Beyond Worlds

Chapter Three

"Anastasia, could you find homes for the new shipment of books that came in this morning?" the store owner calls from the back room.

No answer.

"Miss Anastasia, could you please..." he shuffles from the back room to where Ana is supposed to be stationed at the cash register, but she is nowhere to be found.

"Strange.." he mutters to himself, knowing that from anywhere in the store, she is able to hear him, "she must be using the bathroom."

She hangs her head over the sink, two tissues stuffed in her nose, though blood still manages to escape from its hold and drops of blood splash upon the surface of the white sink, making a bold contrast. Hearing the store owner call for her makes her sigh, hoping the blood flow from her nose ends soon. Her eyes travel from the blood speckled sink to her pale arms adorned with several small bruises that are different shades of yellow.

"I don't even know how I got those..." for a brief moment her face contorts into a look of worry and concern before she notices the bleeding from her nose has finally quieted.

Quickly she pulls the blood-soaked tissues out of her nose and throws them away, running warm water over her face and wiping away any of the dried blood that had been left behind. Ana looks at her reflection in the mirror, brushing her fingers through her ginger-colored hair and smiling softly. She pulls her sleeves down to her wrists before she makes her exit from the bathroom.

"There you are! I was beginning to think you had been flushed down the toilet!" the storekeeper chuckles heartily.

She cannot help but giggle in return; she shakes her head, "I just got a random nosebleed is all, you were wanting me to do something?" she raises a thin eyebrow.

His thick brows furrow, creases presenting themselves between the furry caterpillars, "Another one? That's the fourth one this week. That might be something you need to check out with a doctor."

Ana shrugs her slim shoulders, feeling indifferent, "Anyway, what was it that you were wanting me to do?"

He stares at her for a few moments, uneasiness clearly showing on his face before he snaps out of his train of thought and answers her, "Ah, yes. Well since we have some downtime, I was wondering if you could start finding places for the new shipment of books that came in this morning."

"Yes, of course, sir," she nods, making her way to the back room to grab a handful of books, without even knowing that more bruises were forming on her soft skin.

 XX

When Anastasia returns to their quaint home after work, she immediately collapses onto the cold floor. A mix of dizziness and fatigue hit her like a ton of bricks and she slowly, almost painfully slides herself along the smooth surface, far enough away from the door so that she is out of reach. She wonders if she will still be lying here in a pitiful ball by the time her mother arrives. A feeble laugh sounds from her throat and she closes her eyes, knowing she does not have the strength to pull herself along the floor, let alone stand.

Her gaze follows upward to the wall that is presented in front of her. Mainly pictures decorate the soft green color of the wall, except there is a single drawing. The drawing isn't very old; she had made it the beginning of her senior year. Her drawing over the years has changed and improved by leaps and bounds. Lord Nightmare no longer looks wonky and unproportionate. Muscles are clearly showing through his golden shirt and black pants. His hair is textured and appears feathery and soft. Her use of colors and shading has improved beyond belief, shading his face in such a way, showing clearly he has sharp, defined features. His lips are plump, the same color as his pale purple skin. Half the length of his large, pointed ears peaks out behind his bangs. The eyes are the most entrancing part about the piece of art though, even just studying them Ana feels a shiver run down her spine. She feels as if they stare into her soul, picking out every detail of it. Seeing her dreams. Seeing her hopes. And... seeing her fears.