𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐉𝐔𝐌𝐏 𝐀𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃

three

THREE.—
( jane and beverly's first sleepover)
❝ AND TILL THE END YOU'RE MY VERY BEST FRIEND. ❞

—

Jane sat alone in her basement; she could feel her heart beating furiously behind her rib cage, as if it were trying to jump out of her chest. In the corner of the room sat a mirror with a sheet covering the front of it. Jane watched it intently, her breaths shallow and quick. She could see it, in the uncovered corner: a face, staring her right in her eyes. It's flesh was a dirty white, with cracks lining it's skin like veins. As it's golden eyes pierced right through her, it curled it's red lips into a menacing smile. It looked eerily like a clown. She hoped her mind was playing tricks on her.

There was a raw, horrifying aura that came from that mirror, and it rolled onto her in waves. Jane pulled her knees up to her chest, nestling her chin between them. "Jane," a hoarse voice whispered to her, "come here, Jane..." She closed her eyes tight, fighting back tears. It's not there, Jane, she told herself, it's just a mirror, there's nothing in it. You're imagining things.

Slowly, she opened her eyes. Low and behold, the face was gone—but in it's place stood her foster sister, Marie. "Jane," her older sister snapped in her face, "earth to Jane! Gosh dweeb, you looked like you were dying."

Jane laughed softly, unfolding herself as she looked up at her sister. "Hey Marie, sorry about that, I just thought..." she trailed off, looking back to the mirror.

"Thought what?"

"Thought I saw something is all," Jane scratched her forearm, "just my mind playing some tricks on me."

"Right," her sister drawled, "well, I snuck you some dinner. Thought you might be hungry; we had grilled chicken tonight." Marie passed her a plate of chicken and rice, with a small pile of green beans on the side. Jane looked up at Marie with adoration in her eyes. Marie was the only mother-figure that Jane had, and she did the best damned job she could. Marie treated Jane as her own: giving her all of her old clothes, feeding her every chance she got, sneaking her up to the bathroom to shower every time her parents left.

"Thank you Marie," Jane smiled wide and set the plate down next to her, standing up, "you're the best." She hugged Marie tightly, who smiled as she returned the favor.

"Of course Mudball," Marie said as they separated, using the nickname she gave Jane when they were much much younger, which made Jane cringe, "mom and dad are leaving around four tomorrow, do you want me to sneak you up to the shower?"

Jane thought about it for a second as she sat back down, pulling the plate into her lap and beginning to eat. "Well, I'm going to the Quarry tomorrow," she said between bites, "so it'll depend on when I get back." Marie cocked an eyebrow, sitting down next to her.