She had done it every night. Not because she wanted to but because she had to. It was the only thing that made her feel like she wasn't the only thing crushed.
At two a.m., when her parents were asleep and her cats were curled up in their pens, she would walk downstairs and the only sound to be heard was the creaking of the steps.
Creek
Creek
Creek.....
Then her bare feet would hit the soft carpet and she would make her way over to the kitchen. Her feet would scream as they made the first contact of the cold tiles.
Slap
Slap
Slap…..
She would open the cupboard and pull out a plastic cup. Then she would close it quietly.
She would walk over to fridge and click crush . Then she would stick her cup under the dispencer and hear the loud sound as the ice came out and fell into the cup. All her efforts to stay quiet now useless. She would look around to make sure no one was awake and then she'd make a dash upstairs.
She would sit down on her bed, her back against the headboard and stick her hand into the half filled cup. Her hands would jump at the cold contact with the ice. She would grab a small piece and plop it into her mouth, letting the cold liquid drip down her throat.
Maybe she ate it because it was the only think you could eat in bed without making a mess. If it fell it would just melt and a little water on her bed wouldn't kill her. Maybe because doctors always said not to. But deep down she knew the real reason. It was crushed, like her.
She would continue eating for a half hour or so. Until her cup was empty with nothing but a few drops of water remaining. But going unnoticed a piece fell on her shirt. Now tired she flipped onto her stomach ready to go to sleep but she felt a hard cold substance poking into her belly. She reached under and pulled out a piece of ice. After staring at it for a moment she chucked it at the wall allowing her sleep to take her away.
Even after being on the island she would continue eating her ice but only if it was crushed because it was the only thing that would make her feel -like she wasn't alone. It was crushed, just like her.