𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐀𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐀𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 - 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑

[Friday, September 13th, 1985. THEN.]

"Move your ass!", Robin's voice rang through the house from downstairs, "We're already late!"

"You know, you could just get your driver's license and start chauffeuring me across town," you muttered as you continued to dab concealer at the deep shadows underneath your eyes, pausing for a second as you stared at your reflection. You barely recognized the sickly looking girl in the mirror, with her hollow eyes and dull hair. She looked like a stranger passing by.

"Concealer won't fix everything, you know", Robin's voice chimed up from behind, and you whirled around, hand pressed over your heart.

"Jesus, Robin, will you stop sneaking up on people."

"I wasn't sneaking. I was literally trampling. I don't think I'd be able to sneak even if I wanted to." Giving your tired face a once-over, she added helpfully, "Damn. For these rings around your eyes, you don't need concealer. You need wall paint."

"I hope you're not using the same communication skills to woo Vickie," you deadpanned.

"I'm just commenting."

"You're judging."

"I'm pitying."

"Because that makes it better," you groaned, turning back to your reflection in the mirror – and froze.

Because the reflection in the mirror had changed. Beneath her skin, your skin, there were creeping, tar-black veins, writhing like a living, breathing thing, an infection spreading over your hands, your arms, your throat, up to your face.

And from your eyes in the mirror, that evil, hollow thing stared back at you. Unmoving, unwavering, as you watched the vines creep over your face like a horrid tattoo – and in the shellshocked silence, your reflection's lips tugged into a sly, vicious smile as she tilted her head.

Did you miss me, little one?, the thing in the mirror wearing your face whispered.

This wasn't real.

It couldn't be.

It was gone. The Mind Flayer was long gone –

"You're not even listening to me, are you?", Robin's voice cut through the numbing panic blooming in your mind, and you blinked. The reflection in the mirror blinked back. There were no black veins writhing beneath her skin, nothing evil in her eyes. She looked perfectly normal and incredibly tired.

"Wh – what?", you breathed, turning around to face Robin just as your friend waved her hands in front of your face, knocking them right against your nose.

"Sorry, bad coordination. I'm a human octopus. You look even shittier than two seconds ago. Are you going to faint? Please don't faint. I'm neither strong nor steady enough to catch you and I'd probably faint right alongside you with panic so that'd be the two of us, knocked-out cold together and missing the first period, and I totally can't get into detention for being late because I need to be at band this afternoon to quietly swoon at Vicky because it took waaaay too long to do that stupid eyeliner just for me to be stuck cleaning trophy shelves. So please don't faint, okay?"

You opened your mouth to tell her you'd be fine, but the exploding dots of pain in your vision made your voice fuse into a hiss as your hands flew up to press against your temples.

"Okay, slow," Robin said, panic raising her voice a few octaves as she grasped your shoulders and guided you to sit on the edge of your bed. "Here." She pulled something out of her jeans' pocket, holding a tiny white pill out for you. "Advil."