Their Tainted Fingers

creepy cassette

Sunlight shone through the windows, pass the bulletin board, and into Rory's eyes.

"Why do mornings even come?" Rory groaned and dragged herself out of bed. Her hair was still wet, leaving the pillowcase soaking wet. Her journal sat on the nightstand. "AMNESIA" clawed on her brain. A lingering headache and throbbing remained on her head. What day was it? She checked her watch. September 5th, 1994. Flipping through her calendar of what she assumed to be 1994, September 5th was...

The first day of school.

She recalled what she did last year before the deadly bang on her head. Chandler came in screaming, telling her to wake up and be punctual. She had been very eager to meet new people, and do what normal people do: meet new people. Monroe, their peculiar neighbor, was one of the first few. Jesse, Dani, and Professor Terry, who was somehow Jesse's "dad."

Well, this was her second year. Rory did the math in her head. It was 1994, so her second year. Right. Her timetable was on the desk across from her bed. First class: Psychology, starting at 8. Apparently, students chose their own classes. What time was it? Oh, damn. 7.52. The watch stared back and tormented her, making her rush against the clock.

Picking out a yellow t-shirt and overalls. Grabbing her satchel, and a random empty notebook that was on her desk, she fidgeted with her keys as she locked the door, and jammed the button on the elevator. 7.55. The numbers on her watch glared back at her. There was no time to explain why she didn't have any recollection of the past year and a half. She was going to be late for class!

No time. No time. No time. No time.

The metal shaft opened in front of her, and she automatically pressed the button that made the doors close. The doors inched closer. Just close! They opened again, showing a chilled Monroe. Instead of her usual strange-colored cigarette, she was sucking a blue lollipop with a squelching noise.

"Please don't make that noise. It's disgusting." Rory frowned as she gestured for Monroe to get in, and she immediately jammed the close button.
"Well, thank you for asking! I'm fine, thank you." Monroe smiled, revealing her blue teeth, her voice dripped with sugar-coated sarcasm.
"Fine, fine. How are you, Monroe?" She plastered a fake smile on her face, hiding the dread of getting to class late.
"Well, thank you for asking! I'm fine, thank you." She literally repeated the words she just said. Just without the sarcasm, and the blue smile. She continued squelching on her lollipop. "What's your first class?"
"Psychology. Starts at 8. I'm going to be late. Does this elevator go any faster?" She frowned and looked at the ceiling.
"You're early, actually. You have 274 seconds! That's more than enough. Mine starts at 7 and ends at 10. I'm running a bit late, but what's the rush?" Monroe shrugged and showed her blue teeth once again. "It's blueberry. Sour, but tastes like genuine, fake blueberries. I like it. Want one?"
"No, thank you." Rory eyed the lollipop Monroe offered. It looks genuinely fake, and apparently tastes genuinely fake, according to Monroe. She didn't want her teeth to be blue for the rest of the day.

Finally, the elevator dinged on the first floor. "See you later!" Rory shouted behind her as she sprinted across campus.
"Don't trip!" Monroe yelled back.

Time wasn't going to reverse itself, and first impressions are not going to repeat. Rory ruined it for herself. She arrived at the building, panting her lungs out.

"Good morning, Miss..." The professor smiled at her.
"Aurora Schafer." She told him, and she moved as subtly as she could to an empty seat.
"Take a seat." He said before continuing his lecture.

Psychology ended in a flash. Rory flipped open her notebook over and over again, scanning the bunch of notes she had written in three and a half hours. She admired her handwriting before taking a glance at her timetable and walked to the cafeteria to meet Chandler.