A story by Julia Semak

An unexpected draft from the window woke her up,
and she moaned tiredly. Suddenly she realised she was in the unfamiliar place and her mind ran. Yet another drunken night added one more nail of trouble to her tender cushion that is her heart, making it all so casually complicated. No alcohol will make up for this trauma she gained just two days ago, which feels like an eternity ago.
Jane had to call her mother Eli and break the news, and it felt like there was no time left, and she needed to do it urgently. Having hesitated for a while, she then quickly composed herself, and sighed. It must happen, otherwise there could be severe consequences.
She dressed up as quickly as she could and rushed to the front door of the studio apartment. Jane grabbed the keys and hastily dialled her mom. As she hurried outside to start the car, a small corner of bright yellow paper in the opening of her apartment’s mailbox drew her attention, making her stop
abruptly. She knew who did it, and that was what terrified her to the core. Jane stared at it, as if it had opened a mouth and whispered “You can’t hide from me, stop trying.” Her blackmailer was smart, and Jane couldn’t shake the feeling she was a goner. She had her chance to confess, and it was too late to change anything.
“Jane? What is going on?” her mom finally picked up the phone. “It’s after midnight, are you out of your mind?”
“Sorry, I pocket-dialled you,” Jane was choking back tears. “I miss you, mom.”
“Right. Can we talk tomorrow? I have a big meeting to deal with in the morning,” Eli replied impatiently. “Go to sleep, it’s late,” she hanged up the phone.
She made a deep breath in and decided to get to the car first, then she would plan her next step.
“It’s all in the head, it can’t be real. Oh, please don’t be real,” she whispered to herself, as she was looking for the car keys in her purse. A second after she found them, they were already on the pavement. Jane bent down to pick them up, and she went up only to see a horrifying image of her stalker, pointing a gun at her, in the car window reflection.
Eli woke up in a cold sweat. That last look on her daughter’s face, this is the thing she doesn’t want to remember. She doesn’t know the reason of Jane’s suicide, and Eli is the one to blame. Her only child was abandoned, helpless and miserable, and what for? What a cruel and painful way of punishment, that never gives her a break, even at night, especially then. There is no chance for this self-hatred to stop, and she knows so too.