Reflections of Light

Driftwood

Maddie plucked the torn-edged scrap of road map from where it was pinned to her bedroom door, a bit thrown off by the enthusiastic over-use of purple glitter pen to highlight a specific area on the map.

At her place, Nyx was wrestling with the hoover when she found the glitter penned note pinned to her door.

'Call Maddie's phone.  -A'

Puzzled, Nyx scooped out her phone and dialed.

"Hi, Mads? Yeah, I literally just got a note saying to fall you. Signed 'A'.
So I'm a little worried, and checking you're alright."

"Was it by any small chance written in purple glitter pen?

"Uh, yes?"

"Yeah, I just discovered part of a crappy old atlas map tacked to my door, covered in glitter gel graffiti."

There was a long pause.

"Like, I don't want to say it's connected just on the basis of the same pen being used..."

"Oh, don't worry, that's not the only basis, contextually." Maddie muttered.
"Just come on over, we'll decide from there."

A while later, and they were walking along the sand of a small, deserted strip of beach, the early morning mist running in over the horizon as the waves softly rolled in and out.

A small driftwood fire flickered a little way up the beach, the flame-edges licking blue as the light highlighted a familiar silhouette.

Maddie adopted a no-nonsense tone as she approached. "Did you buy glitter pens, by any chance?"

"Oh, yeah. Glitter pens are great. Gel pens and red liquorice are like the best things in this world. That and bubble wrap. Oh, and duct tape. I love duct tape."

Maddie did not look amused. "Alright, Alysha, what do you want?"

"Ooh, we on first name basis now, Madeline?"

"I'm this close to smacking you."

"But you won't." Alysha sing-songed, settling back in the sand.
"Come on, sit down. Let's parlay or pow-wow or whatever. Have a seat."

She patted the sand besides her, eyes almost daring.

Nyx was the first to sit down, tentatively sitting cross-legged a short way away from Alysha.

Maddie stood for a second before following her lead.

Alysha whistled through her teeth. "Wow, I'm getting some cold gazes today.
I think we all started off on the wrong foot. I'm willing to wipe the slate clean if you are, so what do you say, truce?"

She extended her hands towards the girls, as if expecting them to take them.

Neither did.

Alysha dropped her arms, huffing irritably.
"Fear. One of the most universal traits amongst all creatures.
But direct it not on me, for I have done you no harm."

Nyx raised a sceptical eyebrow.

Alysha mimicked her, expression bleeding superiority.
"You're just sulking because I borrowed your boy-toy.
What do you need him for anyway? Life is just... So much more!

Men are all the same. They need women, they use them. We who give them life, and we who can take it away again just as easily."

The fire light flickered red off her skin, cutting her features sharp, and just for a second, Nyx could see something behind the flames.
Something ancient and primal.

She could feel Alysha's eyes on her, although she hadn't turned her head, just shifting her eyes to peer sidewards at her, smiling like she knew what Nyx was thinking, grin showing too many teeth.

"You can't just place blame on men for everything." Maddie interceded. "That's like... Well, wholey untrue, for a start."

"Oh, no, everyone is awful." Alysha said, with not one ounce of uncertainty in her voice. "Every single being in this world is inherently selfish, lying and manipulating to get what they want.
Love and loyalty are things better shown than said, but more often said than shown, wouldn't you agree?
But like everything in this paper world, it's all as changeable as the wind anyway."

"Wow, who screwed her over?" Whispered Maddie to Nyx.

There was a heavy silence hanging over the group after the last conversation, creating an almost heady, dreamlike atmosphere as they all stared at the fire, lost in their own thoughts.

"Nothing true comes free." Alysha stated finally. "Depends if you're willing to pay the cost."

Then Nyx noted what she was clutching in her hands. "Is that... Is that that book that Owen lost?"

Alysha raised her finger to her lips, making a 'Shh' gesture.
"It's funny how everything is reduced to stories eventually, isn't it? What a history to build a future on."

And with that she dropped it onto the fire.

Hope this is okay! Hope it flows somewhat, even if it doesn't make sense.
This took a lot of rewriting, to be fair, so... Hopefully it's not too bad? At least Alysha didn't end up offering around a bag of marshmallows like in one draft (I thought it was just a bit too cheesy for her.)