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Threads keep me in place. They anchor me to my chrysalis. I struggle against them, yet I'm powerless to keep them at bay. Only one chrysalis hangs from the thread of life. The second one never formed.

My hands push against the tough interior, stretching it outwards. My nails scrape, and a thick gel remains when I'm done. Gritting my teeth, I push harder, forcing an opening.

I tumble out. This is only the spirit world. In the reality, I've just been born, but I'm not crying. Not until I see how alone I am. He should have been here with me. But I'm alone. Truly alone. That's when the tears come.

The baby that is me begins to cry as well, soft sobs that don't hold any meaning. Those in the room are confused.

My mind is on other things, such as my beloved brother not meeting with me again.

{*}

I'm running, light as a feather, knowing that I'm being chased. The boy behind me calls out, "You can't escape, Lili! I'm gonna get you!"

As soon as those words come out, Ari pushes him down in her frantic hurry. His face makes contact with the ground instantly.

We both pause in our tracks. Ari runs over to him. "Are you ok? Kit, are you ok?"

He groans, pushing himself up. He shakes his head. "I'm fine." Then, he reaches out and taps Ari's leg. "Got you." As those words are said, he runs away.

She shrieks and runs after him.

I'm left standing there, feeling abandoned. They didn't even remember I was here. Tugging my large sunhat down, I stalk over to the trees.

{*}

"Sorry, Lilith, but we can't be friends anymore," Ari says, not looking apologetic in the slightest. She and Kit are standing together, hands intertwined. Ari tucks her hair behind her ear. "You keep "waiting" for a boy to show up. He's never going to. Grow up."

She turns away from me. I catch annoyance and malice in her gaze. Her lip twists upwards in a sneer. It's like when Gumina scorned Cherubim. It's the same expression. The same malice.

Kit doesn't care. He does what Ari does.

{*}

A boy approaches me, looking nervous. "H-hi, I'm Ayn." He holds out his hand.

I stare at it, before shaking it. "Lilith," I say, no meeting his gaze. "You don't want to be friends with me. I see people who aren't there."

To my complete and utter surprise, he laughs. "So do I!" he exclaims. "I'm waiting for my two friends to come back!"

I feel myself smile. Maybe I finally found a friend.

{*}

"Dear, this is Ma, a friend of mine. She'll help you with your problem," my father tells me.

I'm staring out the window, feeling quite bored.

"Ok," I say listlessly as I fold my hands in my lap. My expression is neutral, uncaring. A doll sits on the shelf by my window. "I don't care."

My father sighs. "I know, dear, I know. But she can also help you with your emotions."

If it wasn't for this stupid curse-thing, I would laugh. But I don't. I can't.

The woman comes over to me, examining me. It's as though I'm for sale. She's wearing a colorful kimono. Yellow, blue, and pink.

"She seems to have good magic potential," the rather odd woman whispers to no one. My body freezes up.

My vision turns a bruised purple. Hatred. I feel repulsed by her, and I don't know why.

She pressed her fingers against my forehead. "She's quite a doll, Hanma. In fact, she's wonderful. I can certainly help you. And for no price at all."

  My body relaxes as she speaks. I open my mouth, and she gently ties a ribbon around my head. Confusion swirls throughout my body. She puts her hands on my head again. And then she presses.

  Pain lights up, and I scream. I scream as though my soul is melting, as though I'm breaking apart, as though my will is being taken, as though I've been abandoned. She hums without meaning. I shriek, my voice building up to a crescendo. My wails of agony seem to shake the house.

  Something slides into me, just around my heart. I wail.

  "I am Levia Barisol," a female voice whispers. "But you are not suitable. You are not going to be my host."

  And then it leaves.

  My screams die. I feel off.

  Ma backs away from me. "Well, something went wrong. I'm sorry, Hanma, but I'm not quite sure I did any good."

  The man next to her begins to cry. "Lilith, dear, please, say something."

  An attempt to open my mouth works, but no words come. Every try leads to nothing.

  He grabs my hand. "Darling, please. Say something, anything."

  It's useless. I can't talk.

{*}

  The box is heavy. There's a gun, bullets, and a piece of paper in it. As I wait for the girl, I pick up a pen and begin to draw on the back of some scrap paper. It seems to be a grocery list.

  Eggs
  Milk
  Butter
  Sugar
  Flour
  Chicken
  Salt
  Breadcrumbs
 
  I don't bother with it.

  My drawing is of a stick-figure. It's me in my coat giving Nemesis her present. I know she won't like it, but I have to give it to her. At least it's not Gift.

  Footsteps let me know she's outside. There's the sound of the key unlocking the door. Her Ziz-tiama gurgles in its tank. The door opens, and Nemesis walks inside.

  "Oh, Postman. I wasn't expecting you," she says, and I see the worry in her eyes. My being there means a new order.

  I quickly sign my name on the drawing, as well as write something else down. Once I'm done, I get up to hand her present.

  Nemesis tears off the paper, anxiety written on her face. Her expression changes to something unrecognizable. I can't tell if it's happiness over a better gun or fear of the new victim.

  "I, uh, thank you for the gun." She pulls it out and aims it at me.

  'WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! I AM THE DELIVERY PERSON, NOT AN ENEMY, RIGHT?!m I don't flinch, yet I want to. 'Wait, it's not loaded, duh. Man, I am stupid sometimes.'

  "This is....this was Shiro's gun. Ah, thank you," she mutters without taking her eyes off the gift.

  I bow, happy that I completed my task. As I move to the door, I carefully knock offs the list. Her eyes track the movement, watching.

  Heading for the door, I glance back at her. She's kneeling down to retrieve the fallen paper. Her eyes widen as she reads what's written on it.

  "Sorry."

  'Merry Christmas, Nemesis Sudou.'