlight and wait. And I wait.

Green, that's all it takes for me to quickly open the door and burst out of the car, only to land on the ground since the car was beginning to move. I immediately pick myself up and start running, away from the car and getting further away from my mom's calls after me.

My heart beats even harder while I run as fast as I can. The center finally comes into view and that only feuls me to move faster. Once I'm in the premises, everything becomes a blur, even the gasps and shocked faces around me, I never stop running. My body is wearing out but even that doesn't make me stop, I run up a pair of stairs, taking two of them at a time and only when I reach my destination do I finally stop, and no it's not my room but the roof.

My breathing is still frantic and I'm trying to calm myself down while I take slow steps towards the edge, the air is cool and I'm liking how the wind combs through my hair, giving me something to take in, especially the sight that is coming into full view as I move closer to the edge.

I'm so in my numb mind that it takes some time for me to realize what I've just done and where I am.

I suddenly hear footsteps behind me, making me to glance over my shoulder to see Connor just a few feet from me, he stops moving right then and there.

" The view is really nice." I comment.

He doesn't say anything.

With this I turn back around and continue walking to the edge until I am a foot away. " You shouldn't be here." I tell him.

" Neither should you." He says and I can hear him much closer now.

" I know." I say, not even looking at him.

" Then why are you here?" He asks and now I can feel him too close.

I sneak a look at him again, and that's when I notice a frown upon his face, with a quick emotion, flashing in his eyes. It's something more like concern but he is quick to cover it with a more unreadable expression." I -"

I'm immediately cut off by a scream that comes from the bottom, bringing me to attention. I'm now quite aware of my mother who is responsible for screaming and looking shocked and terrified, it doesn't take more then two minutes for people to join her. Vicky, Doctor Anthon, Patrick and a few people, at first they question her until she points to the roof to where I am standing.

" I guess we've earned ourselves an audience." I say dryly.

" I think you're responsible for that." He tries to joke but I can hear the concern deep in his voice without me, having to look at him.

All I do is shrug. Just within a second of silence, I hear the people at the bottom trying to get my attention and begging me to come down, to step away from the edge and what do I do?

Well I block them out.

You know how there's a saying of things having consequences, well that's what I get when all of a sudden my body weight becomes heavy and I'm now lightheaded and feeling quite nauseas.

What is wrong with me?

" Something crazy, right?" That's all that comes out of my lips before I stagger forward and my vision becomes blurry, where I miss a step and all I remember is my body dropping until I can't feel it no more, where lights go out.