Mirror Image (Under MAJOR editing)

Chapter 3

Usually Nan would have gone for supper regardless of what was on her mind, but she just couldn't get herself to eat. She stared at the... meat? on her plate. She just couldn't eat it. She had a steel stomach, being able to eat almost anything but this was not the problem. She had something on her mind.

"You have to eat Nan. What's wrong with you today?"

Well, what's wrong with me is that Marley chick won't get off my mind. She's so strange, why...

"Shut up Nan. She's just your roommate. She means nothing to you."

I know that's what I need to think, but I don't know what it is about her. I NEED to know more. I've been searching for adventure and she is it!

"Soldier, get your head in the game. Is she really worth the risk?"

I think so.

"I think so is not going to work. Yes or No."

...Yes.

"I'm not sure that is the most logical move, Nan."

Neither am I.

"Maybe you would be if you eat. You're a doctor, you know that without proper nutri..."

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Nan screamed, except that it was not in her head like before. She physically yelled it out.

This was the thought process of Nan. Unlike most people, she has a literal voice in her head helping her make decisions. She may never know if it is just her head or if there is more to it. She just knows that the voice had gotten her through thousands of tests and hundreds of life or death situations and today was the first time she doubted it.

Marley had a similar process of thinking, just a lot more complex.

Unlike Nan, Marley was used to not eating.

"Talking to yourself again Nan?" Marley sat down next to her friend and set her food on the table. Marley laughed. "I know you have a voice in your head."

Obviously. She had to since she was staring off and then yelled Shut up. No one was even talking.

"And like you don't." Nan commented back to Marley.

"I do not have a voice in my head..." Marley retorted.

Yes you do. Shut up.

"I think things through."

No you don't. I help you. I do everything. You just say it. I do all the work. Duh. You are my brain. Anna is going to drag you down so you can't reach your full potential. Nan is her name and she is actually helping me... cope with others.

"Marley, you okay?" Nan looked at Marley spacing out with worry.

Marley snapped back into reality. "Of course I am." She snapped. "I am just thinking about something. Completely fine." Marley looked down at her untouched food. "Nan, are you done or are you going to try to enjoy this horse meat? And yes it is horse meat. Look at the consistency."

Glad you don't eat? Of course. I can survive and I am not going to eat horse meat. That is for dogs, not me.

Nan looked at Marley. Something was up. "Yeah, I am done." Nan stood up with Marley and threw her food away, making sure the guards didn't see and started walking down the hallway.

Marley looked straight ahead with a blank face. For the first time in her life, she was confused. She had been faced with remorse. She never really missed her parents. Sure, she saw them dead on the ground, but she knew that feeling bad for herself wouldn't help the situation so she pushed it aside and finally she could care less. No, it wasn't for her but for Nan. Nan had found out today that her parents were actually murdered and not accidentally killed in a car accident... and Marley had been the cause of Nan's heartbreak.