𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 ✔️

Chapter Thirty-Four

Alessia's wound was bleeding too much for her to just ignore it and go to her lesson. She did the best she could in the girls' toilets, and she knew the school nurse wouldn't be able to do much more. After handing back the control to her, Alessia had decided to just leave the school, taking on a guided tour down her secret path.

It was so obvious, yet I had never thought of it before.

When Alessia was out of school, she considered what to do next. She had always been okay on her own, but since Dylan had been so resourceful the last time she had injuries, she considered whether or not she could use his help again.

With a reluctant sigh, she decided against it and began to speed through the forest. When she had checked the time for the fifth time in just five minutes, I began to feel suspicious. Was Alessia's bleeding wound really that important to her? If it were me, I would not be able to leave the bathroom, never mind the entire school, yet I've come to learn that Alessia and I are very different people.

When she got to her house, and in record time, she cracked open the door hesitantly, and I thought maybe that was it—she didn't want to get caught by her dad. But then she left her front door ajar, spiriting up the stairs and into her room.

I knew she was in a rush when she didn't lock her bedroom door, something even I had learnt was a necessity when I was Alessia Trent. She dropped to her floor, hastily pulling out the wooden box that contained her stashed drugs.

I then realised what was going on.

She quickly checked the notes in her phone before stashing a bag of pills into her hoody pocket, which she had put on after discarding her blazer.

When Alessia left the house, she seemed to move faster than before—if at all possible. She got back to the forest in less than ten minutes, heaving as she leaned against the big grey stone I had seen on my first day as Alessia Trent. It was the stone that had 'Alessia was here' carved into it.

That seemed like a whole world away now. As if I was a ghost in motion, slipping into a new word, a transverse body transcending across two realities, falling into a stream that filtered me into pitfalls in Alessia's body.

It was weird. I knew I was Olivia Clark and not Alessia Trent, but my memories as Olivia Clark felt slippery in my grasp. They didn't feel tangible at all, as if they didn't even exist. I was beginning to lose myself in Alessia Trent's consciousness, no idea of how or why, or even if I would get back to the person I once was.

Someone cleared their throat, alerting both Alessia and I and making her turn around. A man dressed head to toe in formal wear nodded at her, and the two engaged in the quickest transaction of all time.

Alessia fingered the notes in her pocket, counting out £500, before thanking him, telling him, "May 12th." Before leaving.

It was the weirdest thing, almost like a ghost sighting—you can't prove it, but you're sure it happened.

It's almost how I felt about being Olivia Clark in Alessia Trent's body.

She got home soon enough and was staring at her still bleeding gash on the back of her neck. I then realised that she had no choice but to come home; she had to sell her drugs, and get her money. It was the only way she would get money.