BETH:
My sleep has been a mess for quite some time now. By now, I would think it get better but it hasn't. Troy only made it worse for me and I knew I had to go for a checkup before it gets to a point where I can't control what happens to my sleep.
I landed in the hospital an hour after the little incident that I cannot even make sense of as much as I would like to. But I wasn't going to let that overshadow my train of thoughts.
The heavens didn't seem to get my plan because why did I see the Ariana and Troy walking into the elevator as I approached it?
I wanted to turn back but I knew I couldn't risk it. Especially not with the way I was feeling. So I joined them and we got into the elevator without me saying a word to acknowledge them.
Out of nowhere, Troy asked me, "Are you sick?"
Without looking at him, I answered: "Just a bit of insomnia worrying me."
"Hmph. Remind me to get you something later. It might help reduce the lack of sleep you're experiencing," he said.
That sounded like the old him that was always thoughtful. It didn't move me however but it was nice to know that he still had a little bit of nice in him.
I think he was going to utter another word but Ariana suddenly whimpered like she was in pain which caused him to shift his attention to her. She couldn't even stand not being the center of it all for a few seconds and so had to force it back.
The elevator kept going up... Until it didn't.
The suddenness that came with a loud bang affected me. But what was worse was the lights that went out with it.
I was claustrophobic. And my fear kicked in the moment the lights went out. I had to crouch down in fear just so I could at least get a hold of myself as my panic made me start to shake terribly.
I was having a difficult time here. Why did the lights have to go out in this situation? Why did the elevator stop working? My mind is a mess right now and I hoped it would get sorted.
My palms were sweaty and damp as I held them together. I needed comfort but I couldn't even get one.
"Beth? Beth? Are you okay? Talk to me." I guess Troy didn't forget about my fear.
My response came out forced. "Y– Yes."
"Breathe with me. Close your eyes. It's going to be alright," he said, saying the same words that he said to me the last time something of such occurrence happened in the past.
I still remember when it happened. I didn't know how to react at that time so I found myself crying terribly. I was in a worse condition than this but guess who came through for me? Of course, Troy.
He had come down to my level at that time and embraced like I was the only thing in the world that mattered. At least that was how I had felt at that time. But now, he couldn't even offer to do such to me because of the woman beside him.
"Hold on, Ariana. Let me help Beth. She's scared of the dark," I heard Troy say to the woman beside him.
"But I'm scared too!" Ariana protested.
And that was what he needed to completely ignore me while I battled my worst fear. The longer it took for me in here, the worse I became. My condition wasn't something I could handle alone. It has never been.
"T– Troy," I whispered his name, hoping he would have a little sympathy and just help me out.
That little hope was shattered as instant as it came as he said, "Ariana needs me."
Tears slipped down my cheeks as I continued my long battle alone. I buried my head in my arms and it actually made it better for me just by a tiny bit.
After what seemed like an eternity, the lights eventually came back on and the elevator started moving again. I didn't stand up from the position I was in until the elevator reached the final destination.
Immediately, I wiped the bead of tears that had fallen from eyes and then stood upright. I was still in shock from everything that I found myself staggering as I began to walk.
"You don't even care about me, do you?" I managed to say to Troy, my voice exuding the hurt I was feeling. I didn't wait for a response from him before I continued to walk away.
I still had an appointment to meet up with and would have to deal with any other thing later.
