“I don’t have anything.” Elizabeth tried to speak confidently, but she sound rather pitiful.

Katherine turned around with a confused expression. Elizabeth continued despite the pain in her throat, “I have no money, no wealth... I have nothing to offer to you. There is nothing you can get from me.”

Only when the words came out of her mouth did she realise how much those sentences had hurt her. She hated it. The way her voice trembled as she struggled to stay strong, the fear of meeting the girl’s eyes, the knives stabbing her throat when she tries to talk… She hated everything. She hated how her life turned upside down… Yes, it wasn’t the first time in her life that she was left out, belittled, used and thrown away... But for the first time in her life, she realized what had been done to her.

Now she was resenting not even having a place to sleep. She was resentful that she couldn't even afford to buy water to drink. She resented her loneliness. She even resented that the tears she could barely hold back were blurring her vision.

“If you… want something… something else, I can’t do-”

“I don't object to being on the alert in a situation like this.” Katherine didn’t let her talk more, “I know this is weird, I showed up out of nowhere, offering you my help. You are right to be suspicious. However, I have no other intension than helping you. I would do the same for anyone else. And yes, you don't know me, but please don't say anything like that ever again.”

Elizabeth's gaze fell on the carpet, her eyes shined with more tears. She bit the inside of her trembling lower lip. Not knowing what to do, she pressed the back of her hand to her lips and tried to look away. She was sure she wouldn't be able to contain herself if she were to see the pity in the girl’s eyes. She couldn't believe she had been so helpless as to utter the previous sentence. She clenched her fist so tightly that her fingernails dug into her palm.

Katherine walked past the counter, a few steps closer to Elizabeth, but not very close. She was standing in front of her. Elizabeth was still looking away, struggling to control herself. Katherine's voice was quiet, almost like a whisper.

“You can stay here without fear. When you want to leave, all you have to do is leave. I don't want anything from you in return for what I've done or I will be doing in the future.” She lowered her head a little, “I’m sure it was so hard for you to say that.”

Elizabeth reached her limit, her sobs fading into the night. She could no longer control herself. Katherine's soothing voice filled her ears, “Everything might be so hard to bear right now, but tomorrow's another day, isn't it? You can stay here for a while, when you are ready, you can sort things out.”

And that was it. They didn't talk no more. It wasn't necessary. After Elizabeth had calmed down, Katherine had 'barely' managed to persuade her to sleep on the bed. "It would be rude to let the guest sleep on the couch." She said. So there she was, lying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, which she was seeing for the first time.

The smell of the sheets reminded her of the moment Katherine had carried her to the pharmacy. She clearly remembered the smell of roses coming from Katherine's neck. It was dazzling and beautiful. Was it her perfume?

As she shivered in the cold wind on the top of the hill, watching the city lights as she cried, she had made a decision. Somehow, she realized that it would be easier to let go of everything. Because every breath she took was like a poison to her mind. With every breath, every second, her mind reminded her of the past... How stupid she was...

She didn't think much of it as she climbed onto the safety bars. All she wanted was to silence the voices inside her head. She didn't expect that when she closed her eyes and took a step to the void, someone would catch her. Someone who was frightened more than herself. Why was Katherine so scared at that moment though?

She exhaled and closed her eyes. She fell asleep from exhaustion in no time.

While sunlight coming from the window washes over the room, Elizabeth screamed and jumped out of bed. She couldn't breathe, her whole body was shaking with great fear. She stumbled left and right inside the unfamiliar room. Barely leaning over, she vomited. Her heart was pounding like crazy. The reflections of her dream came before her eyes. The image of herself lying bloodied at the bottom of a hill, her arms and legs broken, her bones separated from her flesh... It was all very realistic. She remembered the moment when she couldn't move a finger as her whole body lay on the ground, her mind surrounded with pain…

Her cries for help echoed through the bedroom walls as she pulled her legs up and clutched them tightly. The panic that had wrapped her up was so strong that she was unable to control her own body.

At that moment, the front door shattered. Katherine ran through the bedroom, hearing Elizabeth's screams. She was stunned for a moment when she saw Elizabeth on the floor, but she quickly recovered and dropped to her knees, hold the woman’s shoulders tightly.

“Are you alright! What happened?!”

“AH! HELP! PLEASE HELP ME! PLEASE-”

Her screams were painful as if her whole body was in pain, “I- I JUMPED! I KILLED MYSELF! I- AH!”

Katherine took the woman's face in her hands and barely made her look at her.

“You didn’t! Look at me! You didn’t! You are fine!”

She grabbed Katherine's arms. She insisted with tear-filled blue eyes locked to Katherine’s, “I- I KILLED… I KILLED…! It- It hurts…! Please…”

"You didn’t. You're fine. You're okay…" Katherine tried to spoke calmly. The woman had rested her head on Katherine's chest, repeating the same words again and again...