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A musty smell filled her nose as she finally began coming back to her senses. She slowly opened her eyes - or rather, eye - to find herself staring up at the ceiling in a strange dark room.
She sat up, rubbing the grogginess from her eye. Her entire body felt weak, her throat was scratchy, and her stomach growled like a hungry beast.
Craning her head, she tried to survey her surroundings. She looked about the room to find dilapidated walls and broken furniture all around.
Her head swam in confusion. Where was she…?
She tossed the blanket atop of her aside and pulled herself to her feet. She wandered through the room, surveying her surroundings. Her gaze drifted from the shattered pieces of glass on the floor to scratch marks on the walls to the torn up carpeting. It looked like a wild beast had rampaged through this room; never in her life had she seen a place so disheveled.
Yet regardless, this place felt hauntingly familiar to her.
Way too familiar…
It was only when her sight landed upon a portrait hung on the wall behind the desk that she slowly realized where she was. Carefully stepping over broken glass, she made her way to the portrait to get a better look. It couldn’t possibly be… she had to be hallucinating.
But indeed, the subject of the portrait was exactly who she thought. Despite being obscured by a thick layer of dust, her eye widened as her sight registered the picture.
“No…” she croaked out, her voice struggling to pierce through the dryness in her throat. She placed a hand on the surface of the portrait, her heart pounding. Dust clung to her fingertips as she ran her hand along the surface.
The portrait was a picture her and Julie the two had taken together while in the hospital a decade ago.
This was Julie’s office in the hospital.
She was back in this wretched place where she’d been locked away for over a year…
A million conflicting thoughts flickered through her brain all at once. Looking at Julie’s sweet, innocent face, she couldn’t help but feel anger bubble up in her heart. She could never look at Julie again without contempt, unable to banish the memory of Julie’s hands grasping tight around her throat from her mind. No amount of apologies from that girl’s mouth could erase the deep stain her actions left behind.
And yet, at the same time… she still couldn’t help but love Julie, no matter how hurt she felt.
Ten years ago, when she’d been in the hospital, she and Julie had been the closest of friends. Over time, she slowly developed a crush on Julie. How couldn’t she feel this way? While all the other nurses treated her like a monster, Julie was the only one who truly saw her as a person deserving of love.
Julie had almost made her feel like a normal girl…
Hell, Julie cared enough about her that she’d hung up a portrait of the two of them in her office.
Even after a decade, those feelings still hadn’t faded away…
But clearly, Julie didn’t feel the same way anymore.
So she couldn’t help but wonder: what had happened between then and now? Why did Julie suddenly despise her?
Why did Julie want her dead…?
She stumbled across the room, her legs weak beneath her. God, was she exhausted. When was the last time she’d eaten or drank anything?
She continued exploring the room to get a sense of her surroundings. The lights were flickering and everything was covered in dust. It looked like no one had stepped foot in here in ages.
She knew that after a whole decade, the hospital was bound to be different.
But she hadn’t expected the place to be abandoned.
So the question was, what had happened here? How did this place become abandoned…?
As soon as she spotted the door, she made a beeline over, desperate to get out of this wretched place; she wanted to be as far away from this hospital as humanly possible.
But when she tried turning the door handle, it didn’t move. She tried couple different angles, but it simply wouldn’t budge.
Great, she thought bitterly, rolling her eyes, The fucking door is locked.
She let out a deep, exasperated sigh. Not only was she trapped inside this hospital again, but on top of that, out of all the rooms inside the hospital, she was locked inside this stupid office. Just brilliant.
With nothing better to do, she just kept inspecting the room. She wandered over to the kitchenette, where she found a couple snacks sitting atop the counter, accompanied by a small note. Her eye flickered across the paper to read the words scribbled down:
Here are some snacks for you! I’m sure you must be hungry! I hope you enjoy!
- Lina :3
If she was frustrated before, she was infuriated now as her sight landed upon that sickening name. Lina. The bitch who’d tried to replace her all those months ago. God, she hated that woman with a burning passion.
Had Lina dragged her back here? But how…?
The last thing she remembered, she fled far from the Dress to Impress building following her altercation with Julie. She’d been wandering aimlessly, her body on its last legs from weeks without anything to eat.
Then she’d stumbled to the ground, her dreary mind drifting in and out of consciousness.
And then she showed up. That dreaded monster of a woman herself, Lina.
Fuck, Lina had taken her here while she was unconscious and couldn’t do a thing to fight back.
Her heart pounded madly in her chest. God, was she an idiot for being so weak. She should’ve known better than to just let Lina just take her.
She wanted nothing more than to knock those stupid snacks off the table and stomp them into the ground. She wanted to shred that note to pieces and forget that woman’s name had ever been inside her brain in the first place.
But the her empty stomach had opposing wishes, growling in protest.
She sighed; as much as she wished she could toss aside any reminder of that bitch she hated, she knew she had other priorities to focus on right now.
Reluctantly, she sifted through the assortment of snacks, scanning the packaging until she finally found an apple cinnamon flavored fruit bar.
Tearing open the packaging, she began to nibble on fruit bar. As much as she hated having to consume the food Lina had set out for her, she hoped that at least eating one with her favorite flavor would make the experience a little better.
And once she was done fulfilling her body’s needs, she was going to find her way out of here.
*****
She kept tossing and turning. All she wanted was relax, yet each time she dared to close her eyes, she was thrown right back into that fateful moment, when her hands wrapped tight around that poor doppelgänger’s throat in a blind rage. Each dream she had quickly turned into a nightmare; all she could see were the doppelgänger’s fearful eyes as she desperately tried to wriggle herself free.
Julie simply couldn’t stop thinking back to that moment, over and over again. She was nothing but a monster, completely violent and out of control…
As much as Lana and everyone else around her insisted that everything was okay, that none of this was Agamemnon’s doing, deep inside, Julie was afraid that nothing could stop the past from repeating itself all over again.
She still remembered being a monster, clear in her mind. She could still hear the screams of those she killed, feel their blood coating her hands, see her twisted reflection in every mirror she passed.
She couldn’t become that beast again… she simply couldn’t.
“Julie!” Lana’s voice tore through her nightmare-induced sleep.
Slowly, Julie’s groggy eyes opened to the sight of Lana’s smiling face beside her.
“Good morning, babe!” Lana said cheerfully as she got out of bed, “How’d you sleep?”
“Fine enough,” Julie murmured hoarsely as she sat up in bed. God, did her throat feel dry. “I just had a lot of nightmares. About… well, you know what happened.” Julie averted her gaze from Lana’s eyes as she spoke. She honestly didn’t want to remember what had happened the previous day, but no matter how hard she tried, she simply couldn’t forget the look in betrayal in that doppelgänger’s eyes.
“I’m sorry,” Lana muttered, her voice nearly a whisper, “I understand yesterday was… a lot for you. You still feeling up for coming into the salon today, or do you want some rest?”
“I think I’ll be fine coming with you today,” Julie said.
“You sure?” Lana asked worriedly, “It’s really no problem if you stay home and relax a little today. I can handle things fine on my own.”
“Trust me, Lana,” Julie insisted firmly, looking Lana in the eye, “I’ll be alright. You don’t have to worry about me so much.”
“I know, I know,” Lana said quickly, twirling a strand of her hair between her fingertips, “I just… I don’t want to see you stress yourself out. Yesterday was a lot, so I’d understand if you need a break.”
“There’s nothing to worry about,” Julie kept insisting, “Please, just trust me. Everything’s okay.” Julie put on a smile, trying her best to look confident in her statement. As much as she desperately wanted to stay home and relax, she needed some sort of distraction from the painful memories that swarmed her brain. At least if she helped out in the salon today, she could easily occupy her mind so she wouldn’t keep thinking about that doppelgänger.
“If you insist,” Lana said, her voice dripping with doubt, “By the way, you want me to make you some breakfast this morning? I can make us both pancakes, if you’d like.”
“Awww, you don’t have to, sweetheart,” Julie said, “I can make myself breakfast just fine.” Most mornings, Lana could barely even wake herself up, she hit snooze on her alarm so many times. Usually, Julie was the one who woke up first to make them both breakfast. Today was a rare occasion where Lana was up before she was.
“It’s the least I could do after yesterday,” Lana said, smiling softly as she leaned in closer to Julie, taking Julie’s hands into her own, “I just want you to be happy, Julie.”
“Well, if you’re fine with it, then sure,” Julie said, grinning back as she teasingly added, “Though I bet your pancakes can’t possibly beat the cookies I made you the other night.”
“They won’t be as good as your cookies,” Lana said, grinning back as she eagerly added, “They’ll be even better!”
“We’ll see about that,” Julie said with a smirk.
“Oh trust me, Julie, it’ll be the best breakfast you’ve ever eaten!” Lana exclaimed, diving into Julie’s arms for an embrace. The two shared a small kiss before Lana pulled away and headed to the door.
“Just take as much time as you need getting dressed,” Lana said, lingering in the doorway for a second, “And come down when you’re ready. Okay?”
Julie nodded. “Okay. See you in a bit, sweetheart.”
As soon as Lana left, Julie got up, feeling a little better. As many times Julie insisted she was just fine handling herself… deep down, she honestly appreciated Lana’s support.
Julie pulled herself out of bed, leaning on her crutch as she carefully slipped on the prosthetic. As soon as her prosthetic was secure, she went about her usual routine, styling her hair, brushing her teeth, and washing her face. Then she headed over to her closet. Sifting through her clothes, she debated on what to wear today.
She ultimately ended up settling on a graphic tee, some jeans, a chain belt, a pair of combat boots, and some fingerless gloves.
After getting dressed, she took a seat at the vanity to do her makeup. Looking herself in her vanity mirror, she couldn’t help but smile. As a teenager, she’d always wanted to dress more alternatively, but her parents had never been the biggest fan of this idea. So it was nice finally having the freedom to explore the fashion that she personally wanted to wear.
In the days following Julie being freed from being a monster, Lana had taken her on a shopping spree to update her wardrobe. As many times as Julie had insisted there was no need to buy a bunch of new clothes, especially with Lana’s money, Lana had insisted even harder that it was no big deal, saying that it was worth the cost to treat her girlfriend a bit.
Julie had taken that shopping spree as her opportunity to get the clothes that she’d always wanted. Part of her was afraid that Lana would judge her choices, but Lana was supportive of her, no matter what she picked.
As Julie did her makeup, she heard Lana’s voice call out from downstairs.
“Hey, Julie, I’m almost finished with breakfast! You doing well?”
“I’m almost ready!” Julie called out, “Just finishing my makeup, then I’ll be right down!”
She decided to do a relatively natural look, though she did indulge quite a bit on the eyeliner. Once her makeup was finally done, she got up and headed downstairs.
“Hey Lana, I’m here” she said as she entered the kitchen.
“There you are!” Lana exclaimed, smiling brightly, “You’re right on time! I just finished your plate!”
As Julie took a seat at the table, Lana slid a plate of pancakes across the table towards her. She couldn’t help but smile as her eyes landed upon the heart Lana had drawn on top of them with whipped cream.
“Oh my goodness,” Julie said, smiling brightly as blush crept up her cheeks, “This is adorable! You really didn’t have to.”
“I know,” Lana said, smiling back, “But I thought a cute little breakfast would help cheer you up.”
“Thank you, Lana,” Julie said, getting up to give Lana an embrace, “I love you.”
“I love you too,” Lana replied, her arms soft and warm around Julie, “I’m glad we got the chance to meet again.”
*****
Julie shivered as she sat beside Lana in the salon. Either it was colder in here than usual, or she was just going crazy. She ran her hands along her arms, feeling the goosebumps prickling her skin.
Currently, Lana was busy doing a model’s nails. This particular model was on the friendlier side, so she and Lana were making some light conversation with one another, but Julie hardly paid attention to what the model had to say. As the months had passed by, she’d grown increasingly disinterested in hearing about the model’s lives.
After all, this was far from where Julie wanted to be. The only reason she even stuck around was because she at least need something to do until fall rolled around, when she’d start taking the college courses she’d registered for.
Honestly, Julie hated being on the cusp of her 29th birthday still unsure about her life, but she tried her best to remain hopeful for the future. Things were going well right now; she was going to find her way eventually.
That was, so long as the past didn’t come clawing its way back.
It didn’t help matters that she had a bit of a headache, which only got worse with each word the model spilled out. Julie honestly found it unbearable how the models in this building constantly prattled on about the most trivial things. As much as she enjoyed helping Lana out, Julie honestly couldn’t wait to find something else to do with her days.
“I’ll be right back,” Julie said, standing up,. God, did her throat feel sore. “I need to go for a quick walk.”
Lana nodded, smiling. “Alright! Anywhere in particular?”
“I’ll probably just wander around outside,” Julie said.
“Have fun!” Lana said cheerfully, “And if anything happens again, text me. I’ll be right there to help.”
Julie smiled. “Thanks, Lana.” And with a small, awkward laugh, she added, “Hopefully, nothing happens this time around.”
And with that, she headed off.
Walking out into the hot sun, she felt as little better; she wasn’t nearly as cold as before.
She walked around a little bit, her head still throbbing with pain. God, this stupid headache just wouldn’t go away.
As Julie aimlessly wandered about, she noticed a familiar girl leaning against a nearby wall, soft blonde hair spilling over her shoulders as she frantically typed away on her phone.
Squinting, Julie noticed that she was one of the models who’d helped Julie calm down from her panic attack the previous day.
The girl seemed to notice Julie’s gaze upon her, as she glanced up, smiling as soon as she noticed Julie standing there.
“Hey!” She eagerly called out, “How’s it going?”
“I’m doing okay,” Julie said in a small voice, slowly approaching the model, “Better than yesterday.”
“That’s good,” the model said, smiling, “I felt so bad after what happened yesterday. I wish there was something I could’ve done to help.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Julie assured her, leaning up against the wall beside her, “You being there for me was more than enough. Say, what brought you outside today?”
“It’s been a bit of a stressful morning,” the model admitted as she frantically navigated through her phone screen, “My girlfriend woke up late, and it’s taking her forever to get here, so I’m kinda stressing out because she’s my duo and I can’t make the outfits I planned without her.”
“I’m so sorry,” Julie quickly muttered. Even though she didn’t particularly care much about the whole modeling agency, she did at least sympathize with this girl’s struggle.
“It’s alright, I’m trying to sort things out right now,” the model assured her, “I just decided to come out here to wind down a little. I kept noticing you always came out here when you were overwhelmed, and thought maybe it could help.”
“It’s relaxing out here, isn’t it?” Julie asked, a smile spreading across her face as she gently closed her eyes, “No one rushing around to complete their outfits, no petty arguments… just peace and quiet. It always helps me to come out here and take a break.” As she spoke, a small tickle formed in the back of her throat that just wouldn’t go away.
“I can see why,” the model agreed, “It’s so beautiful out here!”
“Yeah! Especially with all the flowers, and—“
Julie tried to finish that sentence, only to be abruptly cut off by the tickle lunging forwards in her throat, sending her into a coughing fit.
“Fuck…” she murmured in a low voice after it was done.
“You good?” The model asked worriedly.
Julie frantically nodded “Yeah, I’m alright. Just feeling a little stuffy today. Sorry about that.“
“Don’t even worry about it,” the model said, “Seasonal allergies or something?”
“I’m not really sure,” Julie murmured. “Maybe?” She’d never suffered from seasonal allergies before, so it would be odd to suddenly have them now out of nowhere.
Before either Julie or the model could say anything else, the model’s phone buzzed.
“Oh, thank God, she’s here!” The model exclaimed eagerly, “I’ve got to go, but I hope you have a good day, Julie!”
“You too!” Julie replied, watching the model sprint back inside. Julie would’ve followed her back inside, but she still felt like shit, so she decided to linger outside a little longer. She tilted her head back, basking in the sun’s warmth as she listened to birds chirp in the distance. For a moment, it was just her. Nothing else mattered except the peace and serenity she felt.
But Julie didn’t feel any better, no matter how much time passed by. Minutes ticked on, yet she just kept feeling worse. She kept shivering, and body began aching.
It was yet another coughing fit that broke her out of her peaceful trance. At that point, Julie kind of just gave up on waiting to feel better. Begrudgingly, she trudged back inside, not wanting to waste anymore time out here. Besides, she didn’t want Lana to get too worried about her.
As she entered the building, the blinding lights shone right in her eyes, only serving to further exasperate her already throbbing headache. Her legs felt weak beneath her as she pushed herself across the floor. Each step she took sent another wave of aching pain rushing through her body.
When she finally returned to Lana’s desk, she plopped herself back down in the chair beside Lana, relieved to finally be sitting down again.
“Oh, hey!” Lana said eagerly. She was finishing up with a client when Julie had returned. “How are you doing? You feeling better now?”
Julie nodded. “I’m alright. Just—“ as she spoke, she began coughing yet again.
Sniffling, she straightened in her seat, trying her best to look presentable despite just how shitty she felt. “Sorry about that. I’m just a little stuffy today.”
“You feeling okay?” Lana asked worriedly, “You don’t look too well.”
“I’m fine,” Julie insisted, “Probably just seasonal allergies or something. That’s all.”
“You sure…?” Lana questioned, eyes wide with concern. “You look like you’re getting sick…”
As soon as those words hit Julie’s ears, her mind flashed back to over a decade ago, back to the last time she’d felt sick like this.
Back then, she’d thought she was just getting an ordinary fever. And who wouldn’t have thought the same? No sane person immediately jumps the the conclusion that a demon is making them sick.
But the sickness she’d gotten was far from an ordinary fever.
Rather, it was the beginning of Agamemnon’s cruel game of twisting her under his command to sever her from Lana’s side. As the months progressed, she grew increasingly distant from the world around her, right up until the day she was turned into a monster…
Shivering in the salon chair, Julie felt her heart racing. What if this was the same story repeating all over again?
What if she was becoming a monster again…?
“Julie?” Lana’s voice pierced through Julie’s quickly spiraling panic, “Are you okay?”
Julie trembled. She tried to remain rational. It wasn’t Agamemnon’s doing this time around; this was just a normal fever. She would be just fine in a few of days.
But after the previous day when she’d lost control of her anger, the panic in her heart was in overdrive. It overtook any sense of reason she had, running about inside her brain like a wild, untamed beast.
“Julie…?” Lana repeated, softer this time.
“What if…” Julie sputtered. She frantically tried to stop that train of thought, but it was already too late. “What if I’m becoming a monster again…?”
Lana fell into stunned silence, almost seeming unsure of what to say.
After a long period of silence, Lana finally slipped out, “Why would you think that…?”
“It’s just… first the anger issues, and now this…” Julie murmured, hugging herself with her arms in an effort to calm her worried system, “What if it’s all connected…?”
Julie lowered her gaze, saying in almost a whisper, “What if I truly am becoming a monster again…?”
Julie felt tears well up in her eyes; she didn’t know what to do. And it was clear that Lana didn’t entirely know what to even say. Her eyes just seemed so unsure.
And yet Lana tried to help regardless.
“Julie, trust me,” Lana whispered to her, gently placing a hand on Julie’s shoulder, “It’s not Agamemnon’s doing this time around. Nothing’s going to happen to you. You won’t become a monster.”
“How can you be so sure?!” Julie demanded, “First the anger issues yesterday, and now I’m feeling sick, just like last time…” a tear slid down her cheek as she sputtered out, “I’m doomed, Lana, I’m fucking doomed. My life is fucking over.”
Lana was quiet once again, as if still trying to process everything. As the seconds of silence ticked by, Julie wished more and more that she’d just stayed home and avoided this whole mess in the first place.
Then, carefully, Lana said firmly, “I promise, nothing’s going to happen. And even things so somehow go awry, I’ll find a way to keep you safe.”
Lana pulled in closer, her arms gentle around Julie as she whispered, “You’ll be okay, babe, I promise. You’ll be okay…”
But those words did nothing but infuriate Julie. Sure, Lana could say that everything would be okay. But how could Lana know for sure? How could anyone know for certain?
“How do you know?!” Julie screamed in anger, right in Lana’s face, “You keep saying that things will be okay, but clearly, they’re not!!!”
“Julie—“
Julie tore herself out of the embrace, screaming aloud, “AND I DON’T GET WHY YOU HAVE TO KEEP LYING TO ME!!!!!!”
As soon as those words escaped Julie’s lips, immense regret took over.
Shit, she thought, her heart running a marathon in her chest, I… I just lost control again…
Julie trembled. Looking down at her hands, her mind flashed back to the countless lives she’d ended.
Her gaze then slowly drifted to Lana. Locking eyes with her girlfriend, she was met with a look of fear and betrayal.
The same look of fear and betrayal she’d seen in the doppelgänger’s eyes the previous day…
Julie’s could feel her head spinning as she just kept spiraling. Her breaths grew erratic as panic overtook her entire body.
She just couldn’t believe all this…
First, she’d lost control and nearly murdered that doppelgänger.
And now she’d snapped at the person she loved the most.
Julie’s heart kept pounding in her chest. Oh God, she fucked up. She was ruining everyone’s lives, even her own girlfriend’s.
“Julie—“ Lana whispered, reaching out a hand.
But Julie quickly pulled away. “Please, leave me alone. I don’t want to hurt you. I can’t hurt you like how I hurt her…”
And before she could get a response, she got up and bolted off.
*****
Julie found herself curled up in a corner of the gardens outside, as far as she could be from being seen by a single soul.
Julie wished she could just disappear right now; she wished she could just melt into the ground and never be seen again.
She kept thinking back to the people she’d killed as a monster, back when she was a prisoner in her own body.
They were all innocent people who’d wandered inside the hospital. None of them deserved to die.
And yet regardless, their blood was spilled. Their lives were cut short.
She killed them… with her own two hands…
She couldn’t risk the same thing happening to anyone else. She couldn’t dare go anywhere near another person knowing just how destructive her anger could be!
“Why…” she shakily whispered under her breath as tears blurred her vision, “Why me…?”
*****
Lana tried her best to keep her composure. Many thoughts spiraled through her mind all at once, but she didn’t dare let her emotions show on her face; not when she had clients to attend to.
Yet she simply couldn’t stop worrying for Julie. She kept zoning out, her mind continuously replaying the moment Julie lashed out at her on loop.
All Lana wanted was to help Julie get through this. Julie was clearly struggling from the aftermath of being a monster, and Lana wanted to be there to support her.
But what if all Lana was doing was making Julie’s problems worse…?
“Erm, nail lady,” a voice tore through her thoughts.
Lana immediately perked up. “Sorry! I didn’t notice you there.”
Stupid Lana, she scolded herself in her head, You’ve got to pay more attention.
The model standing before her just scoffed. “Ugh, whatever. Just do my nails.” She took a seat, expectantly placing her hands on the table before Lana.
“What kind of nails would you like?” Lana asked.
“Duck nails,” the model answered, “Oh, and make them red.”
Lana gritted her teeth. She honestly hated the way duck nails looked, but whatever; to each their own style.
Lana sighed and prepared her materials. As much as she wanted to curl up in the corner and cry right now, she had to focus on her clients right now; she couldn’t worry about anything else.
But despite her best efforts, she was still clearly out of it.
She just couldn’t help but let her mind wander. She simply couldn’t stop worrying about Julie. Not only because she wanted to help, but partly because, well… she was scared.
Ever since she’d made the mistake of biting into the apple Agamemnon had offered her, he’d taken everyone she loved away. There wasn’t a thing she could do but watch as Agamemnon twisted the people she cared about into wretched demonic creatures. Everyone she dared to love became a victim of Agamemnon’s cruel little game.
Ever since she bit into that fateful apple, she’d learned to close her heart off from love. For so many years, she didn’t dare to let herself love freely, knowing the destruction her love brought about.
It was only when Julie came back into her life that she finally gained the courage to let herself love again. For the first time in over a decade, she finally began feeling safe to follow her heart’s desires.
But what if she wasn’t truly safe?
What if Agamemnon was still actively trying to rip her and Julie apart?
What if her love was still nothing but a destructive force…?
“Uh, nail lady?” The model asked, snapping Lana out of her thoughts again.
“Oh! Yes?” She asked.
“Hurry the fuck up,” the woman said coldly, “I don’t have all day.”
“I’m sorry,” Lana said quickly, “I’ve been having a bit of a rough day—“
“Yeah, yeah,” the model murmured, completely unbothered, “Just get my damn nails done already! Quit wasting my goddamn time.”
Lana just sighed and continued her work; God, today wasn’t going to be easy for her whatsoever.
Just focus, Lana told herself as she got to work, Don’t worry about Julie right now. Just focus on what you’re doing and leave the anxiety for later.
Yet no matter how hard she tried, she simply couldn’t keep her mind off of Julie.
After all, Julie was the literal world to her. Even if life has its ups and downs, having Julie by her side made it all worth it in the end. Lana would go to the moon and back just to make sure Julie was happy.
And yet now, she simply didn’t know what to do…
When she finally finished up with her client, she piped up. “Alright! Done! How do they look?”
“Ugh! Finally, you’re done!” The model scoffed. She took a short look at her nails and gave a small nod of approval before she got up to leave.
But as the model turned to leave, her hand grazed a bottle of nail polish sitting on the counter. Lana couldn’t tell whether it was deliberate or not, but that didn’t matter. She didn’t have time to react before the bottle tumbled to the ground, shattering against the hardwood floor.
“Oops,” the model said, “My bad.”
As the model shuffled away, Lana just stared down at the broken nail polish bottle in disbelief. She blankly watched the nail polish seep from the cracks, her mood only worsening. God, why was everything out to get her today? Just when she thought things couldn’t get any worse, now she had to clean up a fucking nail polish spill on the floor. God, why today?
After a moment of questioning her entire life choices, Lana finally gave out a deep sigh; no matter how frustrated she was, she knew the spill wouldn’t clean itself up on its own.
Kneeling down, she carefully picked through the broken pieces of glass, seething with rage. God, this was the worst day ever.
As Lana was throwing the broken glass away, a familiar face came by.
“Yeesh,” came Serena’s voice as she entered the salon, “Rough day?”
“Yeah,” Lana muttered, quickly meeting eyes with Serena’s, “My last client was a real piece of work.”
As Lana grabbed a towel from a nearby shelf and kneeled down to clean wipe up the mess, Serena joined her side.
“Here, let me help you,” said Serena, taking a towel and kneeling down beside her.
“Serena, you really don’t have to,” Lana
insisted, “I can handle this just fine on my own.”
“I know, I know, but since you’re having a rough day, I wanna help make things better,” Serena said, helping clean up the broken glass, “What kinda friend would I be if I just stood back and watched you stress yourself out even more than you already were? I’m here for you, Lana. You know that.”
Lana smiled. “Thanks, Serena.” As much as she always loved pretending she was fine on her own, she honestly appreciated the fact that Serena had her back.
Sure, Lana still held a little anger towards Serena over her past choices. When Lina and Agamemnon were trying to sacrifice her soul, the two had convinced Serena to join their side. It was only when Lana was about to be sacrificed that Serena realized the full truth behind what they were doing and decided to do something about it.
Ever since then, Serena had done nothing but try to make amends. She was redeeming herself despite the stains in her past.
Perhaps someday, Lana could do the same. Maybe someday, she would find a way to redeem herself too.
“Say, where’s Julie at?” Serena questioned as the two began wiping up the spilled polish with towels, “I haven’t seen her since this morning!”
“That’s part of the problem…” Lana murmured.
“Elaborate?”
“Well, see, Julie wasn’t feeling too well, but when I asked her if anything was wrong, she…” Lana paused for a moment, taking a breath to soothe her panicked nerves as she continued, “…she lost control of her anger and nearly lashed out at me.”
“Oh God,” Serena muttered, “That must’ve been scary.”
“It was,” Lana admitted, “But not because I was afraid of her. Rather, I was afraid for her… she’s just been so scared of becoming a monster again, and these past few days have done nothing but fuel this paranoia of hers.”
Lana let out a deep sigh. “I just wish I could be there for her, but after she snapped at me… I’m afraid I’m only making her problems worse.” Lana felt tears build up in her eyes as she spoke, which she swallowed back. She couldn’t cry here in the middle of the salon; now wasn’t the time. “After she stormed off earlier, I haven’t been able to stop thinking that this is all my fault.”
“Lana, why would this be your fault?” Serena questioned.
“Because everything’s my fault!” Lana exclaimed, “It’s was my fault when my loved ones got turned into monsters when I was younger, so whatever’s happening to Julie now is clearly my fault too.”
“But it’s not your fault,” Serena told her firmly.
“Even if this isn’t my fault,” Lana said slowly, “I just can’t shake the fear. What if…?” Her voice trailed off at the thought.
She took a breath, trying her best to keep composed. “What if Agamemnon ruins our lives again…?”
Both Lana and Serena were quiet for a moment. Not a single word was exchanged between them; the only sound shared between them was the sound of their towels brushing against the hardwood floor.
Finally, Serena piped up, saying, “I… can’t say for certain whether this is Agamemnon’s doing or not. Maybe it’s him, or maybe it’s not. There’s truly no way of knowing right now. But the important thing to is that no matter what happens, we all must stick together through it all. If we keep ourselves divided out of fear, our problems won’t just go away… we’ll only be stuck suffering on our own. We need to get through this together, Lana. Whether this is Agamemnon’s doing or not.”
“I just don’t want her to become a monster again…” Lana muttered, “She already lost a whole decade of her life… I can’t let her life go any further downhill!”
“And there’s no way to guarantee that she won’t become a monster again,” Serena said gently, “But we have to be there for her regardless. When she became a monster all those years ago, she suffered in silence. She had no one by her side to help her through it. I can’t even begin to imagine how scary it must’ve been for her.”
Serena’s eyes misted up a little. Quickly, she wiped the dampness from her eyes as she added, “But if you stay by her side through the challenges she’s facing now…”
“She won’t have to go through them alone,” Lana finished.
“Exactly! We need to be there for her so she doesn’t have to suffer alone.”
“I know,” Lana said, her voice quieter now, “But… I’m still scared.”
“And that’s okay. It’s normal to be scared. Hell, I’m scared, too.” For a short second, Serena was silent, as if thinking back on her own past before she continued, “You’re allowed to be scared. Just remember that it’ll be less scary when we’re all in this together.”
A small smile appeared on Lana’s face as she reached out for a hug. “Thank you… I really appreciated this little talk.”
“No problem! Anytime.”
*****
The shadows grew long as the sun sank lower and lower in the sky. It was almost time to close up and leave for the day, but Julie simply couldn’t bring herself back inside. She simply couldn’t run the risk of hurting anyone else.
She’d barely even moved in hours, her whole body felt so weak. She just sat there, huddled up in the corner of the garden, shivering cold.
But at long last, Lana came rushing outside, sprinting across the cobbled pathway until she reached Julie’s side. As Lana kneeled down to Julie’s level, Julie pulled back.
“Please, get away from me,” Julie pleaded. She wanted nothing more than to sink into Lana’s arms, but she couldn’t bring herself anywhere near another human being right now; not even her own girlfriend. She was just far too afraid of what her unstable anger was capable of.
She couldn’t risk hurting Lana…
“Don’t worry, Julie,” Lana assured her in a gentle, soothing voice, “I’m here for you.”
“But I don’t want to hurt you,” Julie whispered back, burying her face in her hands, “You know exactly what I’m capable of. So why aren’t you scared of me?”
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared at all,” Lana softly admitted, taking a seat beside Julie, “Because, truthfully, I am afraid. But not because of you. Rather, I’m afraid I can’t stop what’s happening to you…”
“Lana…” Julie whispered. She instinctively reached out, wanting to comfort her girlfriend, only to stop herself. No; she couldn’t go near Lana. She couldn’t take any risks…
“I just want to help you,” Lana said slowly, twirling her hair in her fingertips, “I’m just afraid that I’m making your problems worse. It was my fault you became a monster in the first place. If it’s true you’re becoming one again, then it’s still my fault.”
“It’s not your fault though, Lana,” Julie whispered, “It was never your fault. I chose to become a monster to protect you… you know that.”
Carefully, Julie’s hand crept over to Lana’s. She wanted to stop herself, but she was desperate to feel her girlfriend’s touch. Slipping her hand into Lana’s, she relished in the security the soft grip on her hand brought.
“I know,” came Lana’s response, averting her gaze to the sky, “But you never would’ve had to make that choice in the first place if not for me…”
Lana paused for a moment, sniffling back a cry before she added, “I’m afraid it all might repeat itself again. I’m afraid that me being in your life will destroy it all over again.”
Julie honestly hated hearing those words; she loved having Lana in her life! Lana wasn’t making anything worse by any means.
“But… a friend of mine told me that we need to stick together, no matter what happens,” Lana said. Turning to face Julie, she went on, “Last time, you were left to suffer all alone, all because I was too afraid of what would happen if I dared stay by your side. So now I’ve got to change that. Even though I can’t promise you that everything will be alright… if we stick together through it, at least we won’t have to go through it all alone.”
“You promise?” Asked Julie.
“I promise.”
For the first time in hours, a soft smile overcame Julie’s lips. Even if it was true she was becoming a monster again, in the very least, she wasn’t alone.
Lana reached out again, and this time, Julie didn’t back away. She felt Lana’s arms around her, soft and gentle against her skin.
“Thank you for being here, sweetie” Julie whispered, leaning agaisnt Lana’s chest as tears slid down her cheeks, “I love you more than anything.”
“I love you too, babe,” came Lana’s reply, “And I promise, no matter what happens, I’ll be right here for you.”
Julie honestly felt relieved hearing those words enter her ears. Even though she was afraid of what would happen to her… she and Lana were going to stick together, no matter what monster threatened to tear them apart.
*****
That evening, back at Lana’s house, Julie was snuggled up on the couch while Lana cooked some dinner. The food honestly smelled amazing; God, did Julie love Lana’s cooking.
When Lana brought over a plate of food, she took the opportunity to check in on Julie. “Hey, babe. You feeling any better?”
Julie nodded. “Yeah, I’m starting to feel a little better.” After getting home, she’d taken a little Tylenol, so now her fever was a little more bearable. But her mind was still a little troubled. “By the way, sorry about earlier.” She averted her gaze from Lana’s eyes, still ashamed of how she’d lashed out earlier.
“Don’t worry about it,” Lana insisted, “Like I said, I’m here for you, no matter what.” And, with a teasing grin, she added, “You wouldn’t think I’d leave you just because you got a little upset, would you?”
Julie giggled a little. “No, I know you wouldn’t.”
“Good. Now why don’t you have something to eat?”
“Thank you,” Julie said, smiling as she took the plate from Lana. “Thank you for everything, sweetheart.”
“No problem, babe! I love you!”
“I love you too.”
As Julie began to eat, she couldn’t help but smile. Even if she was afraid of what the future held in store… right now, she was just happy that she and Lana were doing well. And she knew that they would stay together, no matter what happened to them.
*****
She banged on the walls with her fists. She screamed until her throat felt sore. She scratched at the door until her fingertips bled.
Deep down, she knew all she was doing was pointless; she knew there was nothing she could do to get out of here.
But she had to try anyways. She just had to get out of here! She couldn’t stand being stuck inside this room any longer!
“Please! Someone! ANYONE!” She desperately called out, praying that by some miracle, somebody would hear her.
Yet no one came to find her.
There was no getting out of here.
Tears streamed from her eye as she fell to the floor, exhausted. It had been hours since she’d awoken, and not a single thing had changed; she was still locked up inside this room with no hope of escape.
“Why…” she sobbed under her breath, “Why me…?”
She should’ve never ran away. She should’ve just stayed put in the life she’d created for herself.
Sure, she she felt all alone, regardless of how many patrons showed their support. Sure, there was no one who truly understood her pain.
But at least she wouldn’t have ended up locked inside this room if she’d just resigned herself to that life.
God, she never should’ve taken everything she had for granted.
Curled up on the floor, she honestly wished she’d just die right there. At least death would be more bearable than being locked up inside this room like she was some criminal.
But that was when an all too familiar voice called out from behind her.
“Ahh, I see you’re finally awake now.”
She flinched at the sound of the voice. She prayed it wasn’t who she thought it was, but when she turned around, she locked eyes with that devil of a woman herself: Lina.
“How’s it been in here?” Lina asked as she stepped through a portal, which closed up right behind her.
The doppelgänger’s entire system flooded with rage as she glared back at Lina. She couldn’t conceal her anger as she demanded sharply, “Why did you bring me here?!”
“Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” Lina sneered, completely ignoring the doppelgänger’s question.
But the doppelgänger had no time for these games. “You didn’t answer my question. Why did you bring me here?! Tell me! TELL ME!”
She pulled herself up, getting right in Lina’s face as she spat out those words. She honestly wanted to beat that wretched woman to a pulp, but she held herself back. After all, for all she knew, Lina was her only hope of escape right now. She needed to keep control over herself if she wanted any chance of getting out of here.
“Woah, woah, no need to get all pissed off at me,” Lina said quickly, trying to diffuse the situation, “You’re acting like you would’ve been better off wandering the streets. Honestly, bringing you here was doing you a favor.”
The doppelgänger honestly couldn’t believe those words. “A favor?!”
She grabbed Lina by the collar of her shirt, growling, “A FAVOR?! YOU THINK DRAGGING ME HERE IS A FAVOR?!”
Lina just shrugged, completely unbothered that the doppelgänger was about ready to shred her to pieces. “At least it’s better than whatever miserable life you were living before I found you.”
The doppelgänger was just appalled. Sure, her life wasn’t exactly… ideal. Most of her days were spent rotting away inside her room, either sleeping or hating every action she’d ever taken. The few times she bothered to meet with her patrons, the surface-level interactions she shared with them only served to prove just how lonely she truly was.
After she ran away, things only got worse. She had nowhere to live; she had no food; her savings were quickly drying up. She was just barely getting by each day.
Sure, her life was miserable, just as Lina claimed.
But she would’ve at least taken that miserable life over whatever the hell Lina wanted out of her.
“What are you planning to do with me anyways?” She demanded, pulling back. She needed to know just what Lina wanted; Lina wouldn’t have dragged her here for no reason.
“Well, we’re not exactly sure what to do with you yet,” Lina said, “But you could prove to be useful to us in the future, so we’re keeping you around for now.”
The doppelgänger’s blood ran cold. “The fuck do you mean we?!”
Lina just grinned like a little devil as she whispered, “Why don’t I let him talk to you personally?”
A lump formed in the doppelgänger’s throat; no, it couldn’t possibly be…
Lina stepped back, calling out into the air, “Agamemnon, I call upon you! A certain somebody would like to speak to you!”
As Lina let out those words, a tall, ominous figure manifested before the doppelgänger’s eyes. She instinctively backed away, only to hit a wall.
Her heart beat madly in her chest; there was nowhere to run; there was nowhere to escape to.
There was no outrunning him…
As his looming, shadowy form finally materialized, he took a step forwards. “Long time, no see, Lana.”
No… the doppelgänger thought in horror.
She dreaded the sight of his pale figure, Greek helmet, and dark wings appearing before her eyes, but instead all that appeared before her was a shadowy figure.
She couldn’t help but snicker to herself. “Wow, did you go emo since the last time I saw you?”
“Excuse me?”
“You know what I mean,” the doppelgänger said, “You look completely different now. And, I’m just saying, the all black is lowkey giving emo.” At this point, her whole system was so fried with fear, she honestly didn’t care about what slipped out of her mouth anymore.
“This is just what happens when I go without Wendy’s for too long,” Agamemnon muttered under his breath.
“What?”
“Nothing. Now, onto the topic at hand.” He paused for a short moment, stepping closer towards the doppelgänger. “What we intend to do with you.”
The doppelgänger shuddered at the sight of Agamemnon looming over her like a sleep paralysis demon. In a trembling voice, she asked, “What do you want from me…?”
“See, ever since the real Lana’s soul was set free from my grasp, you and the rest of her doppelgängers have been useless to me. Without her soul, sacrificing all of you is completely useless.”
“The fuck are you talking about?” The doppelgänger asked, puzzled, “I’m the real Lana, you idiot. No one else is.”
Agamemnon just let out a small laugh, almost seeming amused by the doppelgänger’s response. “Oh, you silly little thing. You can’t possibly still believe you’re the real Lana after all this time, can you?”
But the doppelgänger stood firm. “I’m not joking. I’m the real Lana. Why wouldn’t I be?” She honestly found this whole situation ridiculous. She knew for a fact she was the real Lana.
So then why did no one seem to believe her?
First her patrons were doubtful of her. And now neither did Agamemnon, who, sure, she hated with a burning passion, but regardless, he knew her better than anyone else.
Agamemnon just let out a laugh. “Oh, my dear. You may think you’re the real Lana. But I know that deep down, you know you’re not the real Lana.”
The doppelgänger trembled hearing those words. Memories of her past came creeping back into her mind. Memories of her own doubts as to whether she was even real. Memories of her fear that the patrons would find out she wasn’t truly who she claimed to be.
But she pushed those memories back; they weren’t true. They were false. She was the real Lana, and anyone who dared to argue against her was an idiot.
“Just remember,” Agamemnon said, placing a hand on the doppelgänger’s shoulder. The doppelgänger recoiled at the touch. “You are my creation.”
The doppelgänger’s heart raced in her chest. As Agamemnon’s grip on her shoulder lingered, she silently prayed this beast of a man would back away, yet never did her prayer get answered.
“Back to my main point,” Agamemnon continued, “Ever since the real Lana was torn from my reach, my power’s been growing weaker without any sacrifices. So Lina and that former coterie member of yours, Nelly, are working to bring her back to my side.”
“Nelly?” The doppelgänger asked. She scoffed. “Please, using that girl would never work out in your favor. And trust me, I’d know.” She winced as she thought back to the memory of how Nelly and Nathan had killed her. The burning pain from the sword piercing her body was still clear in her mind.
“She may be a little unpredictable,” Lina piped up, nonchalantly checking her nails as she spoke, “But she has quite a lot of promise.”
“You guys don’t know what you’re doing!” the doppelgänger snarled. “She’d NEVER work for you two!” Even though the doppelgänger hardly cared about Nelly’s well-being, she honestly couldn’t believe this madness! She knew Nelly well enough to know that the girl would never willingly go along with these plans!
Lina just shrugged. “That doesn’t matter, so long as she has no clue she’s playing right into Agamemnon’s hands.”
“Oh, so you’re misleading her?!” The doppelgänger demanded furiously. She couldn’t help but let out a laugh at how ridiculous this all was. “Oh, once she finds out the truth, she’s going to bite you guys in the goddamn ass.”
“Calm down, Lana,” Agamemnon warned her sternly, “You don’t want to lose control, now do you?”
“Why should I calm down?!” The doppelgänger demanded. She began hyperventilating, hardly even in control of the words spilling out of her mouth as she screamed, “I CAN’T CALM DOWN WITH YOU TWO BREATHING DOWN MY NECKS!”
“It doesn’t matter what you think Nelly will do,” Agamemnon just said calmly, “Lina knows what she’s doing. I trust she won’t fail me again like last time. And once the real Lana falls back into our hands, perhaps you may prove to be useful to us again.”
“I REFUSE,” the doppelgänger angrily sputtered, crossing her arms, “I won’t play this stupid little game anymore.”
“Oh, you don’t have a choice,” Agamemnon said simply, “You WILL be useful to us, just as soon as the first stage of our plan comes to fruition. Just you wait.”
The doppelgänger’s breathing grew erratic. Her head felt like it was spinning. “No… no, I won’t! I won’t join your side again…!”
“Oh, yes you will,” Agamemnon said without a single care in the world.
The doppelgänger stumbled to the ground, her whole body shaking. “No… no…”
“Anyways, I’ve got to go now,” Agamemnon said, “I’ve got some Wendy’s to eat. See you!”
And with that, he disappeared, leaving not a single trace he’s ever even been there.
“Had a fun chat with Agamemnon?” Lina asked, grinning like a goddamn madwoman.
“Just get away!” The doppelgänger demanded, her voice l unsteady, “Leave me alone!”
“If that’s what you wish,” Lina said with a shrug. She summoned a portal before her, and was about to step through when she paused in her tracks. “Oh, by the way, did you enjoy the snacks I left you?”
But the doppelgänger was done with dealing with Lina for any longer.
“Just shut up and LEAVE!” The doppelgänger growled through gritted teeth. She was honestly tired of hearing that woman’s annoying voice. She would rather rip out her remaining eye than look at Lina’s face a second longer.
“Ugh, fine,” said Lina. A small grin appeared across her face as she added, “See you soon…”
The moment Lina stepped through the portal and it closed up behind her, the doppelgänger just broke down sobbing on the floor, unable to hold back her tears any longer.
For so long, she’d suffered under Agamemnon’s control. She turned her back on the people closest to her, all because that was what Agamemnon wanted of her.
It was only a couple months ago, when Agamemnon’s power had weakened, that she finally saw an opportunity to leave. Taking her chances, she cut contact with him and left.
For the past few months, she’d been free from his wrath.
Sure, things weren’t exactly perfect.
But in the very least, she was no longer under Agamemnon’s control.
But now her escape was all in vain. Now, everything she’d done to improve herself as a person these past few months was completely meaningless.
Now, she’d been dragged right back to where she’d started…