Alters

Thirteen

~Meg~

I open my eyes, staring across the deep, mahogany table. Two middle aged women sit there, staring at me. I feel my anxiety begin to kick in; I'm sitting between two males, one of them being roughly the age that Miles is. The other men were. I bite my lip and look down, trying to conceal my mind from everyone around me. It isn't until I hear the voice of the skinnier woman do I finally look up.

"Well? Are you responding?" She asks in almost a snapping tone. I blink my eyes twice, giving her almost a glare.

"May you restate your question, m'am?" I ask her softly. I think Lyrics friend Casper had noticed that my voice wasn't the same tone as Lyrics, because he seemed to fidget a bit.

"How exactly did your mother die, Lyric?" She asks yet again.

"I dunno, I wasn't around when she died. Try asking Micah or Cecilia, trauma was different for me." I sigh. "Who must I ask to be excused from the table? And where is the restroom? I'd much rather not urinate in such an exquisite chair, in front of such high-end misters and mistresses."'

"I'll be excused from the table as well. Delicious strawberry savarin, Zoë. C'mon Lyric, the one upstairs is closer." Casper says, grabbing my wrist. On instinct, I nearly pull away, but I know I must keep up an act of being Lyric to convince this family.

Casper leads me up an abundance of staircases, taking me to what seems to be his room. I suddenly stop dead in my tracks the first moment I step into his room, tears suddenly streaming down my face uncontrollably. I sit on the floor at the entrance of his room, uncontrollably sobbing. Male bedrooms are my fears.

I can't.

I need out.

I want to go home, and I want out of this place.

"Casper, I can't. You can't. I don't want to." I mutter through sobs. Casper leans down, resting a hand on my shoulder. I instantly tense up, letting out a soft shriek.

"Lyric, what is-"

"Casper, I'm not Lyric!" I almost shout. "I can't do this!"

"Oh, are you Endora?" He asks, his hand moving off my shoulder.

"No I'm not! I'm Meg." I sob.

"Why are you crying?" He suddenly asks. "Why are you upset?"

"Because everything! I can't be in here, you don't understand! I need to go home, I need to get out of here! I'm too innocent, and I've done it too many times with too many people. Casper, don't hurt me." I sob. "Don't hurt me like everyone else..." I hug my knees, resting my face on them.

"Who did what to you? Meg, I'm not going to hurt you. I know you probably don't trust me yet, but you need to vent. Tell me what's wrong. Telling me what's wrong will bring Lyric happiness, and it'll lift a huge weight off your shoulder."

He looks me in the eyes, pain striking the inside of my heart. His eyes don't look strong like the others. His eyes remind me of looking into my own eyes; pain-stricken and broken. His eyes look trusting, unlike any of the other men. But then again, what is trusting? Who can I really, truly trust? Have I ever even looked into trusting eyes? Hurt eyes? Broken eyes crying for help?

"Casper, I want to trust you, I really do. I can't though. I don't know you." I say, tearing at my hair.

"You can, Meg. We can spend as long as you'd like getting to know me, trusting me. Lyric said you could stay out for as long as it's needed for me to find out. I need this Meg. Lyric needs this." He says in almost a begging tone.

I sit there, staring at him as I hold my knees. He seems to feel strongly for Lyric after just a day, which is almost humorous. It's almost like we're living a Fairytale or a novel. Everything happening so fast all of a sudden.