Mirrors

Chapter 1: Molly

March 27, 2017

"Mol!" I hear Connor shout from outside the tent, "Time to get up! It's your turn to check the traps!"

I groan.

"Molly!" He yells again.

"Okay!" I growl and make my way out of the tent, "I'm up, I'm up."

I make my way to the campfire where Taylor and Zooey are.

Taylor's lying stomach down on a log with her dirty freckle covered face propped up by her forearms, her hazel eyes stare at me.

I raise an eyebrow, "what? Do I got something in my teeth?"

She smiles, "no no, you're just beautiful you know?" She says with that kind of British accent of hers.

I roll my eyes, she's always saying weird stuff like that, I've gotten used to her endless flirtations. She laughs and lays her head down so all I can see in place of her face is endless waves of dirty blonde hair.

I look over to Zooey who's sitting cross legged in front of the flames smoking a cigarette, "you know that'll kill you right?" I say.

She scoffs, "what won't kill ya?"

I smile and sit down next to her with my feet outstretched so they can feel the heat of. The fire.

I look at her, she's got brown hair like me cut poorly at her shoulders, she's wearing a blue tank today with a pair of camo shorts, revealing clothes to show not only her long legs and ginormous boobs but her endless supply of cuts, scars, and bruises. She's pretty, she's about the only girl here without freckles, she's philepino and the boys here have basically been all over her since she joined us bout a year back.

I glance away because I realize I've been staring.

"So uh where is everybody?" I ask

She blows out some smoke, "Paul and Sharlotte are down at the lake maybe getting water maybe having sex. Connor's checking the traps cause he got tired of waiting for you to do it and Nicks probably off humping a warthog somewhere because that's the only thing that might give him a second look."

I laugh, "I don't get that boy, I mean I straight up told him I'd have sex with him and instead of actually doing it he goes and jacks off at the thought of it"

"He has a fetish I tell you," says Zooey, "an unnatural, disgusting 'I need to touch my penis now or I'll die' masturbation fetish."

Taylor speaks up with her voice muffled by her arms, "yah wull is enis is gonna all off if he doesn't top"

Zooey and I laugh, "ain't that the truth." I say just as Nick, Sharlotte, and Paul approach us.

"Ain't what the truth?" Nick says as he stuffs a piece of bread in his mouth.

"That if you--" Zooey starts but stops when she notices the loaf of bread in Nicks arms, "where'd you get that?! Gimme some!"

Nick starts passing the loaf around, "I went shopping, did you know that there's a costco that's only like three miles away? I stocked us up good."

I glance at him, "you know Nick I'm so grateful to you right now that I'm not even gonna correct your grammar."

He sits down and puts an arm around me, "aww shucks Mol that's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me."

I try to lean away from him but he won't let go, "yeah well don't get used to it dumbass."

He ruffles my hair.

This is it. This is life, this has been life for almost three years now.

There's seven of us all together. I'm Molly; 18, Zooey, Paul, Taylor, and Shar are 18 too. Nick's just turned 17 and Connor's 20. Connor found us all, he's sort of our leader. He gathered us and we all fled to the woods because only water shows reflections here and for some reason the reflections can't hurt us through water.

Paul and Sharlotte have been a couple since they lied eyes on each other.

Nick's got a thing for every girl here.

Zooey's lesbian.

Connor blushes when Taylor looks at him.

And I'm just here.

Don't get me wrong I would do anybody here I'm just not one for attachment.

Everything I love dies.

May 22, 2012

"So you're in a room with one match, there's a candle, a lantern, and a fully stocked fireplace. What do you light first?" My older brother Matt asks me as we're lying of the floor of my bedroom staring at my ceiling.

I think for a second, "uhh the lantern?"

I can hear him smile as he says, "the match."

I push him a little, "that was a dumb question."

He laughs and starts to say something else when Jaime comes running in.

He's seven and he never stops talking or moving for that matter, he's like a shark.

"Matty! Molly! Did you see the cake mommy got me? Didja? Didja? It's this big and it's ninja turtle and it's got chocolate frosting and oh my gosh do you think she got me new toys??? I hope she did! Last year all I got was socks!"

Matt and I exchange a look, "I could kill for some socks right now" Matt says holding up his bare feet.

"You're telling me, my socks are so holey I might have to give them to the church." I reply.

Matt and I hi-five while Jaime stares at us confused.

"Okay..." Jaime says, "Well I don't want socks, I want toys, lots and lots of toys, and movies, and comic books, and and and.."

Matt and I tune out and start talking over him.

"So where you going for college?" I ask him since he'll be graduating in a couple weeks.

He sighs, "I'm not going to college."

I look at him, "why not? I mean what are you gonna do work for dad the rest of your life?"

He shakes his head, "I don't know."

I sit up "But Matt you have to know, the rest of your life depends on it!"

Matt: "You're just a kid Molly you don't understand."

I glare at him, "I am not a kid. I'm thirteen."

He rolls his eyes and gets up, "whatever, I'm going to my room now okay?"

I follow him up, "no Matt! I'm sorry don't leave!"

I grab his arm accidentally pushing his sleeve up revealing a series of scars up his forearm.

"Matt...?" I say slowly letting go of his arm.

He pushes his sleeve down and walks out muttering "I'm going to my room."

I stand there in shock for a second and almost follow him but I figure he needs some space so I just leave him alone.

He doesn't come down for dinner or for cake, when it comes time to open presents mom sends me up to get him.

I push the door open and scuffle through all the clothes on the ground and see he's asleep hunched over his desk, looks like he was writing something. I pick it up.

"Dear Molly,

I assume that you'll be the one to find me so I addressed this letter to you. I'm sorry I have to leave you like this but there just isn't anything left for me here, I hope you'll understand. Tell mom, dad, and Jaime that I love them and take care of them for me okay? I know you don't see dad that often because he doesn't let you visit that much and he's always working but believe me, he'll need as much support about this as he can get, he's a big baby.

So baby sister I'm not going to college because I'm dead. I'm just so sad and it was time for me to go. I am so sorry Mol I hope you can forgive me.

Love,

Matt"

My eyes widen and I rush to check his pulse. Nothing.

I run downstairs screaming.