NINE TIME MACHINES: Do you want to undo your entire life on planet earth?

CHAPTER 153

A change of rooms is always a good thing. So say the ladies that watch over the Bunny House. Their faces haunt the oval room at night. Like a leaking faucet, they go drip; drip; drip; the alarm that tells the ghosts when to awaken and invade their old stomping ground. The caretaker always keeps to himself. Does he know something we don't? That they too had a Tessa? I wonder if they ever tolerated delinquents like me, and Hazel, and the others that Malika forgot to hand an eviction notice. And, if so, do they also go drip; drip; drip into the night? Am I surrounded by them now as I make my midnight rounds?

Come ladies. Jump down off those walls and have a seat. Some can take the benches. But you – the one with the most intimidating stare – you sit right here beside me. I've watched you judge me for four years. First, when Lily was around, and then when Hazel showed up. But I've got time on my hands now. So tell me. What do you see when you look down your nose at me?

"We see nothing, Mary," the intimidating one says.

I draw back. They're not supposed to respond. That's not how the game works. I get to taunt them while they cower in a corner. Oh, no! Perhaps I should've never invited them down.

"And everything," she continues. "We see the two greys in you. They're sworn enemies. That's why you haven't transformed as yet."

I decide to play along to see where this leads. "Enemies? How?"

"The dark grey will never be ash grey; neither will the ash grey conform."

"Is that what's keeping my skin rough?"

"Yes," the old matron says simply.

"So how do we get them to be friends?"

"They'll never be friends."

"Then my skin will stay like this forever?"

"Well, not forever. You won't be around much longer."

"But what if I could, Matron? What if I do live? How do I fix this?"

"You can't."

"Come on; there's got to be a way."

"It's up to them. They're the only ones who can fix it. They have to agree to disagree."

"But you just said they'll never be friends. Only friends can agree."

"Enemies do it from time to time too, you know. But not when there are barriers."

"Where's the barrier? Show me. I'll tear it down."

"You're the barrier, Mary. You keep choosing sides."

"That's ridiculous. I love my two greys."

"Look into the mirror of my eyes. Ash grey versus dark grey. Which one makes you turn away?"

She gets her answer when I catch sight of my naked body in the mirror of truth. I love my beautiful long hair and ash grey eyes. But what surrounds my eyes and dominates my body, I've been enemies with since forever. With that she disappears; and I sail on to another room.