A CAST OF PAIN (Closed For Editing)

Chapter Twenty

KORE'S POV

The environment had a surreal quality to it as I found myself once again in the form of little, deformed Kore. I lounged on a brown leather sofa, seemingly distant despite the television right in front of me.

Suddenly, a young girl of my age appeared, holding a glass of cold water, and stood behind the chair. She let the cup dangle in her hands for a moment before pouring the water on my head. The mischievous grin on her face turned into bemusement as she sauntered over to where I had tumbled in response to my stumbling. I attempted to get up, but she forcefully pushed me down.

"Awwn!" She began, "Did I scare you?"

By now, I was in tears, both my adult self and my younger self.

"You know," she taunted while circling me, "I got so sick of watching your disgusting figure sitting on this chair that I thought, 'What on earth could I do to get your stinking, god-forsaken body off this million-dollar chair?' Because who knows, you might infect me, my mom, and my dad with your deformity. So, I decided to empty this," she said, raising the now-empty cup menacingly, "on you."

"And you should be glad it's not hot water. I just wasn't patient enough. I would have loved to see blisters on your skin. It would make you such a beauty," she added with a wicked smile.

As she continued her cruel words, I could do nothing but cry, both my past and present self overwhelmed. I felt immobilized, allowing her to hurl daggers in the form of hurtful words.

"Too bad, though, you can't understand a thing I'm saying because you're just a stupid, dyslexic imbecile," she hissed.

"Gosh! You disgust me. I wonder why Mom and Dad adopted you. I wanted a sister, not a monster!"

Little me was now attempting to escape while older me watched her move about the room, delivering her hurtful diatribe.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" she yelled, but little me continued to move toward her goal.

"Come back here, you moron!" she screamed and yanked my shirt. "I'm still talking to you," she scowled and pushed me to the floor, causing little me to cry once more.

"Shut up!" She yelled again, delivering a hard slap, followed by another. "Who told you you could leave? Who?" Another blow sent my head to the ground with a resounding thud, and I passed out.

"Hey," she called, but I was unresponsive.

"Hey!" She screamed, still without a response.

Realizing the gravity of what she had done, she began to back away slowly.

"Hey, get back here," I tried to say. "You can't leave!" I shouted again, but she was gone, slamming the door behind her. I struggled to move, desperate to follow her, but I couldn't.

"Help! Help!! Somebody help!!!" I screamed, but all I received was silence. I continued to scream until I woke up.

"Kay, you're awake," Jojo gasped, sitting by my bedside and holding my hand. She must have been there the whole time I was unconscious.

"Jojo, what happened?" I asked, bewildered. "The last thing I remember, I was in the living room. Did we go to bed already?" I asked while looking around the familiar room.

"You passed out," Jojo said simply.

"How? I was fine just a few hours ago."

"I should be asking you that. What happened? Are you okay?" She asked, her voice and face filled with concern, her palm still resting on my hand.

I sat up in bed, still confused. "And, look at your face." Even without touching it, I knew my cheeks were swollen from tears.

"Those dreams again?" She asked.