1. Faux Rouge
I miss her. My sister Anna.
Why can't we share a dorm? Fate, a random generated number assigned by a cold lifeless computer.
"Don't worry Elsa, we'll still see each other in a few classes and lunch"
I wanted to cry right there but I had to be an adult and conceal all the pain inside my chest and give my sweet sister a smile and a nod.
A month has past, a month of lonely nights filled with the muffled crying onto a pillow, a month of staring at an empty bed in front of mine, a month of yearning for her embrace, her touch, her scent, her smile. I miss our sleepovers, waking up next to her every morning, her fingers tangled with mine, her red curls, those tiny dots on her smiling face.
We still have lunch together, but is not enough. I had a dre- a nightmare, I was in our old bedroom, sleeping with her as we used to do few weeks ago, I get closer to her face and... then as I touch her face the cold invades my fingers, she is but a mannequin.
Anna has been coping with it in a much better way, maybe because she has a roommate. There is a name assigned to this dorm along mine, but for some reason this person has not showed up and probably will not ever.
Anna's room is in the building across the street. We try to be together as much as possible but with her volley courses and homework and... and the fact that I have to share her with a roommate, leave us with just lunch... if anything. And it is not enough... not even close.
Ever since we moved in, I haven't played my violin or assisted to most of the music classes. No matter what piece I try to play, its all depressing.
No lunch for us today, Anna had to fill in for a player on her team after classes or something like that, I kinda stop listening to our brief chat after she said she couldn't come. But I feel too dangerous to be alone in that cold lifeless room, I don't want to. The gray walls, the empty bed, the window with a view to Anna's building, the empty closet, my suitcase resting under my bed.
I checked the local movie charts but found nothing that would make me happy. Not even pizza from Anna's new favorite place sounded appetizing. My boredom was the perfect excuse to give Anna a call, even if her suggestions were not great, talking to her sounded even tastier than the 'famous Louisiana style Pizza' we love.
"...Uh, well if I know you like I do, which is better than anyone else in this pizza shaped world. Why don't you go to, is that a... oh yeah Ultra Gamer Lounge?, I know you like to show dudes how you flick like a boss and that your Guile is bitching and ready for ranked bro!" Her college dude mocking truly is a delight. And she does knows me better than any other human in this massive blue orb. She sent me the address on a text and an upside down smiling emoji.
As I walk through the unusually quiet Mall, I try to keep my contact with others to the bare minimum, right now I have not enough energy to face others judging me.
I found the retro styled cyberpunk storefront, but, I did not go anywhere near it. It felt like my body was in autopilot. My eyes fixated to the window of that store in the first floor. I blinked and then I was inside that place. I was nervous... I'm not the kind of people that buys such things. I have no need for it... or at least I have never had the need until today.
The store clerk was very nice to me and did not judge me from being a weirdo and just pointing at the item I wanted. I could barely look at her but I'm pretty sure it was a young woman but any other detail was blurred by my embarrassment. It wasn't cheap at all but I needed to feel it. I walked out of the store with my eyes fixed to the floor wishing to be invisible.
I got home fast, I can't remember if I took the train or the bus... did I walked all- No that couldn't. All that I could do now was to make sure my door was locked, the curtains covering the window and then take that out of the plastic bag that was hiding it.
Took off my shirt and jeans as fast as I could without tripping, tossing them on the bed I sleep on, when I tried to remove my socks I realized my left shoe was still on there, attached to me. Once there was nothing more than my pale pink underwear covering me, I pulled my suitcase from under the bed and carefully search through it to find a light summer dress and the only pair of high heels I own.
I could see myself putting on the dress and shoes on the mirror on the door but it felt almost like if it was a dream.
After taming my hair into a bun and with the water green colored dress embellishing my body, I reached for 'the thing' and read the tiny paper with instructions about use and washing before using 'it'.
I turned to the full length mirror... and I could no longer see that sad, nerd, desperate Elsa. She was not in the room, she was not in the mirror. I took a step to get closer to the silver glass. In front of me was a confident precious girl in her sister's favorite dress, a wide smile in her freckled face, red twin tails resting on her shoulders.
Author's note: ~~Hi Hello Hey Th3re. This will be a sorta short story. I will try to keep it updated weekly but can't make promises, won't make promises. Thanks for joining me into this writing thing. Please give feedback on anything... Oh and before I forget~~ *Cue in Silent Hill - You're not here*
