Rebirth
“Without me, you’re nothing but empty space, Anna. You better remember that real well,” Igor said as he tossed the last piece of clothing into the suitcase and zipped it up with a loud snap.
His words cut through the dimly lit apartment like a cold knife. Anna stood in the doorway, her fists clenched so tight it hurt. She kept quiet, not out of fear, but because of a strange numbness.
It was like watching an inevitable disaster unfold, both terrifying and somehow captivating.
“What, not gonna say a word?” Igor straightened up and gave her a scornful look. “For ten years, I kept you going. For ten years, you hid behind me. And now what? You think you can make it without me?”
Anna slowly lifted her eyes. There were no tears in them, just the glimmer of the desk lamp and something new, something Igor had never seen before.
“I’m already doing it,” she said softly but firmly. His laugh sounded as confident as ever, but now it had a phony ring to it.
“Let’s see,” he said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. “I’m giving you a month. In a month, you’ll come running back to me.” The door slammed shut loudly, and the photo in the frame on the shelf cracked right between their faces.
