TSFS: The Masquerade Striders

Tough Decisions

Delilah

It was the next day.

Still no signs of Bianca.

As much as I wanted to hide my face in my pillow, and scream until I lost my voice, I couldn't, not when my best friend was missing.

No one seemed to be taking it easy.

The walk home after finding Ashley was unsettling. Uncomfortable.

The entire vibes were off.

We all noticed it, but chose not to say anything about it.

It was too early to meet a confrontation.

We had arrived back at Hazel's house at midnight, us choosing to just all spend the night together, too scared to go home. We needed each other, we couldn't survive the night alone.

Madeline and I helped Ashley into a warm bath, washing off the dirt that stuck to her body, and then healing her wounds with some cot. Resecuring her scraps and cuts with some soap with water, then covering them up with a fresh bandaid.

None of us slept.

Not one bit.

Just the feelings of Bianca being dead, somewhere in a ditch, or suffering the pain of being shot, bounced through our heads like a trampoline, making us sleep deprived.

The next morning didn't feel real. Almost like we were all dreaming, having a never ending nightmare full of nerves, and rejection of happiness.

Madeline out of all of us, wasn't taking it too easy.

She stayed in her room for most of the morning, rejecting any food that was offered to her. She didn't eat, sleep, or even drink water. She just sat there, in the guest room bed, staring off into space. No emotion, no expressions, nothing.

It was almost like she was a mannequin.

He best friend of all time, the one she died with, was tortured with, went through hell and back, was missing, without a trace. No goodbye, no idea where she could be.

My stomach dropped just thinking about it.

Bianca was fragile. She had been through a lot. Between dealing with Luna, and dying in one of the worst ways possible, I couldn't help but think what she could be going through right now.

What if she was dead?

No, don't think like that Delilah.

-

"Have you talked to Madeline today?" Hazel asks me.

I look up at her. She had been fidgeting with her sweater, causing it to wrinkle up.

I shake my head.

She sighs before turning to Ashley, who had been watching TV silently.

"Ashley, have you?" She asks her softly.

Ashley just shakes her head, not breaking eye contact from the TV.

Hazel sighs again, before walking out of the room, and into her bedroom.

Everything we did just felt wrong.

I found myself staring off into space for a little while until,

Where is Maya?

I listen closely, trying to hear her out. I hear Hazel's and Drew's voice off in the distance.

It's coming from her bedroom.