Horse Ridin' (Motionless In White)

Chapter 27: Never Too Late

Written: 10/20/16

Notes: I literally have nothing

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Rosaline didn't have time to feel overwhelmed. She didn't have time to do much of anything before she heard a voice behind her.

But it all sounded so far away. Everything sounded and felt so far away. Was Rosaline even in her body? It felt like she was on the outside looking in- just watching everything happen instead of actually living it.

Their parents stared at her with the same eyes she'd been afraid of ever having to look into again- her mother's sharp gray and her father's dark brown. Both such incredibly different colors yet equally terrifying to look at.

And then someone was standing next to her, a body she found so familiar it was like another copy of herself was standing there- Sirenia. 

Whatever the older girl had been saying died in her throat, the words slipping back wherever they came from. Her eyes widened, staring in horror at their parents. And their parents looked right back at them.

It felt like some sort of demented staring contest. Both sets were inspecting the other, seeing how the other had changed over the years and easily identifying what was still the same about each of them.

Much of what Sirenia and Rosaline saw in front of them was different from what they'd remembered. Suppressed memories had lead to the girls forgetting details about their parents appearances, yet in the moment of seeing them in person all of the features were coming back to them.

Their mother's small nose and thin lips that curled easily back into a sneer. Her formerly short dark blonde hair was now midway down her back, hanging over her shoulders in perfectly styled curls. Her face was weathered and she'd gained weight, making the strange looking pink v-necked shirt she was wearing stretch over her breasts and her middle. She had a headband holding her hair back out of her face, leaving her looking a lot like some sort of strange, discombobulated soccer mom. Yet despite trying so hard to look like a good parent in appearance she wasn't hiding anything- the deep hatred in her eyes that the girls were so familiar with was still there. 

Their father's hooked nose and beady eyes that were permanently scrutinizing. How tall their he was, 6'4" to be exact, and how scared Rosaline was when he stood close enough that she had to look up at him. How Sirenia had stood on her tippy toes as a kid to try and look him in the eyes. How he would snarl disgusting things at the girls, pushing and shoving them around like fleas. And in comparison to him that's all they had ever been- little, insignificant people that didn't matter much at all to him.

Their mother was the first one to speak. "Girls." Her voice came out hard, not quite angry but still very firm. Both of them shivered at the sound of her voice. "We have some things we need to talk about."

Sirenia wasn't sure how to react. Being the older of the two she felt she should be the one to speak first, but what was she to say? Was she supposed to be harsh and defensive or kind yet cautious? Everything in her was telling her to be harsh and defensive, if not for her sake then her sisters.

She stole a glance at Rosaline, not surprised to find that her demeanor was already hardening.

That was something Sirenia had always wished she was able to do as well as her sister. She could put up a pretty good front, sure, but Rosaline had her beat. Hell, she had everyone she knew beat and Sirenia was totally not afraid to admit that.

When Rosaline put on her mask it was more then a mask. It was an entire personality. An identity. She made herself look like the toughest, coldest, sometimes angriest person all to scare people away. She was never afraid of offending anyone when she got like that- in fact it was all about trying to offend someone. Anything she could do to chase them away was worth it to her.