Truth or Death? [on hold]

Instincts

Hello :) This chapter is kind of strange and I don't know if I like it yet, so please tell me what you think about it! I had trouble writing it and will definitely be going over it again. It's also a bit shorter than my previous ones but oh well. ^-^ Enjoy! x

My eyes still heavy with sleep, I pulled myself out of bed and used the ensuite to freshen myself up. The too-white bathroom had me squint my eyes as the light bounced off of the walls and smooth tiles.

I let the water pull me out of my slumber, letting it glide across my face and through my dark hair. And I stood there for a while, not thinking about anything; I just stared into space my head empty of the thoughts that I had me kept awake for hours the previous night.

However the temporary numbness was short-lived.

After my shower, everything ached and the empty feeling at the pit of my stomach was still eating my insides, worming its way up to my heart. It felt like something was weighing me down—something so heavy that if this did not stop soon, my ribs would start cracking and breaking one by one. The sensation filled me with emptiness.

Could one even be filled with emptiness?

I inhaled loudly and rested my wet hands on the sink, making sure to not look at myself directly in the mirror. Each breath became harder to draw as the seconds ticked by—and the harder I tried the more difficult it got—almost as if my lungs were blocked and crammed with cotton balls.

I cried out and gasped. Then something hit me right in the gut. It was a memory—one I had buried and kept hidden—or more like a snarky reminder. It was something that was left unspoken but still lingered around. I felt myself lose grip and fall as the darkness claimed my body once again.

***

Her dark hair was loosely plated, allowing some wispy strands to dance whenever she moved. She had slipped on her favourite white dress and her new pink shoes—in all honesty, that day when she got ready to go out, she almost felt pretty. Almost.

The neon lights of the surrounding buildings shone instead of the non-existing stars above. She stood very still on as the wind was wrapping her with its autumn chill but it didn’t bother her. In fact, she welcomed it gratefully.

It was nicer than being in that hot and crowded hall with adults watching her every move and with Luke pinching her arm whenever no one was looking her way; she had learned to keep smile and nod when she needed to. She had learned to not complain and to not bother with Luke’s snide remarks on her appearance.

No one would listen and she had almost grown used to it—but she was tired of it.

The night in the city was enticing in a way that even made a fourteen year old forget about inhibitions; it was the only explanation she had for her sudden impulse to rest on the very edge of the roof. It was as if she had drawn out a new found fearless persona. The height of the building on which she was standing amplified it as she let distance between the ground and the roof fill her with an unknown feeling.

It was powerful, energising and... dark.

Butterflies erupted in the pit of her stomach as she took a slow, shaky deep breath.

Everything appeared so small, so insignificant from where she stood. She bent over slightly and stared, and stared... Can I do this?

                “Can you do it?” said an unfamiliar voice; though judging from the sound of it, it sounded like a boy of about her age.

She jumped a little, startled by the voice behind her, nearly making her trip forward. Despite the near accident, she did not dare to glance over her shoulder to see who the person was. Au contraire, she just kept her eyes on the small people down there who constantly moved and resembled ants.

                “I want to,” she whispered as she extended her arm forward in a conflicted manner that made it look reluctant.

She heard the steps grow closer and stop right behind her.

                “But you can’t, right? At least not on your own.” He placed a hand on her shoulder and drawled, “I could help you, you know? It’s not that scary.”

***

"Lexi?"

A sharp pain stabbed through my chest as the blurriness that had clouded my eyes started to wear off. I felt a cold surface against my body and realised that I had somehow ended up on the floor.

Images of my dream still remained fresh in my mind. The wind, the height and the boy I never got to see. The boy who, despite being about my age, seemed to know much more than I ever will; you could just tell by the way he spoke.

                “Lexi?”

Andrew's voice echoed inside the room as I barely managed to clutch onto my towel like it was all the dignity I had left. And somehow it was. No matter what situation I was in, I did not want to be seen like that. Exposed and weak. It wasn't a good way to start the game.

Strange pattern stained my vision like when you rub your eyes for too long and I let out a scream which sounded more like a squeak. I struggled on the tiled floor, writhing as a sob escaped from my lips. My hands slipped as I tried to get up and hit my chin hard on the floor.

My body took a mind of its own as it started to twitch and twist in worrisome angles. The pain grew more and more unbearable by the second; it was like being torn apart limb by limb, slowly but surely. Like someone had cut me open and was digging my organs out with their bare hands.

I don’t want to die, please.

                "Is everything okay in there?" His voice sounded worried behind the door. "I'm coming in," he said after clearing his throat awkwardly.

The door opened and all I remember was his blue eyes on me and everything stopped. The pain, the breathing, the feelings, the taste of blood in my mouth. Even time.

Lying on the floor was the corpse of a girl. Mine.

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