Chapter 3: Empty

Marie stood, setting the stuffed animal in her place on the chair. She carefully left the room, drying her eyes on the back of her sleeve as she shut the door behind her. It was only a matter of time now.

She stopped at the end of the hall, her eyes wandering around the living room. One of the first things that caught her eyes were Flynn's crutches, leaning against the arm of the couch. Just sitting there, waiting. Was he upset with her too? Did he even know yet?

Marie shook the thought from her head. It was too late to even care. There was nothing left to care about anymore. Lowering her head, she carefully made her way into the kitchen. She could feel it as she accidentally stepped into the puddle of blood. Her eyes went to the sticky mess that surrounded her foot, the mess that she caused. Marie was finally able to pry her eyes away, just long enough to spot the gun. That too was still lying on the floor, surrounded by its victim's blood.

The metallic smell was strong enough to taste. It was starting to get to her, making her want to gag. Tightly shutting her eyes, she took a moment to just breathe. "I'm so sorry Skyler," she whispered, beginning to softly sob. Now, she was able to finally open her eyes. She walked over and knelt down to the ground, her hand hovering over the weapon.

Oooooo

Marie closed the door behind her, locking it and then stood there, solemnly looking around the hotel room. Even if she were allowed to go back to her own house, she couldn't. It would feel empty and wrong. That was their house, not just her house.

Her hand loosened and allowed her suitcase to drop to the floor. The trembling returned. She didn't care. She had been overcome with this almost nihilistic attitude. So what if something happened to her? So what if their house was ruined? So what? There was nothing to go back home to, and there was no one to care if anything happened. She was all alone with nothing forcing her to go on with her life. No children, she lost her husband and her sister, and she knew that she would rarely ever see those kids. Nothing mattered anymore. It all meant nothing.

The air around her stood still and quiet. Normally, that would have driven her nuts. She ran her fingers through her hair, brushing it back from her swollen, red, tear stained face. In a zombie like trance, she proceeded to make her way to the bathroom, closing and locking the door. A shower. That was what she wanted, a shower.

She went to pull off her shirt, but her attempt failed. It was impossible to remove her clothing without thinking about that vile man. Marie's face twisted in pain and disgust as she pulled her hands away from the bottom of her shirt.

Taking in a shuddering breath, she looked up, catching her reflection in the mirror. She expected to feel some sort of shame or anger but, she did not feel a thing. She had forced herself to remain numb. She simply nodded, accepting what had become of her.

Dazed, Marie went ahead and started the shower. The water was almost scorching, immediately it had begun filling the room with steam. After a moment of just watching the water, she climbed into the tub, standing beneath the water. It stung as it hit her skin, but she barely even flinched. Her clothes were soaked, uncomfortably clinging to her, her make up running and smearing down her face.

Then it finally happened, she felt the pain, she was able to start crying. It was almost an instant sobbing. Her emotions pouring out of her. Her knees collapsing, causing her to fall to the floor. She leaned her side against the wall, one arm draped around her belly and the other combing her hair back from her face. She was in pain in every way possible, and somehow, it was a relief to feel it.

Oooooo

Flynn sat in his room. All the pictures of him and his father together had been removed. The very man that he looked to as a hero, he now viewed as a monster.

It was hard. Most of what he remembered about his father were good things. He could remember just over a year ago, just how much he looked up to him. What happened? Why did that have to change?

He laid back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. In the past few hours he had been hurt, scared, betrayed, and confused. Most of all though, he was angry. He lost his father and found out that everyone had been keeping secrets from him.

It all made sense now. His mother forcing his father out of the house, the tension between the two.

"Flynn?" Skyler called from the other side of the door as she gently knocked. She never really got the chance to talk to him about all of this. Even if he hated her right now, which she was sure he did, he deserved to hear her side. He deserved to hear why she stuck around and what exactly happened and not just some quick sob story that Marie had. Marie wasn't there, and she couldn't know what that man had put his family through.

"G-go away!" he yelled. That was all he had to say to her. Sure, he had heard the phone call earlier, but he wasn't sure that he believed it.

Skyler nodded. "I'll be out here whenever you're ready," she assured him. She lingered at the door a moment, hoping that maybe he would change his mind. A moment of silence passed.

Biting her lip, Sklyer lowered her head and walked to her bedroom. It was cold and lonely, but it wasn't all that different from when Walt was there. The last time that this place had any real warmth was back before Walt was diagnosed with cancer. Even before that though, there had been this distance growing between them.

Skyler went and sat down on the edge of her bed. She glanced over to what used to be Walt's side. Yes, she did miss him, but she missed Walt. That man that she fought with earlier, the one that took her daughter and ran, that wasn't Walt. Walt had died a year ago.