Gloomhunters: Slayer In The Shadows

2. The Locket

Klamentine Taylor

The brush was loosely stuck between her teeth, a blank face gawked back from the mirror with brittle frizzy hair and pale dry skin, her eyelids didn't seem to be apart and kept sliding down like a shutter of a garage, she felt as if all the heavy books from her bag had somehow warped inside her head and that stupid song she heard last night kept playing in her mind since she opened her eyes, school would be the last place Klamentine wanted to be today or any day, in fact, but she had to go and face that dreaded place with people stupid enough to think dancing with pom-poms in their hands is the best thing that could happen to their lives, the sad part, her sister was one of them.

She completed brushing her teeth, washed her face and picked up the hairbrush that refused to skim smoothly on her dry hair, she sought to a battle with the brush and pulled it down anyway, the brush won taking a chunk of her dry hair as a souvenir. Klamentine sighed rolling her eyes up, she knew what she had to do now, ask for one of those expensive hair serums her sister has, Amber always made sure that Klamentine knew how unattractive and plain she looked, she knew Amber would tell something like "oh dear, how could you live with those ghastly hair" or "look at my hair" or " uhh, don't let anyone know you are my sister" if she went asking for the serum but winters made her hair even messier than they already were.

As she clenched her fist to knock on Amber's door, she heard soft hummings inside the room, as she leaned ahead to listen closely, the door pushed itself open, Amber sat poised in front of the dressing table neatly combing her hair, the brush glided pleasantly on her shiny brown hair, Klamentine's hair were as brown as her sister's yet never shone as bright, Amber had those dazzling hair like one of those models you'd see on the magazine covers. Klamentine gulped before making a sound "umm Amber?" Her call went unnoticed amidst all the warbling, "Amber" she called, a bit louder this time, her sister didn't even bother to turn around, "yes?" she said spotting Klamentine in the mirror, "can I get your hair serum, please?" She asked noticing a furrow forming on her elder sister's forehead, "my serum?" Asked Amber putting the hairbrush down, "let me guess" she got up, "someone forgot to take care of their hair as they were busy doing nerd stuff, " she came to inspect her hair, "oh my poor poor babies" Klamentine heard her say as she took a few of her strands between her fingers, "darling, they are dead" Amber scorned, "how could you live with those ghastly hair", " listen, do you have anything? Or am I wasting my time" asked Klamentine pulling back her hair from her sister's grasp, "wait" Amber walked back to the dressing table and pulled the second drawer, Klamentine noticed a very small bottle in Amber's hands as she closed the drawer back, "this is magic!" she said holding up the bottle in front of her face, she pulled the bottle away when Klamentine tried to reach it saying "don't even try" with a scoff, "sit" said Amber escorting her sister to the dressing table.

"sit" she said, Klamentine felt Amber"s hands clenching her shoulders and pushing her down on the cushioned chair in front of the silver bordered mirror of the dressing table, Klamentine had never looked so ugly, her freckles seemed darker in Amber's mirror, she felt being bald would be better than to have those withered hair sitting atop her head, "now, I am only doing this because everyone at school knows that you are my sister" said Amber as she rubbed the serum gently between her hands, "I do not want to be known as the sister of the ugliest girl in school" her reflection sneered from the mirror, It would have bothered Klamentine a few years ago but she was used to it now, Amber's constant remarks on her appearance had made her numb to these jabs, she came in peace with the fact that she is indeed, ugly, which was not true at all, she was very much like her sister, they both had slender nose, a beautiful pair of auburn eyes and a plump upper lip and thin lower lip, the difference, Klamentine did not paint her face with makeup like her sister did. Amber ran her fingers moistened with the serum on her hair, her scrape was kind and tender maybe the kindest she had ever touched her, after rubbing the serum on her hair, Amber blowed her hair with the blower. Klamentine had an expression as if she had seen magic, she could not believe if it was her own hair or Amber had replaced it with someone else's, she skimmed her fingers through her hair she never thought could be this soft, they were not as good as Amber's but still, the best she had in years.