XXXIX

An apartment that was usually drowned in darkness and discomforting silence was now bedazzling in rays of the white lights streaming from the ceiling as soft music wafted from Emerald's boom box and echoed round the entire house, loud enough to chase away all whispers of muteness.

Completely acting in contrary to what she would normally do, Emerald had turned on all the lights in the ground floor of the apartment, ranging from the ones in the living room to the ones in the kitchen and down the hallway till up the stairs. She had also gone further to patronise Spotify, rather than basking in the quietude she usually craved.

Ever since Jordan had left — or rather, ever since she had told him to leave — Emerald had become irritated with the same silence and darkness she usually couldn't do without. Whenever she stayed in a dark and quiet place for a little while, her ears would start to zing in the silence and for some reason, now,