The Angry Princess | Dana Newman

Chapter 1

Her surroundings are pitch black. She can't decide, for a split second, whether she's blind or it's just dark as she blinks in an attempt to adjust her eyes to the darkness. Finally, in the distance, she can make out a bit of light. It's subtle, but it's there. She can't make out what it is, however, even as she squinted at it.

Mel. A familiar voice giggles somewhere behind her, but when she peers over her shoulder she can't make anything out.

She faced forward again, and stumbled back a step or two when she realized that what had been causing the light was right there in front of her. It was a sink; pretty, with a marble counter. Something that would belong in someone's fancy bathroom, she was almost sure. And, sure enough, there it was when she looked to her left--a polished white clawfoot bathtub. Though there was no light in sight, both the tub and the sink were so prominent within the darkness that it was as if there actually was a light on somewhere. Curious, she peered around; but, aside from those two items and herself, there was only darkness.

When she turned back to the sink, there was movement, and she froze when she realized it was another woman. Not only that, but she was an exact replica of herself. When she took a step back, so did that woman. After a moment, she tilted her head and slowly walked back up to the sink, curiously stretching a hand out towards the clone. When their fingers met, it was as if glass parted them, very much as if a mirror was supposed to be there.

"Interesting," she murmured, hardly acknowledging that her clone did the same.

Drip.

She glanced towards the tub, where the noise had come from; but, as she stared hard at the faucet, there was no sign of any leak. Make-shift reflection forgotten, she slowly lowered her hand to her side as she walked up to the bathtub, eyeing the faucet wearily before glancing around as she approached it. It was still darkness, the sink, the tub, and herself; even her other self was nowhere to be seen. But then, that was precisely how a mirror would work.

Drip.

Quickly turning back to the tub, she was frustrated to find that there was nothing to be seen. In fact, it was entirely empty. As she stared hard at the drain, however, she thought she caught movement on the stainless steel ring, and she froze for a moment before she sunk to her knees. Nothing happened for a good minute or two as she looked at that ring around the drain. But then, there it was.

Behind her reflection, something moved. There was nothing when she looked over her shoulder, so she turned back to the drain and began to lean as close to it as she could, knuckles turning white as she gripped the tub, the edge digging into her hips as she bent down over it, knees digging firmly into the dark ground. Her eyes narrowed as she stared hard at it--that obvious sign in the reflection that there was something there, behind her. As she squinted at it, it moved again.

Two lips brushed against her ear, and she could swear she felt damp fingers sliding across the back of her neck. Mel.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Melinda gasped sharply as she abruptly sat up, sweat causing her hair to stick to her forehead as well as the back of her neck, and she sighed in relief when she realized where she was. Though a part of her had been aware that she had been dreaming, another part of her within that dream was absolutely clueless. When she felt pain in her hands, she looked down, frowning when she realized how red and white her knuckles and fingers were from clutching at her sheets. In fact, as she forced herself to release them, she even noted that her nails had torn them up the tiniest bit.

"Interesting," she muttered as she slapped a hand at her alarm clock to shut it off.

"Mel!" The voice belonging to none other than her best friend, Dana Newman, sounded in the distance, along with the slam of what she was sure was the front door. The two of them didn't live together, but that didn't stop Melinda from giving her a key to her apartment. "Melinda-- Oh, there you are." The gorgeous woman was already crossing her bedroom, red hair bouncing around her shoulders as she strode up to her closet and drew it open. "Where's that shimmering emerald blouse you wore the other day? That little thing would look fantastic on me, don't you think?" She was yanking hangers back and forth as she spoke, not even giving Mel a glance as she sat up on her elbows. "Ah, yes, here it is!" She whipped around with the new shirt Mel had just gotten herself the other day, and went to the other side of the room to stand in front of the mirror that was sitting at the corner, holding it tight against her chest as she struck a few different poses before turning to look at Mel. "How about it, then?"