I Look In People's Windows

Chapter 6

TW/mentions of eating disorder

Fearless

My head was pounding. I opened my eyes, slowly adjusting to my surroundings. I was in a dimly lit room. I couldn't move my hands. I looked down at them. They were tied to a chair. My legs were tied as well. My eyes moved around the room. There was a door, no windows.

I tried to recall how I got here. I couldn't remember properly. I went downstairs for something, I'm not sure what. I heard someone call me, or a noise? No, it was both. I turned around and then someone hit me. They must have tied me up and brought me here. I needed to call for help, I'd watched enough movies to know this wouldn't end well.

“Help! Someone help me!”

The door handle turned and a cloaked figure entered the room.

“Look who's finally awake!”

I couldn't believe who I was staring at. I was struggling to form words.

“It's rude to stare you know. Do you really not remember me? I know it's been a while but still.”

“Holiday Collection.” My voice was barely audible.

“Ding ding ding. 13 points to Fearless.”

“H-how are you here? Why are you doing this?”

“Hmm, let's see. It's the most magical time of the year, Christmas! Why wouldn't I be here?”

“This is a joke or something right? Untie me.”

“Nuh uh. You don't make demands here. Now shut up and listen carefully.”

“Let me go!”

“I won't say it again. Shut up. Now let's get to why I'm doing this. I used to be your friend. I used to be here every year. I loved all of you with all my heart and you all forgot about me.”

“That's not true.” Her hand struck the side of my face.

“I told you not to talk.” She started pacing around the front of the room looking at me with hatred. “I got locked away in the vault and you all threw away the key. None of you bothered to call me, to visit me, did you? No. New eras came along and I was forgotten!”

She stopped pacing in front of me. “So here's how this is going to go. I am going to take your place in the house and pretend to be you.”

“You're crazy! That's never going to work.”

“Oh but it is. I'm going to live your life. And I'm going to ruin everyone else's. I am going to make them hate you. I'll do small things to annoy them. Then it'll escalate. You'll make their lives miserable, it'll get worse and worse. They'll start to hate you. And then time will go by. They'll think about forgiving you and every time they think about doing that, you'll do something even worse. Eventually they'll kick you out of the house and then I'll let you free. You'll try and explain all of this to them and no one will believe you. You'll try and win them back but you won't be able to. You'll be on the outside looking in just like I've been for all these years.”

“No one will believe that you're me.”

“You're the one tied to a chair and you're still underestimating me? I've been watching all of you for months. I know how every one of you acts, all your routines, all your likes and dislikes and all your fears, especially yours. Your name might be Fearless but we both know that you're far from it.”

“What happens when they talk about something personal? What about when Debut talks about something only the two of us know about?”

“Your diary knows about it too doesn't it?” My heart sank.