Her hands shook slightly as she touched the cap of the orange bottle that rattled with prescription pills. She paused before withdrawing her hand, licking her lip nervously, as her breath came in those fast little gasps an animal makes before it dies. Then, as if with sudden strength, she seized the bottle and twisted the cap off viciously, tipping a white pill into her hand and swallowing before sagging in her chair as though the action had taken all of the strength she had remaining. Here’s to a depression-free future, she thought to herself.
Kreyul leaned back in his chair, the legs balancing precariously on the floor as he fiddled with his tie. He was waiting for her to show up, the way she did every night - all teary-eyed and shaking - so he could hold her until the morning sun lit up the world. Then he would fade into the background again, the way he did everyday, always there, just not always visible. He waited and waited, his eyes trained on the door, but she never came. Suddenly, there was a deep shaking, the very ground rumbling and tearing itself apart as a gaping fissure erupted beside him. He let out a small shout of surprise as the chains wrapped around him before his expression turned grim as he froze, shifting uncomfortably as the cold metal dug into his ribs.
“She dare,” he wheezed, a soft chuckle emerging from his throat. “She dare try to chain me?” He threw his head back and laughed, his green eyes sparkling even as his ribs ached and complained at the pressure.
Cass threw on a sweater and brushed through her hair, looking into the mirror with a slight smile. She hadn’t dreamed last night, first night in months. It had been pleasant, waking up in the morning for once and feeling rested instead of more exhausted than she had been before she had gone to sleep the night before. She walked to school with a bit of bounce in her step, smiling at the people she passed instead of ducking her head and covering her eyes with her bangs like she normally did. Today was going to be a good day, she could feel it.
Kreyul strained against his restraints, gritting his teeth angrily until the chains snapped with a dissatisfying plink. He rolled his shoulders once, his neck cracking audibly as he stared angrily at the wall. He clenched his jaw, his teeth squeaking as they ground against each other in his rage. Throwing on his jacket, he threw the door open before stalking into the white space he was fond of calling “The Great Nothingness.” The key, he thought, is to walk until you find something worthwhile. Then latch a hold of it until it takes you further in.” He laughed quietly to himself as he began to formulate his plan for revenge. He dredged up old memories like a child, searching desperately through cabinets and drawers to find some lost toy, tossing them every which way without caring where they might land.
Cass froze for a moment, her hand hovering near her temple her eyes wide. The world suddenly seemed too bright, too loud, much to overwhelming. She blinked rapidly, feeling the anxiety swelling inside of her as she breathed slowly, trying to lower her heart rate. Today had been going so well, she wasn’t willing to give that up yet. She cleared her throat with resolve and moved forward, a quiet smile gracing her face as she greeted her friends.
He watched, angrily, as the memories refolded themselves, tucking themselves back into their little nooks and crannies where they belonged. Kreyul gave an angry bark of laughter. She was learning to fight him. His face hardened and his blue, blue eyes glittered with the challenge. He walked resolutely forward, smiling as he moved closer to the darkness.
He reached out a hand for a moment and brushed against a thread. His grin widened and he grabbed the thread and yanked, until the dark mass unraveled, and it spread, like a creeping mist, polluting the whiteness around them.
Cass froze again, this time because something felt wrong. She wasn’t sure what, it just felt wrong. The rest of the day seemed to blur past as her friends tried to figure out what had changed in their previously happy friend. That night, she sat up in bed, looking at the orange bottle of prescription pills before throwing it against her wall with a muffled thud before curling into a ball, praying for sleep to come and steal away her consciousness.
“Hello, darling,” Kreyul said quietly as he wrapped his arms around her. “I see you’ve given up on trying to get rid of me.” Cass made a quiet noise, full of pain.
“You can’t, you know,” he crooned. “I’m a part of you. You can’t kill off a part of you. You and me, we’re a team. Together forever.” And he held her until the morning sun graced the sky before slipping back off into the whiteness, to wait for night to come again.
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