An Arcane Scrapbook Collection

DWC /// Day 23 - Collab

For today's prompt I had to collaborate with another author to write the first half of a story and the second half of a story (with wc's anywhere from 250 to 500). 

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--My first half:--
3 a.m. Tears...

They say crying is liberating. That it's freeing to let it all out. That sometimes you just need to give yourself a moment, take a step back and cry it out. That you will feel better afterwards. 'Renewed'.

I never shared that opinion.

I hate it. Everything about it.

I hate the pressure that builds in my chest until I can't breathe. I hate how my throat closes up, preventing the words from leaving my mouth. I hate how my vision blurs, forcing the tears to flow out in order to be able to see.

I hate the way people look at me... With that look of... of pity. I hate it. All of it.

My lips tremble as I look out into the night above me from my windowsill, watching the beautiful sight of a star-filled sky blur until I'm forced to shut my eyes and let the tears slip down my cheeks.

I try to hold it back, rub the tears away from my eyes before it escalates, but it's no use.

A sob escapes my lips and I shudder, lowering my head as I bring my legs close to my chest, burying my face into my knees in a feeble attempt to hide away as much of this pathetic state from myself as I could.

It was too embarrassing. I couldn't even bear the sight of the outlined reflection in the hazy glass.

A faint rustling sound interrupted the silence and I immediately bolted up, holding my breath as I looked over to the other side of the room where the bed was. Where Camille was, sleepily searching the sheets for me. It was the place where I should be... but lately I wasn't.

Was it bad that part of me wanted her to know...? To notice and... to comfort me. Tell me everything was going to be alright and hold me... maybe then I could finally sleep. But the other side of me would never want her to see me like this... this pathetic... this... weak.

What would she think of me?

I waited until the rustling stopped before turning back to the outside, trying to keep my eyes up in an attempt to stop the tears from gathering again, but it didn't work for much, as expected. I took a shaky breath, gently resting my head against the window.

It felt nice. The cold on my skin. It hurt. But it was soothing...

And I could finally focus on something else. The cold on my skin. The ache it left behind. But that too was short lasted, interrupted by a voice. Camille's voice, speaking my name.

Abruptly I turned around, watching her standing a bit further away from me, staring me down with those tired judgemental eyes and I felt my throat close up all over again.

"Why are you awake...?" 

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--My second half:--
Girl in the Rain

Raindrops soaked into the sleeves of his sweater, and at this point he wondered why he even bothered with the umbrella. All it served to do was slow him down from reaching Jes.

He folded the umbrella shut and ran, trying to guide himself through the traffic with the help of some occasional sound, but he had to be careful if he wanted to avoid an unfortunate situation.

It was a strange kind of storm. Not the threatening like a fire kind, more threatening like the sea is. Usually harmless, but capable of great damage.

In between the thunderous commotion occurring in the sky he heard a voice. Not Jes's voice. A voice he hadn't heard in so long.

He stopped dead in his tracks, searching his surroundings for the source but it proved difficult with his limited vision. He brushed his hair back, catching his breath as he tried to find the voice, but it only spoke once.

He turned around, starting back to where Jes had run into when he saw her.

A little girl, no older than three years old, standing in the middle of the rain, seemingly unaffected by the downpour of water. Her clothes somehow intact, as was the curly bundle of hair on her head.

Ryu stared. Unable to make sense of what he was seeing. "...Marie?" he whispered out, unable to believe the name leaving his lips.

The girl didn't respond, she simply stared at him with glassy eyes, her hand gripping the worn-out stuffed bunny tightly, like it would somehow slip away.

"Marie" Ryu repeated, this time louder as he took a few steps forward, dropping the umbrella onto the floor. He reached a hand out for her but ultimately pulled back, unsure if this was actually happening.

Tears swam in his eyes, gathering up till they slipped down his face and became one with the raindrops. "Marie- Marie! I'm sorry-!" he cried out, trying to reach out for her again but he couldn't. He hung his head, shutting his eyes and hoping it would all go away. "I'm so sorry, Marie- I didn't mean to- I- I'm sorry"

But when he looked up again, the little girl was gone. Nowhere to be seen. "Marie... Marie?!"

A tap on the shoulder made him jump and he looked back, meeting with Jes' concerned look. "Dude? You good...?"

Ryu stared at his friend for far longer than any sane person would before looking back to where Marie had been, now but an empty space. "I... I'm fine..."