Masked Roses

Chapter Twelve

Hunched over the toilet bowl, I puked up the chips from my snack time and the small bits of sandwich that I had prepared for myself at lunch. A few drops of bile coming up and dotting the light colored upchuck in the white ceramic bowl. Wiping my mouth with a torn off piece of toilet paper, I tossed it into the water and flushed it before opening up the orange prescription and swallowing three of the pills in an instant. Even though I had no drink to chase them down, I didn't have a difficult time swallowing them as they settled to the bottom of my stomach.

Stumbling out of the bathroom, I walked to my room only to push the door open forcefully and walk to my bed. Face planting into the soft fleece-like material as sleep and fatigue pulled my eyes down, dragging me into the pits of dark slumbering peace.

As my one eyelid fluttered open, everything was a blur. As if it wasn't even though. Though as I focused more, the dizziness and obscuring of my sight vanished. I was staring up at a slate gray ceiling, making me tilt my head down as I came face to face with a mirror. My own reflection startled me, making me scurry back on my hands and feet as I stared into my own terrified face. Blinking slowly, I watched as my reflection began to smirk at me, standing up onto its feet as it leaned against the mirror like a glass wall between us.

"Look at the beautiful monster. Trying to chase away her fears with sleep. How pitiful. You can never truly run from your nightmares, schizophrenic. They'll taunt you and try to pull you back into madness no matter how many of those pills you take. Just don't take too many. Wouldn't want to overdose." They grinned, showing off their fang-like teeth, red dripping between the crevices and gaps between their shark-toothed maw.

"W-Why can't you just leave me alone..." I muttered under my breath. They raised a brow, their grin never faltering.

"Why? Because I'm the only reminder to yourself that you would eventually end up insane. You'll become mad with different emotions not just from your decrease in sanity. Love, hate, envy, or even happiness. You'll feel so overwhelmed until you're practically running back to me, a sobbing mess of blood, sweat, and tears as you desperately try to get away from the monsters you made." They let out a hollow chuckle. "But it's not like I'm going to help you. You're the only person who can help yourself. And a certain other monster..." They rolled their eyes and tsked, their grin turning into a toothy frown as they inspected their nails that were sharp like claws, or even talons. It was hard to tell from my point of view.

I clenched my fists behind me as I felt something warm drip onto my nose, making me flinch and look up. The ceiling started to open us, revealing a night sky as rain began to pour down onto my head. Pulling up the hood of my jacket, I covered my hair from the onslaught of rain as the room with the glass wall disappeared, melting like ice. I was surrounded by a forest, becoming drenched in cool water as it coated every plant around me.

It was impossibly quiet as I stared into the darkness of the trees, swallowing a lump in my throat as I laid on my side and wrapped my arms around my legs, pulling them close to me. As I closed my eyes, all I could think about was waking up in a warm blanket, back in my apartment and realizing everything was just a really...bad...dream...

A subtle knock on my door made me stir, pulling the blankets closer to me as I laid under the covers. I felt sweaty all over, yet cold at the same time. Was I sick? The only time I was sweaty and cold at the same time was when I had a fever or the flu. The knock broke my thoughts like a drop creating ripples in a pool of water. Looking towards the door, I spoke up, my voice feeling hoarse and scratchy as it came from my throat.

"Come in..."

The handle turned, the door opening to reveal Sadie and Toby, a soft smile on Sadie's face as she brought over a steaming hot mug and a bowl. I stared at her in confusion as she walked over to the bed, setting the steaming dishes onto the bedside table. She gently pushed away my bangs from my forehead, letting out a sigh and a hum as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "Still warm..." She muttered.