Entwined Souls

2//A Playdate

"Elizabe-"

"Ellie," Ellie corrected with her elbow on table, her hand on her face, and staring blankly out the window.

"Ellie, darling," Mrs. Hudson began politely, "Most 8 year olds are excited to have a play date," she finished, subtly becoming aggravated. "Besides, it's time you make some friends."

"They don't want to be my friends, mommy."
Confusion swept over her as she rushed to Ellie's side and looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Says who?"

"Zero," Ellie said.

"Zero is just a part of your imagination, Elizabeth. Remember?" She said. Ellie continued to stare out the window, clearly offended and giving no response.
"Ellie," she reminded her. She hated the name Elizabeth. And, matter-of-factly she could tell the difference between real and imaginary.

"Okay, well maybe you should just stop listening to Zero and he'll go away," she negotiated. Ellie looked back, her wide eyes glowing with blue. "Why can't I go outside?"

"Because you're allergic to wasps, remember?" Mrs. Hudson gave the same excuse every time.
"So are other kids."
"You're not like other kids," Mrs. Hudson insisted every time the topic popped up.

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"Hank! Get the door!" Mrs. Hudson shouted from the restroom.

"Get it yourself," he whispered to himself while opening the door.

"Emily! Thomas! How nice to see you. Ellie is just in the living room-" he turned to point, but the chair where she once sat was empty. "Ummmm... how about you sit down and help yourself to some juice." He forced a polite smile and invited the parents to have a seat outside on the patio. As soon as they left he went upstairs to find Ellie.

"Excuse me miss, but there are people downstairs requesting for your presence," he tried to kindly say.

"Nah,"

"You will come downstairs right now," he demanded, becoming impatient.

"Zero says he doesn't want to."

"Zero?" he began to yell, "Zero is not real!" he shouted, entering the hallway and slamming the door to his room.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

The three kids sat around a table playing a board game.

"So how come I have never seen you before?" the little boy asked.

Ellie shrugged and moved her game piece forwards. She was in the lead.

"My dad told me about your imaginary friend."

A wave of anger built up inside Ellie. She could never control this anger because it wasn't hers. It was someone else using her. Finally this anger released from Ellie, making Thomas's juice box squirt juice all over his face.

Stupid kids.

Ellie giggled. "Zero, just leave him alone," Ellie said quietly to herself.

One more chance, Ellie.

"Oops," Thomas laughed. "Anyways, he also said we were too old to have imaginary friends,"

Ellie felt the anger being built back up again. "Zero, no," she demanded.

"-and that maybe if we come here you'll have real friends and won't need Zero anymore."

Okay, that's it.

Ellie's vision went black. She felt the wave of emotions flood out of her like a dam bursting. The lights began to short out and the board game flipped over sending pieces everywhere.

"Hey!" Emily yelled, shocked at how it flipped without being touched. "How'd you do that?" She asked, furrowing her eyebrows. She gasped at the sight of Ellie's eyes glowing blue.

The pieces began to fly around the room.

"Cut it out!" Thomas yelled. As he screamed he felt pressure on his throat and couldn't breathe. He wrapped his greasy fingers around his throat, Emily got up and began to yell for help. She banged with all her might at the locked door where her parents sat outside trying to get in.

"Zero, stop it!" Ellie screamed.

The lights began to flicker. Lamps flung across the room, knick-knacks thrown off the shelves.

"Zero, why are you doing this?!" Ellie cried. "That's ENOUGH!" was all she had the time to say before blacking out and falling to the floor.