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You.
My eyes shot open from my slumber. I gripped the side of my head.
“Leave me alone.”
Now why would I do that? You–
“I didn't kill you! I didn't hurt you. I don't even know you.” I exclaimed, sitting up in bed.
You know me.
“I don't, I don't.” I grabbed my winged ears, feeling the soft dark feathers, staring into the corner of the room. A dark figure, average in height. Small, dot sized eyes, glowing white.
I could only see their outline, staring back at me.
I froze.
“Please leave me alone. I swear.. I didn't kill you. You have the wrong person.” I whispered.
You killed me.
“I DIDN’T! I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHO YOU ARE.” my hands shook. The flowers in my hair bloomed rapidly, the bioluminescence illuminating the dark room. I folded my wings against myself as a barrier.
You know me. Very well.
“No I don't. Please… leave me alone.” I pleaded.
You are lying to yourself.
My hands moved to cover my winged ears.
You can't silence what's in your head.
A small cry left my mouth. The flowers in my hair continued to grow, obscuring my right eye. “Orbit! Orbit.. are you there?!” I called out, gripping one of my pillows.
They won't believe you.
“Orbit!”
They left you alone.
I choked, feeling my head for the one horn that poked through my hair. “They didn't leave me.”
They left you to be alone again.
“No.. Orbit!” I yelled, terror filling my voice. The door opened, revealing them.
“Orbit. Orbit. I'm not crazy. I'm not mad.”
They think you're insane.
“No they don't! Orbit.. please.” I begged. They walked in from the doorway, noticing my quick breathing, long overgrown flowers, my ruffled feathers. They kneeled in front of the bed.
“Take a deep breath okay?” they took my hands away from squeezing the pillow half to death.
They won't believe you.
A wave of chills went over me.
“Calm down. It's okay. Just look at me.” Their gray eyes locked on to my blue-ish one.
They don't care for you.
“They do.” I muttered quietly.
“Who are you talking to?” Orbit asked, tightening their grip on my hands.
“I don't know. I don't–”
You do.
A new flower sprouted from my fear.
“I need to trim these.” They said calmly. The pair of scissors I use every morning to trim new blooms sat on my bedside table.
Don't let them.
“Stop. Stop. It's so… Orbit it's loud. It won't leave me alone.” I grabbed their arm.
They will hurt you.
My eyes grew with terror as my eyes fixated on the scissors. They lifted their hand, aiming the scissors on the biggest flower.
Listen to me.
I tried my best to tune out the chatter. The noise. I fixated on Orbit’s slow gestures as they cut the flowers, handing them to me.
They were gorgeous, a mix of pale purples emitting faint light from the bioluminescence. Some looked like lilies while others hydrangeas. I hugged them as Orbit continued to cut them.
LISTEN.
A new flower sprouted.
“You need to calm yourself or these flowers will keep growing.” They said, as another fell from my hair.
They won't believe you. They don't believe you.
I took a shaky breath.
“I can't be alone again.”
You will be.
“I didn't kill you.”
Yes you did.
“Kill?” Orbit stopped.
“No, no I didn't! I didn't. I didn't.” I kept repeating in mania.
Yes you did!
I squeezed Orbit's hand.
“Is that what…”
“It won't stop. It won't stop.”
You did this to me.
“I want it to stop. Please make it stop.” I cried, gripping the blankets. “Did you kill–”
“I never killed anyone, I promise. I promise. I promise.” I repeated in delirium.
“Just… stay here.” Orbit stood up and walked away through the door they came from, leaving it slightly open. “No, no, where are you going?! Please come back.” I exclaimed.
See? They don't believe you.
I choked, feeling another flower bloom in my hair.
They left you.
“Shut up.”
You killed me.
YOU.
“No… no I didn't I swear. I didn't. I didn't.” I mumbled.
The voice was so loud. So reverberating. So echoey. I couldn't think straight. I couldn't think at all. Just the voice in my head and my mania. Nothing else.
Another flower bloomed.
My heart rate quickened, breathing escalated.
Where were they?
Where was someone?
Anyone?
Another flower bloomed.
I am here.
“You aren't real.” I whispered, hugging my knees, peering at the figure in the corner of the room. My big, dark feathered wings hugged my sides, trying to give me comfort.
I was.
“Orbit!” I called out again.
They aren't here. They left you.
“Shut up!” I snapped, grabbing the scissors and throwing them into the corner where the figure stood. The blades punctured the wall where the figure’s head should've been.
“Shut up, shut up, shut up.” I mumble into my knees, hair flowers and stems fully covering my right eye.
I'm already dead, idiot. What did you think that was going to do.
Flowers obscured my vision as I cried out. “I swear I didn't kill anyone. I swear.”
You killed me.
“NO I DIDN’T!” I yelled hysterically.
The door opened again, light sweeping into the room. I continued to hug my knees and tremble in my own void arms.
“Air.. look.”
I lifted my head, seeing a gorgeous, blue tinted music box. Tears filled my eyes as I traced the lid, blue stars and galaxies drawn into the cover.
“You remember this?”
Stop listening to them.
“Y-yes. I do.” I stuttered, gripping my arm. “I know it used to be Ali’s, but I think it will help you sleep.” They smiled, taking my hand off my arm.
“Where are the scissors?” They asked, looking at the sides of the bed. I pointed my finger to the wall. They picked themself off the ground, taking the scissors out of the wall.
“It's okay. There is no one here, I promise.” They reassured me as they handed me the box.
This is your fault.
My grip faltered and I almost dropped the precious box, but Orbit’s tail luckily caught it before it smashed on the ground. “I'm sorry. I'm sorry.” I repeated, tears filling my eyes.
It's your fault.
“No it's not.” A high pitched whisper left my mouth as Orbit opened the music box.
A soft tune, so melodic and calming, filled my ears. It was slow, piano sounds expanding through the room.
You killed me.
I closed my eyes, my arms going limp at my sides, my wings drooping against the soft bed. A tranquil feeling washed the trembles out of my arms and legs.
YOU–
The voice faded behind the music, my wings fully relaxing as I hit the pillow. My eyes fluttered, watching Orbit place the music box on the bedside table along with the scissors.
I weakly put my hand on their shoulder, the tune growing louder and louder in my ears. I gripped them as tight as I could. They removed my hand, smiling, and placed my void hand on my chest. Fully grown flowers covered my vision as my body relaxed and sunk into the mattress.
I could vaguely see Orbit leave the room; the tune weirdly loud and echoey in my winged ears.
Sleep took me into their tender arms.