Crooked Man

F I F T Y T H R E E

"Who should you be!?" Eleanor shouts. "Are you kidding?! You said we'd go home after you freakin' tortured us!"

"Well...I'm not done with you. And I guess I won't be done until I choose." Mary says, looking her right in the eye.

"Then choose! Please!" Cora shouts, crying. "I miss mom!" She starts sobbing, loudly.

"Let-Us-Go." Eleanor says clenching her fists and walking slowly towards Mary. "Now!"

Mary smiles. "Guess I know who to choose then."

"MONICA!" A voice screams. "There you are!" It's Rick. Standing in the hallway. His hair all messy and concern in his eyes.

"W-whaaaa...t...are you doing here?" I say.

"I came for you! You shouldn't be here!"

"And who should I be with? You?!"

"Yes! It's the safest!" He says.

I look at Crooked Man who is smiling.
He mouths the word "mirror" to me.

Then I look at Mary. She looks mad.

"Keep going." I Crooked Man says to her.

"I choose Eleanor. Strong, yet independent." 

She smiles
She looks at Eleanor
She looks at Crooked Man
"Are you ready?"

And then everything goes white. And when my eyes adjust, I see Cora, Eleanor and Crooked Man infront of me. Didn't think it would be this easy, honestly.

"I don't feel any different!" Eleanor who is ACTUALLY Mary says. (This is getting weird) "I'm supposed to be stronger! That's why I chose her!"

"Of course you don't feel different!" I shout.

Cora starts crying all over again.

"You took her body! Not her strength or independence. You are still a coward!"  Cora shouts. And she is shut by Eleanor. Stabbed, actually.

"Monica!" Rick says again.

"What?!" I reply. He's my murderer after all. Or he is going to be. Probably.

"Look! I had to die to save you! You can at least try and respect." I can see the disappointment in his eyes.

But in the forest, you can't trust anything. I answered him before, I won't do it again.