Chapter 2: Cold Cabin

A month had passed since Zoe's untimely demise. The official ruling on cause of death was suicide by jumping.

The mere concept of that did not sit right with Ari. She could not forsee a world where Zoe would take her own life. That was not the Zoe she knew and loved she thought.

As more and more news and rumors came out about the autopsy Ari questioned if she knew Zoe at all.

It turned out that Zoe was in fact two months pregnant.

On top of that rumors circulated that Tom was celibate for religious reasons meaning the cat was out of the bag about Zoe's infidelity just that no one knew who got her pregnant.

As more and more damning gossip was spread about Zoe, the cloud hanging above Ari grew bigger and bigger until it had completely engulfed her into an inconsolable grief ridden depression.

"Ari, sweetie I know your hurting and I know you're not ready to talk but just remember that I'm always here okay. I made you breakfast, I'll leave it here for you when you're ready. Daddy loves you okay sweetie" a bald chocolate skinned man with a greying beard said as he set down an assorted breakfast of toast, eggs, sausage and orange juice.

Having cried herself dry Ari opened the door a short while later grabbing the tray of food and heading back into her room.

Hearing her phone beep with the hundredth message from Dave checking up on her she grabbed it and sent a waving hand emoji.

Immediately putting it back down her heart ache renewed by seeing her phone lock screen wallpaper of a drawing Zoe had made of the two of them together.

"Ugh" Ari said slumping against the seat of her desk in her bedroom having managed to finish a meal for the first time in a month.

Sighing she grabbed her tray and took it out of her bedroom.

Walking down the hall of her family home as a grey rainy sky reflected how she felt.

Walking into the kitchen noticing her father sitting with her aunt on the couch in the living room who immediately stopped talking when she walked past the living room toward the kitchen.

"Ari, honey...can we talk?" her aunt asked in a soft tone.

Ari walked over to the living room and sat down looking out the window and the increasing rain and wind.

"Honey, I know your grieving and however you choose to deal with it is fine but you do have to deal with it" her aunt said as Ari looked over at her.

Moving closer to Ari her aunt placed a hand over her hand and continued:

"Sadness is like...cement, if your in it you have to move before you end up stuck there" she said squeezing Ari's hand lightly.

Feeling a knot in her throat Ari swallowed spit and stared at her aunt.

"Thanks for stopping by auntie but I'm not gonna feel better anytime soon" Ari said as tears welled on her eyes and she got up and walked away.

Begrudgingly letting her leave her father stayed seated unsure what to say.

"Patrick come on, your supposed to do something. Look I get that this was never your thing even when we were kids but look at her is she even eating? She's getting thinner" Aris aunt said in a low voice looking at Patrick sitting with his head in his hands as her heart sank seeing her brother freeze up.

"Okay okay sorry I know your doing your best-" Ari's aunt said before getting interrupted by Patrick.

"Well it's not working Wendy. She needs help and I don't know what to do, fuck...fix it for me. I know she's my daughter and she deserves a dad who can be her rock but I'm lost and stuck please sis fix it for me" Patrick said as his voice cracked.

Moving over to Patrick she placed an arm around him rubbing his shoulder and patting him on the back.

"Shit" Patrick said as he looked up from his hands now teary eyed.

"Okay okay don't worry I'll take care of this, don't worry. Ari still love drinking milk by the way?" Wendy asked to a surprised Patrick.

"Um...yeah, wait should I be buying more milk or something" Patrick said standing up.

"No no no wait. That's not what I'm saying but hold on I'll be back later" Wendy said standing up as she grabbed her coat and headed out into the rain.

Sitting in her room Ari monotonously looked at her phone idly scrolling through it.

She noticed posts about a social media influencer taking their own life and she recognized some of the people posting about the tragedy as classmates.

Her inner cynic was vindicated as she recognized the girl spouting on about kindness and positivity as one of the girls gossiping and snickering at Zoe's wake.

Feeling her sadness bubble and boil into anger she typed out a long scathing profanity filled reply to the girls post.

Reading over it she saw her own pain and thought better of it and deleted it before pressing send.

Putting her phone away she decided to just continue wallowing in her own self pity.

Later that day as th rail worsened Wendy came back into the house.

"You could knock you know, shit your soaked. What's in there?" Patrick said popping his head out around the hall to see his soaking wet sister holding a white plastic bag.

"Hey to you too Rick and it's for Ari" she said pulling out a white and green carton of milk.

"Milk?" Patrick said looking incredulously at the box.

"Yeah, put it in the fridge and the next time she gets a glass of milk, boom she'll wake up feeling better" Wendy said handing it to Patrick.

Looking down at the carton Patrick removed the cap and sniffed it and gagged somewhat.

"Your lactose intolerance the fuck are you doing" Wendy said looking at Patrick plugging his nose and wincing.

"Well you handed me a carton of milk and you said it's supposed to make Ari feel better, figured you put something in it" Patrick said eying up Wendy.

Not noticing anything he looked at the packaging not noticing anything different to what he'd assume was in a normal carton of milk.

"I don't get it what's this supposed to do, you put something in it or what?" he asked.

"Look it's normal milk just a bit of camomile to help her sleep better, you saw the bags under that girls eyes a good night's sleep and we try talking to her again tomorrow" Wendy said hanging up her coat.

"That's your solution? Bit of sleep?" he asked taking the milk and placing it in the fridge.

"Who's the psychologist here" Wendy asked sarcastically.

"Okay okay whatever you say doc" Patrick said shrugging and rolling his eyes.

That same night Ari having not eaten anything outside her breakfast went downstairs and raided a cabinet for cookies.

Grabbing a half full bag of cookies she went to the fridge and pulled out the innocuous carton of milk and poured it into a glass of milk.

Taking her snack for dinner to her room she sat and ate it at her leisure.

Having finished yet another uneventful day she changed into her pajamas and got into her bed. Turning off the lights she let the sound of rain guide her into a deep sleep.

"Where am I?" she said waking up in an old but soft bed covered in fur blankets in an old run down cabin.

Sitting up in a dazed and confused state her heart dropped as she heard a banging sound coming from a nearby cabinet.