Mindful(l)

Chapter 18: Sacrificial Scars Singe Into Sorrow And Snakes

"...looks to me like he's interested in you too."

As I said all of this, I couldn't help but look away towards the window. Something about those words made me unhappy, probably the fact that Kanna, like everyone else, had that freedom that I could never have with this curse, to care about someone. To be frank, I was jealous. Jealous that she could finally have the bit of happiness that I could never have. I feel pathetic, thinking about all of this. I knew I was being selfish and unfair to her and to anyone else. After all, I was the one at fault for agreeing to be like this, I was the one who made the deal with Mother.

"Thanks for the advice," Kanna said, taking me away from my thoughts for a moment. Suddenly, her phone beeped.

"It's Lizzie, she wants me home." She said, reading the text, and stood up to pick up her book bag, waving goodbye and telling me to go home soon.

As soon as the sound of her footsteps faded, I went back to my gloomy nature. Then, instantaneously, I felt an intense pain in the back of my neck, 10 times worse than I'd ever experienced before. I suppressed a scream by grinding my teeth, and in the process, accidentally bit my tongue. It felt like something was being branded onto my skin, burning me so deeply, it would leave a scar. All of this happened in a matter of about half a minute. After that, the pain subsided, but I felt nauseous, as if I was going to faint any second now. I stood up and stumbled my way to the door. As I was about to trip down the stairs and fall, someone grabbed me by the shoulders, though I couldn't see their face. Could it be that Kanna had come back up?

"I came just in time, like always." she sighed, though it wasn't Kanna. It was Nancy.

Carefully, she helped me sit back on the floor, my back against a wall. She paced around the room, muttering over and over again: "It's happening."

"What's 'happening'?" I asked, my tongue still sore, and she looked over at me and sat on the couch.

"You're doing it again," she frowned.

Me: "Doing what? Wait, more importantly, how did you even know I was here and how did you find me 'just in time'?"

Nancy (scoffing): -you---hear-- "You still haven't figured it out? Figured ME out? Pfft, this is why you still think I'm Daisy."

Inner Demon: Pffft, are you hearing this, boy? She still thinks she made a convincing Daisy. HA!

Me: "Well, I'd assume that you can read minds too but since you don't react to my thoughts and all of the curses are supposed to be different, I highly doubt it. So, after giving it much thought, I concluded that you read memories. But, since that in itself is quite absurd and all of this I'm saying could make me end up in a mental hospital, let's just say that you somehow knew Daisy."

Nancy started clapping.

Nancy: Still-- maybe if-- "Bravo, Pretty Boy, bravo. So you're assuming I'm from the Society?"

Me: "Yes, we're all part of this horrible Society."

Nancy: "Oh, you know what I mean. The Alchemist's Society, The Philosopher's Order, The ELIXIR PROJECT? It goes by many names, but it's the same thing."

Me: "So, my suspicions were correct. If so, how did you even get cursed in the first place? Or was this power 'bestowed' upon you by the 'oh-so-great' leader of the alchemists?"

Nancy: "Now's not the time. The point is that I've been seeing your memories and I know what you've been reliving."

Gee, thanks for dodging MY QUESTION. Ugh, remind me to ask later, I sense another plot twist.