Chapter 9: Frostbitten Almost To Delight
It's been a good while since Patti first promised Lucy to be by her side, an admittedly stupid move in hindsight, but seeing as there were no other patients for Patti to attend to, since all the rest of the hospital staff had their hands tied courtesy of that annoying truck accident…
So yeah, it really was just her and Lucy, and her plain psychotic dread of what would happen to her lest she chose to leave Lucy's side. And leaving Patti vulnerable to whatever evils that leered near.
And worst of all, it wasn't the anxiety keeping her up that ailed her aching mind, or the 8 full cups of black coffee from the past 25 hours.
No, that was a consequence of Patti choosing Lucy as the patient of care, for the most grueling task Patti had to complete was not on her part. For that was all on Lucy's end, and quite literally too, for all she had to do, was just go to the bathroom or attempt to, but… Lucy's digestive tract didn't have any intention of rushing to the finish, I mean why would it? The "traffic" down there wasn't large enough for rushing of any kind to be necessary.
That is to say that Lucy was quite a picky eater, and as a result, Patti had to simply sit and wait for Lucy's physical examination, which was simply Lucy trying to walk out to the bathroom, but no! Everything had to be difficult for Patti today… or rather night.
Patti blew as lethargic a breath as ever "C'mon Lucy… *yawn* I'm killing myself over you not tinkling yet…"
The exhausted nurse murmured as she looked down to Luce's peaceful state, with the heart-monitor beeping ever so softly, as if it was sleeping along with Lucy… with Patti swearing that she could see Lucy cracking a subconscious smile.
"Hmm, at least you've proven yourself to be sound-of-mind, so no extended psychiatric stay for you! Hehe"
Patti remarked, satisfied with her work, though she was not done with said work. Patti stretched her arms out as a response to almost slinking over and falling off the uncomfortable chair she sat on.
"*Yawn*, someday, I won't have to work double shifts weekly like this while living at home with mama... " Patti reached around to satisfy an itch on her surprising amount of perspiration at work, inspecting her wrist watch in boredom, with it reading 3:43am exactly, sighing agitatedly at the sight.
"*Sigh*… gonna find me a big man, who's an even bigger spender…" Patti fantasized with a longing smile at the open door.
"*Sigh, like anyone's interested in someone like me… let alone a rich snob"
Patti muttered deflatedly, sinking herself back down to Earth, with Patti closing her eyelids momentarily to let out a deep somber breath, only for Patti to find that once her-eyelids came down, they weren't going back up anytime soon…
And thus, Patti finally gave in, letting her brain switch off all the lights, for it was long past any sort of godly hour.
*BANG!* went the door, forcing Patti right back up from her literally seconds-long slumber, completely bewildered by the gunshot of a noise, her vision a bit foggy, though her eyes focused onto what seemed to be a blotchy black figure.
But as she kept focusing her shaky vision, she bore witness… to the infamous yet deed-less doppelganger, with a hand placed fully on the surface of the door, and quite the stern look at the sleep-deprived nurse.
"Well, that certainly got your attention huh pats?" The doppelganger cracked, warping their slight-contempt filled glower for a playful grin.
Patti stood straight up, rubbed her eyes and blinked a few times before looking towards Lucy's unmoving state, before Patti then darted to the doppelganger, and then back to Lucy, until the doppelganger without a whimper in their step suddenly materialized right before the troubled nurse.
"Dah!?" Patti shrieked, stumbling backwards into the chair she didn't get enough time to appreciate being away from, before beginning to hyperventilate lightly, raising a shaky hand at the doppelganger.
"Y-you, a-and, What's going on here?! Why are there two of you?!-"
"Would you kindly mind shutting up you wench?!" The doppelganger cursed whilst glaring down at the dreary nurse, causing her to do just that, shutting up of course, as she meekly recoiled her arm back, furrowing her lips in a fine line, keeping her anxiety filled gaze upon this… duplicate…
The doppelganger then cleared their throat, switching their 'Lucy voice' for a much more… masculine voice. "*Ahem*, sorry… I just can't have you… running your mouth when I'm talking, I'm sure you understand where I'm coming from?" The doppelganger said while tilting their head at the offended yet confused nurse, who just responded by nodding their head at the duplicate.
"Good! Now, you've been a… real blemish on my… precious, sweet, oh so potent…" The doppelganger began to walk along the side of Lucy's bed as they ran their cold, unfeeling hand up Lucy's leg, up her side, and finally coddling her chin carefully.
"Diamond…" The doppelganger uttered, leaning into Lucy's face, examining her blemished state.
"And I'd hate to be the bearer of bad news pats, but, your 'help', isn't anything remotely close to it, as what she needs, is to be bruised, sharpened, buffered, refined…" The doppelganger spoke firmly, averting their gaze to Patti, being even more unnerved by the malevolent ire the doppelganger showed in their glare at her.
"And you…" The doppelganger continued lightly, planting both their hands onto her shoulders firmly, staring Patti down like a ravenous lion. But unlike a lion, their eyes painted a picture of something truly unnatural, with the cascading red blotches in their eyes, and crimson veins that spiraled around the edges of their eyes like blood-drenched spikes.
All further accentuated by the black hole pupils, the part that Patti found herself most disturbed by…
"Are DULLING IT!" The doppelganger roared right into Patti's face, with Patti herself squinting her eyes to shield herself from the sheer wind power of the doppelganger's screech. Being fed up with how vile this look-a-like of Lucy was treating her.
"Alright, I don't know who you are, or what you want, but you most certainly aren't Lucy, nor are you authorized to be here! Now get your cold, clammy hands off me-" Patti stood up, trying to force off the doppelganger's feisty grip.
But the doppelganger would have none of it… as with ruthless strength, Pulled Patti right back down onto the chair, causing the chair's back legs to bend due to the force.
"I don't think you get it Pats…" The doppelganger spoke firmly, gaining a light yet still terrifying glower dead at the nurse, who was quite literally shaken to the core by the doppelganger.
"YOU, are the problem here…"
"I-I am?" Patti uttered meekly.
"Yes… you see, you're weakening her…" The doppelganger continued, pausing for Patti's response, only to get the same fearful look she retained from being forced into the chair moments earlier.
"Because of you, even the slightest prick, of the needle, will send her crumbling through my fingers like dust!" The doppelganger shouted, giving a harsh shake with the mention of dust.
Patti at this point, is very much intimidated out of her wits, with her heart beating at a rapid rate, and being on the verge of a panic attack. Of course, the doppelganger took notice, and a slight grin carved itself onto the doppelganger's lips.
"And I can't have that…" The doppelganger uttered softly, loosening their grip on the nurse's shoulders.
"None of us can…" The doppelganger continued, moving their hands up to Patti's neck slowly, yet enough for Patti to notice, notice as the doppelganger wrapped their frigid fingers around her neck firmly.
Patti tried to gulp, but she couldn't swallow due to the doppelganger's grip on her frail neck, and the glacial properties of their hands seeping into her neck, and up her throat.
The doppelganger then leaned into the nurse's face to the point the nurse could breath onto the doppelganger's face, though not to the point she could touch it with her own face.
And with their right hand, the doppelganger let it travel up Patti's face, caressing Patti's cheek, not averting their gaze from the severely creeped out nurse, her eyes dotting around, desperately searching for anywhere but the doppelganger's face…
"Hmm, your skin is quite soft, I bet you take quite good care of it…" The doppelganger commented, letting their hand on Patti's face mosey around, till it found the tip of her nose.
"But why do you care so much for it? It's not like…" The doppelganger paused, molding their hand that was on the tip of Patti's nose onto her mouth, and pinching her nostrils shut, suffocating her…
"Anyone's gonna appreciate it..." The doppelganger uttered, fully grinning now as they watched Patti attempting to struggle out of their hydraulic grip, only for the hold onto her face and neck to tighten.
"Shhhh, sh, sh… don't struggle-" The doppelganger uttered, feeling the blood that was already flowing like a river, begin to build up pressure, and her heartbeat going even faster.
"Hmm, actually, do struggle…" The doppelganger uttered, to which Patti's eyes widened in desperation for something, anything to escape this creature's icy and abyssal grip strength.
Patti's heart rate increased, along with her desperation, as she began to thrash her arms around, bashing the doppelganger's sides, to no effect seemingly, well except for the doppelganger's deathly smirk to increase in width.
Patti began to hyperventilate emptily, as her heart pumped as hard and quickly as it had ever had in its whole 30 year life. Until all of a sudden, Patti's heart froze.
The whole world froze as everything dimmed to nothingness, and with Lucy beginning to creak her eyes opened up to the disruptive brightness that emanated from every crevice and opening, noticing how neither her IV link, or Patti were anywhere to be seen.
Lucy then quickly darted to her right to pick up the remote for the TV above, and turned it on to check the time, which read 11:30pm…
At first Lucy thought that Patti was on a walk, and a quick press of the red button above would summon her to Lucy. So no immediate dread to be sure when Lucy pressed said button, and began to sit up in anticipation for her best friend's arrival.
But, the time began to drag on, as the seconds became minutes. Until, just as Lucy was about to lose hope, she picked up a careful pair of footsteps coming towards her room. Lucy stared down the wide open door in hope that she could picture herself in Patti's warm embrace, oh how lovely it would feel…
To feel… loved. However, Lucy did get someone at the door, but…
"Hey there! Do you need anything? Name's Bruce by the way" The man at the door replied calmly with a light smile.
See, this was the complete opposite of Patti physically speaking, bearing short sandy blonde hair, a square built body, and a relatively pale complexion.
Lucy glowered at the surprise, wondering why she wasn't there "Uhm, where's my nurse?" Lucy questioned in a puzzled tone.
"Uhm, right here?" The man replied in a joking yet confused tone.
"No-no, I mean the other one..." Lucy insisted.
"Hmm…" The replacement nurse hummed in thought, stroking their chin in contemplation, before continuing "Ah! You mean nurse Patti right?" He replied assuredly, with Lucy nodding quickly.
"Yeah… sorry kiddo, but… she went home a while ago, seems like you really liked her huh?"
"Uh-huh…" Lucy answered, glancing down at the head of her bed in hurt, hurt that Patti was not there to hold her.
The new nurse slightly at Lucy's heartbreak, as they made their way to the side of her bed, and sitting down on the chair beside them, undamaged, legs intact and all.
"*Sigh*, me too Lucy…" The man replied, looking down at the ground in sorrow.
Lucy then immediately grew very concerned as to what he was implying, and how grim that implication was…
"What do you mean, 'me too'?" Lucy questioned almost in an accusing tone.
He took a deep and long breath through his nostrils, before beginning "See, after you went to bed at about… 11am I believe? Anyways Patti and I swapped shifts, and then she drives home no dramas at all. But then Patti's mum calls me at 9 in the morning, and she's like 'Mate it's Patti! It's happened again! Get over here now!' And as soon as I hear that I'm all like-"
"Wait… what happened again…" Lucy cut in sharply, with one eye peeking through and glaring at him.
"Oh uh, see- Patti works real hard to keep herself and her mum together, but sometimes she works herself to death so hard… she gets heart-attacks…" Bruce answered meekly.
Lucy didn't answer, she just turned to the ceiling, staring blankly.
"And these have been starting to get more frequent, which is why I sort of brushed it off at first considering how I'm supposed to stay with you right? Well that was before they told me she was stone cold…" Bruce's tone began to dampen as he spoke, beginning to develop a sorrowful glower.
"At first I don't believe it, I gotta see it myself so of course I'm like 'I'll be down there as quick as possible with some extra backup, just to be sure!' And so I come down there, and see Patti's heartbroken mum, with some of the other medics comforting her, while me and another medic began to carry Patti onto a portable gurney…" Bruce paused as he brought both his hands together onto his face, wiping off the buildup of upset.
"And then, I reached down, and touched her arm… and well, it was dry… no warmth, nothin…" Bruce began to lose his composure, but upon the sight of the streaks of tears steaming under Lucy's bangs, Bruce knew he had to be strong, for both of their sakes.
"Hey… *Sniff* it's not all bad!" Bruce said in a comforting yet shaky tone.
"Why not? I'm more alone than ever..." Lucy replied drearily.
"Well Lucy, I've got some good news for you!"
"*Sniff* What?" Lucy replied, looking over to the supportive nurse in doubt.
"Well… what if I told you, that you didn't have to be alone for long?" Bruce asked hopefully.
"What do you mean? *Sniff*"
"What I mean by that, is you won't be stuck in this ol' box of yours, you're gonna go home today Luce! Your doc said to disregard the tests since the work Patti did confirmed you can just recover at home!" Bruce cried out cheerfully.
Lucy didn't answer immediately, for she was too busy scrolling through how she now was forced to face the wrath of both home-life, and school life. Though, she did have a plan to make school life a bit better… though she still needed the puzzle pieces for that plan to come to fruition.
"Great… can't wait…" Lucy replied in a sarcastic tone, earning some confusion from naive ol' Bruce.
"What's the matter? That's supposed to always make kids like you feel better!" Bruce cried out.
"Yeah?" Lucy turned over, glaring at confused Bruce. "Well not me! And it's none of your business as to why…" Lucy shot back, turning back away, pulling more blanket over herself.
"Hmm" Bruce hummed in dismay, looking for a way to help Lucy out, but since she was just pushing him away like this, there wasn't really much he could do except give Lucy some space.
"Alright, well they're coming in about 30 minutes, so… would you care for some breakfast in the meantime Lucy?" Bruce inquired.
Lucy contemplated whether she needed it or not, however she decided against it, as breakfast would simply get in the way of her mental wanderings.
"No, I don't want breakfast…" Lucy replied, with Bruce nodding, about to leave When Lucy said something.
"I want Patti…"
"Wha?" Bruce uttered, turning to Lucy just as he was about to leave.
"I said; I want, Patti!"
Bruce just glanced down at his feet in gloom. *Sigh*, me too…" Bruce murmured to himself out loud, before leaving.
Lucy lied on her side, cold… untouched, and unkempt for all those 30 minutes, tossing and turning from the thoughts that bled, anxiously writhing in thoughts of Patti's forever sleeping face. Wishing Patti could have been able to feel Lucy's embrace of the last person she could confidently say physically cared about Lucy. Well aside Grana of course, but hey! At Least Patti could enjoy some quality alone-time at last...
"Lucy?" Leni said as she peaked around the doorframe cautiously. But Lucy didn't respond, lying curled up in visible dismay.
Leni and Lori frowned at the heart-wrenching sight, unsure of approaching. "Luce? It's just me and Leni…" Lori uttered while peering around the doorframe just opposite of Leni.
But Lucy didn't respond to Lori either, causing even more fear to stir in the blondies' guts. Though they could tell Lucy was awake, since she could be seen twitching and huffing between sniffles under the numerous layers of thick blanket.
Lori gently laid one foot out, stepping forward lightly, and tiptoeing along towards Lucy's bedhead, turning to Leni, and ushering her over with another hand.
"Lucy?..." Lori uttered one last time, still getting no response from Lucy.
Lori looked towards Leni, who was shaking her head lightly in a worrisome manner. But Lori just shot a light glare at her, before turning back to Lucy's outline. And clenching on the covers lightly, finding it was a bit tougher to hold, and grabbed a bigger bunch of blanket in her gingerly hands, and tried to pull off all the layers. But found there to be a rather large resistance upon her efforts revealing Lucy's full head of ebony hair.
Lori grunted slightly as she tried again, but Lucy just pulled harder, using both hands, facing Leni with unseen apprehension.
Lori simply kept trying, till it became an outright tug of war match. With Lori glaring at Lucy in discomfort, while Lucy glared at Lori in contempt.
"C'mon! It's, time to go!" Lori grunted out, Leni looked on from the side in distress. Rapidly darting between the two, till Leni noticed Lucy still had her hospital gown on.
"Lori stop! She's not ready, look!" Leni pointed in desperation, who stopped her struggling, causing Lucy to also pause. As Lori leaned just over to the side of the bed, noticing Lucy was indeed not ready to go.
"Oh… I see… s-sorry Luce…" Lori apologized wearily, with Lucy just huffing at Lori, and pulling the blanket back over herself, already feeling the cold rush up under her even after just mere moments away from the blanket's shield. Baring a heated gaze at the air-headed blonde, to which Lori glowered in embarrassment.
"Seems I can't do anything right lately…" Lori surmised, putting on a subconscious glower.
"Did we bring any clothes Leni?" Lori asked Leni, to which Leni looked to her sides, and investigated her purse, and shook her head lightly.
"I am… literally not surprised…" Lucy mocked spitefully in her head.
"Well… I guess you can walk around like that Luce… since well, this is literally a hospital! Hehe" Leni chuckled, earning a grand total of zero chuckles from all parties.
"We should go get some then… shouldn't we?" Lucy added in pure disdain.
"*Sigh*, yeah… I guess we'll have to get some here…" Lori grimaced, knowing how hospital prices can gouge your wallet to death if you aren't careful…
"Well c'mon you two! I'm half will'n to bet you didn't eat either, did you Luce?" Leni asked brightly.
"No. I did not…" Lucy answered angrily.
"Hmp, Oh-kay..." Leni stroked the back of her neck momentarily before answering back. "Well, 1 point for me for accuracy! Heh" Leni self-congratulated.
Lucy just looked on at the two, with hair-covered disdain…
"Yes…now can we go- ah!" Lucy pressed impatiently, swinging her legs off the bed, and attempting to stand up, only for her legs to go liquid upon the tiling. As she was about to fall over, but was scooped up by Lori nimbly.
"Hey! Take it easy Luce! There's no rush" Lori advised, with Lucy taking one look up at Lori's fearful frown, and pushed off of her and bounded into her nightstand just behind her clumsily.
"*Huff*, I can stand on my own… thank you..." Lucy uttered breathily.
"We know it's just, you've been through alot and… just take it easy, ok? We don't want you getting any more hurt than you already are" Lori reasoned.
"Whatever…" Lucy replied.
And with that, they all made their way down to the normal hospital side's food court area, with Lori glowering deeply upon passing by the table that Lori and Lynn's spat took place.
Leni noticed Lori's saddened look, and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey, you'll make it right, you're Lori Loud, remember?" Leni comforted with a hopeful smile.
*Sigh*... I just hope Lynn still thinks so too…" Lori frowned solemnly.
Though Lucy wasn't paying attention to them, she was too busy trying to find comfort in the hospital gown she was forced to don. Staying by the comforting embrace of a cafe's dessert heater, not caring about the food on display. Lucy was too frost-bitten to think about anything delicious...
Until her eyes came upon quite an interesting store… a store by the name of 'Chill convo(sation)', that had quite the striking mannequin in it's front glass display. Dressed in full black, including jet black strands done up in a ponytail, and thick black lipstick.
An ebony jacket complete with silver chains on the arms and front and leather gloves with individual spikes on each knuckle. An inner dark yet blank top, black ripped jeans that all led down to the most striking feature…
It's massive, tanned-leather boots that reach halfway up their calves. Also decorated with what looked to be also black straps completed with silver buckles that shimmered oh-so subtly yet glamorously.
Lucy couldn't help but get all caught up by the flashy display, for this, would most definitely… help aid her numb fingertips and toes, as well as looking quite stylish too...
"Guys?" Lucy uttered, since she found that they walked off while she was window shopping.
"*Groan* guys?!" Lucy cried out angrily.
"Huh? Oh! You need something sis?" Lori answered.
"Could you come over here?" Luce cried out, with Lori and Leni looking at each other in confusion.
"What?" Lori cried out.
"Oh my god… I just want you guys to see something!" Lucy squawked.
"Oh! Sorry! Just sit tight for a sec" Lori answered, with her and Leni moseying over to Lucy.
"Anyways, what did you want us to see?" Lori asked, raising a brow in intrigue.
"Yeah uhm… can we go there?" Lucy asked while pointing her wee little finger over to the 'Chilled Convo(sation)' place.
"Oh why…" Lori began, before getting caught off guard by the very outfit Lucy was also enchanted by, and inwardly sighing to herself, knowing full-well that's why Lucy wanted to go there.
"*Eek!* Lori! Lucy wants to go shopping! And we don't have to do it for her!" Leni exclaimed in elatement.
"Yeah but-"
"Lori c'mon! This'll be fun! Yknow we've never actually done this with Lucy before..." Leni clarified.
"Well…" Lori began, glancing over at Lucy, noticing she was doing something… strange with her face. It looked like a smile, but it was far too toothy for it to be merely a smile. It was strangely unsettling on a couple levels, but at least it wasn't as gut wrenching as seeing that strange look disappear as Lori glanced over to Lucy, with Lucy reverting back to her previous, dreary look.
"Mmm…" Lori hummed while folding her arms in unassurance, for while yes she did know it would be a first. But… did it have to be at some weird Hot-Topic rip-off?
But after both seeing Lucy's smile fall, and Leni put on her persuasive puppy eyes.
"Leni… stop that… you know it always works on me!" Lori exclaimed protectively, averting her gaze to the ground.
"Oh c'mon Lori! You and I both know that's the only place she'll want to try things on willingly in. And plus! You'll make Lucy like you..." Leni teased with a knowing grin.
"Mmm…" Lori looked back at Lucy, and then back at Leni, who bore a sweet sentimental smile.
Lori furrowed her lips into a fine line, till eventually, she relented. "Doh-kay! But only because I love you guys…" Lori smiled.
Lucy gritted her teeth harshly, softly growling at Lori from afar, clenching her sides tightly for extra warmth, as her frail skin was rather fragile against the hospital's air conditioning.
"Yay! Now c'mon Luce! Point to what you want, and we'll try it on!" Leni bellowed out giddily while grabbing Lucy's arm and pulling her forward. Dragging the two all the way over to the Hot Topic rip-off, with Lori sluggishly following along, dreading what Lucy will want. And how expensive it was gonna be...
Shortly, the trio arrived at the front, with Lori trailing shortly behind Lucy being dragged along by Leni. To which once they arrived, Lucy ripped her arm out of Leni's grasp to walk around freely.
And Lori stepped inside first, observing all the price tags and the… tacky product placement, and the rather charming fellow at the counter, who waved at Lori lightly.
To which Lori shuddered at, turning back to what Lori knew Lucy wanted to get, but was silently hoping she didn't since that outfit would take out quite a large chunk of her savings...
"So Lucy! What peaks your eye?" Leni asked full of hope.
"Hmm... " Lucy tapped on her chin slowly, taking in all the product placement drenched in black.
"Take your time Luce, this is your stuff you're getting-"
"That, I wanna look like that..." Lucy requested while pointing over to the goth mannequin.
"Hmm?" Leni hummed while moseying over to investigate the clothing, raising a brow at it's… vast color pallet…
"I see…" Leni murmured, stroking her chin with one hand, and holding her elbow in the other.
"Leni? You're not actually gonna buy that for her, are you-"
"Yeah-yeah-yeah! I'm tryna picture it…" Leni hand waved Lori off, visualizing what Lucy would look like with all the gear on.
"Hmm" Leni hummed, trying to ignore Lori's complaining.
"Leni, you can't afford!-"
"Yes, yes Lori! But you see Luce, it's just that, the front is a bit…say? Bland?" Leni criticized, with Lucy taking slight offense to it.
"Well, y-you don't know till you try it-"
"I get that… but, the contrast is not enough… it needs something else… like maybe something in grey?"
"Grey? I can help with that!" The counter guy cried out, going out to the back of the store.
"No no! It's alright, just make sure you bring out everything in 10 small! Thanks!" Leni clarified before starting to dive into the selection before them, till Lori came barging in from behind.
"Tacky, not her size, tacky…"
"Leni! Could you please just- hear me out for a sec?!" Lori requested firmly.
"*Sigh* Look Lori, I heard you the first time, I know that this stuff all costs more than it's worth. But y'know what? I don't care! Cause this is making Lucy happy! Lucy! You know how precious that is?" Leni spat.
"Of course I do! But at the same time I can't have you breaking your back over her-"
"Then why don't you pitch in Lori?" Leni proposed, baring a firm V-shaped scowl.
Lori opened her mouth to make a rebuttal, but all that came out was a whole lotta nothin. As Lori hung her head low pensively.
Leni noticed Lori's retractive state, and lowered her V shaped brows to a more warm and empathetic visage. "*Sigh*, I'm sorry, I just… I just want to make this a nice day for Lucy, she's been through-"
"No, i-it's fine, i'm just… being a blondie bitch again…" Lori frowned deeply.
"Lori don't say that! You're not a… a B-word! You're a good person, you just need a few pointers is all… which I'm more than willing to do" Leni sympathised, with Lori turning away from Lori observing Lucy curled up on the ground, idly tapping on it with both hands.
"Then… why don't I feel like one…" Lori questioned rhetorically, making Leni also frown, coming to Lori's side giving her a gentle hug.
"Thanks Leni…" Lori thanked, cracking a light smile.
"Anytime…" Leni welcomed, also cracking a smile as she leaned in squeezing Lori gingerly. Till an idea sprung to mind.
"Hey… know what'll make you feel better?" Leni started.
"What?"
"Ok, so she tries on the outfit, we get it for her, then we give Lucy a full makeover with it!" Leni suggested bubbly, making Lori fully grin, as she pulled away from Leni's embrace, and then held her by her shoulders with both hands.
"Leni… that is an awesome idea!" Lori cried out, almost shouting.
"I know right?! Now- tell me if this grey is better than, that one!" Leni asked while holding up two shirts that both had a bat hanging from a branch design, but with one having a dark grey, and the other being a light-grey. With Lori just snorting at Leni's enthusiasm.
"Haha! Maybe try, this one instead…" Lori suggested, reaching over inside the rack and pulling out yet another bat shirt, but yellow in black with a big yellow moon behind the bat instead.
"What the?!" Lori proclaimed in a confused tone, putting the shirt on top of Leni's head, and digging through the rack, only to find more of pretty much the same, damn shirt...
"Why are they all the same?!"
"Whats wrong Lori?" Leni questioned wearily.
"Leni look at this!" Lori commanded while pulling out two shirts from the rack.
"Do you see anything weird about these?" Lori questioned, shoving the shirts into Leni's face, to which she stood a bit further back to notice the... differences.
"Hmm, the color's different?" Leni questioned, to which Lori groaned.
"Well how about these two?" Lori then put back the ones she pulled out, and brought out another pair of almost identical bat-shirts, but instead of grey, one was full white with a black bat, and the other was full black with a white bat design instead.
"*Gasp*, not tacky and it's her size!" Leni cried out starry eyed.
"I-I, what?!" Lori stammered out, to which Leni tossed the shirts she was holding back onto the rest of the rack, and snatched the white-bat design out of Lori's hand.
"Oh! This is exactly what I was looking for!" Leni cried out, embracing Lori in delight.
"Thanks Lori!" Leni thanked brightly.
"Uhm… your welcome?" Lori welcomed unsurely, but accepted the hug regardless.
Meanwhile back with Lucy, she sat quivering on the ground, sitting up in a fetal position, pulling what little bits of the hospital gown were there, sitting upon the coarse carpet ground, trying to get as much warmth out of her frail body as possible. Wandering why they were taking so long with picking out which shade of grey looked best. Until finally she saw the two come out with the items of clothing, and one t-shirt that stuck out particularly well…
"Uhm… what the heck is that?" Lucy questioned, pointing towards the white-bat shirt.
"Why it's contrast! You like it?" Leni asked jovially, presenting it for Lucy expecting approval.
Lucy ogled the bat design, admittedly approving of the design part, but… Well Lucy just couldn't wrap her head around the color. "I hate it…" Lucy scolded.
Leni dropped her beaming expression, lowering the handpicked item slightly. "B-but, it's flashy… like you wanted?" Leni frowned.
"L-leni… I didn't say anything about being 'f-f-flashy'... I said, I wanted to look like that!" Lucy stood up pointing up at the mannequin, before stumbling as she fell straight back down to her knees.
"Not that! *Brr*" Lucy declared from the ground.
"So you don't even wanna see if it'll fit?" Leni asked, heartbroken that her thoughtful pick was outright despised…
"No… I want black, n-nothing more, n-nothing less…" Lucy emphasized, with Lori feeling particularly peeved with Lucy's attitude.
"Are you sure? You don't even know how it looks!"
"I don't need to wear it, to know I don't like it…" Lucy replied bitterly, agitating Lori with how bratty Lucy was becoming.
"Ok then… we'll get the black one…" Lori spat, storming over the counter and retrieving the black shirt she so described.
"Here you go… you wanna put it all on now?" Lori inquired sharply.
"Uhm… yeah sure-"
"Awsome, now get dressed already!" Lori commanded, cutting Lucy right off, carrying her off to the dressing booths.
"Wha- hey!" Lucy protested, too weak and slow to fight back.
"Not another word till you come out ready!" Lori barked, before dropping Lucy onto her feet, as she simply collapsed onto the ground weakly.
"B-but!" Was all Lucy got out, before Lori closed the door on her, making sure to slam it on the way out.
"You forgot my things…" Lucy uttered, to which Lori quickly dashed back over to Lucy's door, displaying her visible scowl at Lucy when opening her door, before throwing the things at her, and then slamming the door on Luce.
Lucy huffed out loud to no one in particular. Glaring through a slit between the door, spotting Lori leaving in a hissy fit. Lucy growled at Lori's callous demeanor before beginning to dispose of the thin tissue paper that wrapped around her frigid skin.
Throwing it into a corner behind her, and slipped into her new digs agitatedly piece by piece, till once it was all assembled. And once it was, it was as if she had drank a nice great big cup of hot chocolate in the morning.
Lucy never felt so refreshed in such a long time, pulling her right out of her bad mood, for the great big hug the admittedly edgy outfit gave was far too hearty to brush off.
Lucy could tell she was going to do a lot with this skin-tight ally of hers. And maybe, just maybe… Lucy would gain a bit of notoriety with her family thanks to the new getup. Because while deep down she may have not cared for what her peers thought of her generally. But maybe now that she's letting go of her old weary ways, perhaps the others will notice and perhaps... gift praise?
Meanwhile with Lori, she found herself shuddering after holding Lucy in her hands, getting a good feel of her frozen state unintentionally, before going back to Leni, who looked quite disappointed.
"Lori… why did you have to blow up at Lucy?" Leni questioned.
"Oh please! That was me being generous!" Lori justified.
"Well blowing up at her most certainly didn't do you any favours… especially after what happened in her hospital room-"
"I know what happened there! But that doesn't give her the excuse to act like a. A total brat!" Lori cried out.
"There are other ways to go about it Lori! Like not screaming at her…"
"I DIDN'T SCREAM AT HER!" Lori roared, blowing hot air through her nostrils.
Though while all of this was happening, Lucy was overhearing all of it as she was dressing up, and it simply added to the hatred she felt for her family in general. But As she was putting on her clothes. She winced in irritation as she felt some heavy scaring on her forearms and calves began to itch as she donned the new clothing. Lucy eventually brushed off this feeling of perpetual itchiness, choosing to make it another reminder of why her dad is the least tolerable to be around.
After Lucy was done reminiscing, Lucy came around a corner to show Lori and Leni her new outfit, until she paused to hear them talking about something.
"I'm not doing it Leni… not after that!" Lori cried out.
"Oh c'mon! She'll be better at home!" Leni reasoned.
"I don't care! She doesn't deserve a makeover after that! Look you can do it if you want, but she's officially out of my hair!" Lori screeched.
"A makeover?" Lucy murmured to herself, now even more curious, as she peered over from behind the clothes rack she hid behind a little more.
"Look, I get that Lucy was being a jerk. But you have to try and keep a cool head… you don't want another Lynn thingy happening do you?" Leni reminded.
Lori growled deeply before answering. "Why do you always have to be right about things!" Lori spat, folding up her arms.
"Lori… just breathe, you being wound up like this is only gonna make things worse… okay?" Leni suggested, putting a hand on Lori's back.
"Just in, and out…" Leni continued, with Lori trying the exercise out begrudgingly, finding success in it surprisingly.
"There… see? Feel better don't ya?"
"*Sigh*, yeah I guess so…"
"Great! Now why don't you go checkup on Lucy now? I'm sure she's ready by now" Leni pointed out.
"Hmm…" Lucy, hummed. "I guess I am ready now huh?" Lucy thought to herself as she saw Lori quickly approaching, but Lori grew confused upon seeing a silver chain link shimmering from behind some clothes.
"Lucy?" Lori pried, before jolting back flabbergasted by Lucy popping out all of a sudden.
"Hi…" Lucy uttered in a deadpanned tone.
"Uhm… *ahem* hi…" Lori replied, getting into a more stoic stance.
"We're ready when you are Luce, you can just mill about while we buy your outfit if you like?" Lori clarified, motioning to the counter.
"Okay…" Lucy replied in her usual gloomy tone, beginning to walk off to the counter, till Lori thought to ask her a crucial question.
"W-wait!"
"Mmm?" Lucy mmed in response.
"...Do you… like it?" Lori asked genially.
Lucy turned away from Lori, glancing down at her pants and sleeves, examining the front of her new attire. "Yeah… it's okay…" Lucy replied nonchalantly, smiling down at the outfit, and how snug it felt, like a sister giving a firm bear hug. Although weirdly, Lucy couldn't conjure up in her head what that felt like, no matter how hard she tried...
"Well, that's good…" Lori replied, putting on a light yet disingenuous smile.
"Yeah… well I'll be over here waiting for you guys…" Lucy relayed, pointing over to the front of the store.
"Well alright Luce" Lori uttered just barely enough for Lucy to perceive, with Lucy quickly parting as Lori finished.
"Just okay?" Lori muttered worriedly.
Just after that, Lori and Leni both pitched in to buy the stuff Lucy had on, with the two hissing at how much they had to fork out. But since it made Lucy (probably) happy… they begrudgingly bit the bullet. As they walked out, Lori leered down at Lucy, confusing her.
"What?" Lucy asked, shrugging her shoulders.
"You had better, warm up to this outfit…" Lori threatened.
With that, the trio finally bid their farewells to the hospital, and stepped into Vanzilla, without a single word being uttered along the way back. Well except for during halfway through, when Lucy surprisingly broke the ice.
"Hey, Leni?" Lucy uttered.
"Hm? Oh! Yeah Lucy?" Leni replied, caught off guard by Lucy's sudden interval.
"You gonna… give me that makeover?" Lucy brought up with a cute little hope filled-smile.
"Wait- makeover? How do you know about that? Are you a psychic?!" Leni accused fearfully, but Lucy just glowered in annoyance.
"No… I wish I was, but really I just overheard you guys talking" Lucy explained, though leaving out how much she heard. At least, till it became a bit more relevant...
"Oh… really?" Leni replied worrisomely.
"Yeah… you guys really live up the family name…" Lucy remarked.
"Haven't heard that one before…" Lori grumbled from behind the wheel under her breath.
"*Sigh*, well… I don't think its gonna be an US thing anymore… since we kinda had an argument..."
"I know… I heard that part too…" Lucy added, agitating Lori.
"Hmm" Leni replied, leering over at Lori, who felt her baring gaze.
"I wish we didn't have to-"
"Okay... the only reason I got upset like that, is because someone, thinks that just because they got sent to the hospital, that means they can yell at us like we're some sweatshop workers!" Lori fired up, using one hand to point over at Lucy, who mirrored Lori's ire.
"Well if I recall correctly… it was you who was screeching at the top of your lungs that you ironically 'did not scream at her!'" Lucy snapped.
"Well then tell me Luce! Why can't you at least show a single shred of gratitude huh?" Lori retorted ferociously.
Lucy scrunched up her face, trying desperately not to let all her hatred burst out. Digging her nails into the seat she sat upon.
"Answer me Luce! Why can't you-"
"Because you're just like everyone else! You don't give a damn about me!" Lucy cried out, shutting Lori up.
Lori was not expecting the tables to be turned on her, in fact the move bewildered Lori quite greatly. "I-I, well of course I care about you Lucy! What are you talking about?" Lori stammered out.
"Then where were my clothes Lori?" Lucy retorted, putting Lori in yet another stickler.
"Uhm… w-we got you new-"
"You know what I'm talking about Lori! Where, were they? Y'know- if it weren't for this outfit right now, my toes would be succumbing to frostbite!" Lucy added. With Lori not having an answer, feeling too horrible about not noticing Lucy's quivering state earlier.
"Lucy… it's alright! They were just at home with-" Leni began.
"Actually, while I'm on this tangent, where was mom? Where was dad? Where was anybody? Huh?!" Lucy went on, cutting off Leni.
"Where's my birthdays! Where's my appreciation?! I mean- I'm one of you guys, right?! So why do I have to beg for even the slightest gesture of kindness!" Lucy spouted.
Leni and Lori both sunk into their seats dejectedly, allowing the shame to crumble over their shoulders.
"Lucy… the others didn't come because… we thought you could…" Lori teetered out, slumping her head over her shoulders meekly.
"Could what?" Lucy interjected aggressively.
"*Sigh*, could… cope on your own, without anyone around like… normal…" Lori uttered shamefully.
Lucy didn't answer immediately, filling the van with a deafening silence.
"I hate you…" Lucy verbalized at Lori firmly.
"Lucy we do care about you! We've already cared so much for you I mean- why else would me and Leni get that outfit for you-"
"Because if you hadn't forgotten to care about me, you wouldn't have needed to..." Lucy retorted, clamming Lori up, as she just let out a deep broken sigh, returning her full attention to the road. Defeated...
"L-lucy?" Leni began.
"What?" Lucy answered.
"Y-you still want me to give that makeover for you?"
"Hmm, yeah sure" Lucy responded curtly.
"O-okay…" Leni stammered, turning to the car window-view gloomily for a nice shade of distraction…
"Luce?"
"What…"
"I… I love you-"
"Shut up Leni…"
And that. Was the last thing anybody said during that whole ride home. When the trio finally pulled into the driveway, Lucy and Leni stepped out first, with Lucy darting to the door, and Leni about to follow but noticed Lori staying inside the driver's wheel. Leni decided to investigate by trotting around to her windshield.
"Lori? You coming out?"
"Huh? Oh- yeah, just… I need a minute…" Lori replied, letting out a large visible sigh.
"I see… well could you give me the keys then?" Leni requested, holding out her hand.
Lori then wound down the window, fished out the house keys, and deposited the said keys into Leni's hand before quickly winding the window back up.
"Thanks…" Leni thanked before going off, letting Lucy inside.
Lori sighed wistfully after she plummeted her forehead directly onto the wheel, catching a glimpse of herself in the reflection of the front windshield. She lifted her head up, folding her arms on top of the wheel, resting her chin directly atop.
"You idiot…" She uttered at her reflection.
Inside the house, Lucy took note of how… still everything looked, yet at the same time, chaotic, like the place had been abandoned. But… after remembering that it was a Sunday, and everyone except dad wasn't home, that couldn't have been it.
And for all the silence, it made the chaotic elements all the more deafening to the senses. Almost all of the left side of the stairwell guardrails were completely snapped away, save the bottom portion was all that was left standing. And Lucy's portrait seemed to have been outright replaced, with it now bearing a white frame instead of the standard brown the rest had.
"Uhm Leni? Why is my portrait different?" Lucy asked while pointing over at the oddity.
"Your one? Oh uhm… it broke, so we had to like replace it..." Leni explained.
"Hmm…" Lucy hummed in curiosity.
Lucy went up the stairs to investigate the missing piece of decor, and grimaced at the blood on the snapped .
And if that wasn't enough, Lucy also noticed huge stretch marks all over the carpentry, along with glistening shards of what looked to be glass strown against the skirting.
Needless to say, shit went down here… And it probably had something to do with her siblings. So she wasn't too concerned over what transpired, but it was good to know anyway.
"Yeah… sorry, we tried to fix it up as best as we could…" Leni apologised, standing behind Lucy at the bottom of the stairwell.
"Hmm, don't knock yourself too hard, it looked like it was way worse before..." Lucy congratulated grimly.
"Well thanks… but yeah, you could say it was bad…" Leni lamented, making Lucy turn her head.
"How bad was it exactly would you say?" Lucy inquired, now intrigued.
"Well, if you come down here, I'll tell you the story if you like?" Leni invited, walking over to the TV couch and patting down a seat for Lucy.
"Alright, though why not in the privacy of your room?" Lucy asked, confused.
"Well cause Mrs, mom is busy writing… and she brought out her 'inspiration juice'. Or at least that's what mom calls it..." Leni cleared up wearily, making Lucy produce a brow raise.
"You mean her Chardonnay collection? Also, mom lives downstairs, not Upstairs..." Lucy corrected.
*Uhm, uh..." Leni stammered, "y-yeah, but just- don't go upstairs pretty please?" Leni begged.
"Why not?" Lucy pried.
"J-just don't!" Leni cried out in as soft a tone as ever. Though ironically this is what managed to bring out the supposed beast, as her door swung wide open, causing Leni to squeak in fright, as she immediately ducked under the sofa out of view.
"Hmm, could have sworn I heard Leni snooping around here… hmp! Must've been our beloved pet Charles..." Lisa murmured to herself out loud, slowly rotating around till her gaze met Lucy's duds.
"Oh! uh, greetings Luce! I hope you don't mind that I've been looking at that book of yours while you were absent?" Lisa revealed, shocking Lucy.
"Wait, you have?! And nothing happened to you?" Lucy quizzed.
"Surprisingly yet at the same time annoyingly" Lisa looked back into her room, squinting her eyes at the clear protective case that surrounded the hazardous tome.
"Yes… nothing has happened to me that was even remotely comparable to what transpired at the hospital. Which is what I'm trying to get to the bottom of. Which is also why I ask you to keep it down. Anyways, welcome back Lucy!" Lisa welcomed brightly, before closing the door on Lucy for real this time.
"Thanks… Lucy uttered, disappointed it didn't do anything to her like before, in fact she hoped what happened at the hospital could happen again since it looked pretty wicked, and that it would get back at Lisa a bit more.
And to top it all off, she didn't even acknowledge her outfit… not an outright offensive detail, but it still told Lucy all she needed to know.
"I-Is she gone?" Leni uttered in a perturbed tone.
"Uhm… yeah, I guess the coast is clear" Lucy confirmed.
"*Phew*, that's good, anyways anytime you're ready, do take a seat, cause this might be a shocker even for you" Leni advised.
"Heh, actually, I think I can piece together the picture myself just fine…" Lucy declined, looking back over to the damage done.
"Lets… see, someone said something the other sibling didn't like. Punchon ensues resulting in all this" Lucy gestured towards the dismantled left stair railings. "As well as that... " Lucy pointed towards her portrait.
"I swear, all the damn crud feeds down to me! Like really? Did it have to be my one?!" Lucy fired out.
Leni just sat mouth agape, as that's exactly what happened, well the basic structure of it, though of course Lucy was still ignorant to some of the more crucial details Leni knew. But regardless, the detective work was still impressive to Leni.
"Well, yeah! That's basically what happened… but, what's surprising is that, Luna of all people started it…" Leni revealed, grabbing Lucy's interest.
"Go on…" Lucy insisted.
"Yeah so, Lynn was antagonising Lori and stuff, until Luna comes out, and tells Lynn to back off by shoving her back from Lori. I tried to stop her from going outside her room, but… well after she did that, Lynn was like egging her on to literally give Luna her best shot… And, she did, she really did…"
Lucy couldn't hide her smile at the thought of Lynn being socked in the face. She couldn't say how it felt outwardly, but inwardly, it was really cathartic imagining that… "Tsk, and then?" Lucy inquired, with a gleeful smile.
"Well… once she punched her, she flew back into the left hand railing, and ripped right through, until stopping when she bounced off the edge of the wall, and… crashed into your picture, smashing it with the back of her head. Before she rebounded off down the stairs, and all the way to the bottom of the floor-" Leni paused, upon picking up sounds of… snickering? And from… Lucy?!
Leni got up from her seat confused, and went to investigate Lucy, finding that she was covering her face with one hand, visibly giggling…
This… would normally be a joyous moment, but… why was Lucy snickering at Lynn being mangled?! Then again, Lucy was morbid… but never downright cruel.
"What's so funny?" Leni asked worriedly.
"Hehe, *snort* sorry! It's just…" Lucy interrupted herself, as she couldn't hold in any longer, collapsing onto the stairs laughing her butt off practically, kicking her legs out she was so full of energy.
"I-it's like some silly cartoon! Just thinking about Lynn just going like- boing! A-boing! A-boing!" Lucy snorted, breaking into an outright fit of laughter, trailing and bouncing her point along as she described Lynn bouncing along.
Leni stared into Lucy's manic eyes that peered through her bangs fearfully. "Lucy… t-that's not funny!" Leni cried out, scowling down at her.
"Yes it *cough*, it is!" Lucy got out, her voice getting more coarse as she laughed, feeling it starting to sore as she continued.
Leni continued to ogle Lucy, or what she saw taking the physical form of her, because this? This was not the Lucy that Leni knew. Neither was it the Lucy that Luna, Lincoln, the twins, at the top of the stairs peering down saw.
Peering down in utter confusion. "Uh… Luce? Sis? Was it just me? Or did I hear you-" Lana interjected.
"*Snort* hehe, ah…" Lucy finally stopped, wiping away tears from under her eyes, turning behind her visibly worried looking siblings.
"Guess that answers my question…" Lana uttered.
"Wait, that was Lucy?" Lori shot out, squeezing through the door to observe where all the manic laughter was coming from, only to get her perplexing answer right in front of her.
"Damn Leni… you must've done something real funny to crack Lucy up like that…" Luna added, with Lisa's door suddenly bursting open revealing the little genius.
"Hold on, cracking Lucy up?" Lisa chimed in, "I most certainly hope it wasn't one of Luan's jests to finally achieve this milestone. Uhm no hard feelings to you of course."
"*Sigh*, none what-so-ever…" Luan glowered.
"Well c'mon Leni! What did you say?" Lincoln enticed, bearing a great big excited smile.
"I…" Leni quickly darted her eyes around all her siblings "I just- told Lucy about how Lynn fell down the stairs!"
"Ts, don't make me start again…" Lucy snickered.
"Huh?!" Everyone except for Leni and Lucy blurted out concurrently.
"I… guess Lucy fancies herself a fan of slapstick…" Luan uttered, just as confused yet mortified as everybody else.
"Yeah…" Luna replied, nodding her head slowly, still trying to process everything in front of her.
"*Sigh*, say, I wonder how Lynn is doing?" Lucy spoke in her normal raspy tone, beginning to walk up to her room past her siblings.
"H-hey wait up Luce!" Lincoln interrupted, blocking Lucy's path.
"Are you… feeling alright? Need to lie down or anything?"
"No Linc of course not! Nothing's wrong! I just feel… great…" Lucy answered, bearing a calm smile at him while nodding.
Normally this piece of news would bring great levity to the Loud's, but somehow… it simply allowed dread to step right in and take hold.
"Well alright dude… if you uh, say so…" Luna added.
"Yeah, if you feel great, t-then we feel great too!" Lola also added, giving a rather uncomfortable smile at Lucy.
They all stood deathly still, not really knowing what else to do or say. So in all the thick shades of awkwardness, Lori suddenly shot up.
"Uhm, well alright then people! If that's everything then we should all just, let Lucy have her space… everyone go back to, whatever it was you were doing!" Lori declared. With everyone quickly scurrying off back to their rooms, including Leni until Lori stopped her hastily.
"Wait Leni! Is… there anything you and Lucy wanted to do?" Lori questioned.
"I uhm, did you have anything in mind?" Leni turned towards Lucy.
"Hmm, eh, I'm good for now on doing stuff" Lucy answered.
"Well then, just take it easy Luce, alright?" Lori advised.
"Whatever…" Lucy replied in her usual dry tone, before opening her room's door, and closing it behind her.
Leni quickly turned back to Lori with a fearful glower. "Lori… I think-"
"Yeah, I think so too…" Lori interrupted. "*Sigh*, something's seriously wrong with her…" Lori uttered, before the two blondies' went back up to the rooms to contemplate their next move.
Meanwhile as soon as Lucy went into her room. She coddled her stomach as she went into a dry coughing after taking in a breath.
"*Cough, cough* ugh... note to self, don't laugh again..." Lucy grimaced, til at the corner of her eye saw Lynn resting soundly, covered up by her blanket. She seemed to be relatively fine sleeping in her bed. Well... that is if you ignore all the bandages around her forehead.
"Hmp, she'll deal with it, I mean... Lynn's, Lynn" Lucy remarked. Glancing down at her school bag, and Lynn's workout set just by her closet…
Lucy let a devilish grin take hold, as she put two and two together. "Perfect…" Lucy uttered forebodingly to herself, as she began dismantling her weight set by removing the very namesakes off, and stowing them away in her bag after removing her schoolbooks, nice and snug.
Lucy then looked to her shelf, and ogled the rather… ugly bust of Edwin the vampire from the famous yet ficticious Melancholia she wasted so much time fawning over. And now felt less then nothing looking at it.
"You…" Lucy grimaced, walking over to the place she kept her ex-crush Luce, yeah sure she liked him. But after the doppelgänger's advice, it seemed silly to worry about a man who'll never see her till the next blood moon.
She picked him up by the stand, and suspended him over the ground in her gloved fingers. But couldn't help notice she saw a tear stream down the bust's face.
"Oh… don't cry poor estranged dear Edwin, it's not you… it's me."
Lucy uttered, before letting go, as she let him fall to the ground, as his base shattered into several large chunks, the bust itself, only suffered a few scratches.
This agitated Lucy slightly at this failure, until she spotted Lynn's trusty hard-oaked bat, smirking at it, she moseyed on over and equipped it, eyeing Edwin square in his concrete fangs.
"This'll do the trick…" Lucy uttered to herself, as she heaved the bat high, and let it come crashing down with one fell swing, shattering the bust almost into dust. Lucy then leaned on the bat for support, as she used her forearm to wipe her forehead of residual effort. Now meditating on what else she left lying around that tied her down to something…
Until her wandering gaze laid upon the leather covered diary, sitting idly on her bed. Lucy let go of Lynn's bat, allowing it to fall to the ground as she leapt onto her bed. Flicking through the diary's pages, searching for something, anything of note that she hadn't logged away already in her mind, and would be of any use later on.
And yet, all she saw was "Harriot" this, and "Harriot" that, or "my life sucks" this and "my friends at the mortician club suck" that.
It was all rather repetitive and annoying, and yet. She still wished not to throw it away, she really didn't, but… well. It was time to do just that, which of course, was letting go of all the chains that link to anything of value. For if she didn't, then someone else would anyway, might as well be the first…
And with determination in every fiber, she closed up the dreary thing, and set off to the sitting room, locating the fireplace, lightly tossing the diary on top, with it accidentally being flipped open, but Lucy didn't bother to fix it, letting the pages swish about as she went back up to her room.
Where she went to the bottom of her side of her nightstand, and pulled open a small door, revealing an entire stock of fresh candles. But that was not where her prize was, for her eyes were laid upon the matchbox just at the bottom of the cabinet. Lucy quickly grabbed it before dashing forth, and right back to the fireplace.
Carefully squatting down and reaching into the fireside, flicking the match above her sentimental tome.
"Lucy?" A white haired boy uttered in a confused manner. Spooking Lucy, making her drop the lit match as it went out in the air from Lucy's spook.
"Gah! Uhm, Lincoln! What are you doing?" Lucy questioned at Lincoln in an annoyed tone.
"I could ask you the same thing, in fact… what are you doing?" Lincoln accused.
"I'm…" Lucy paused, turning back to the diary, with it's pages turning in the wind. "Sigh. I'm parting ways with things that don't matter…" Lucy replied.
"Hmp, sounds… heavy, you need some help with that?" Lincoln offered.
Lucy glared down at the flapping pages, her mind made up. "No…" Lucy replied in almost a low growl, as she flicked a match to life, and dropped it straight onto the book, as it instantly went ablaze.
Lucy stood back, at all the time, all the dedication, everything that she used to worry about, just faded away into cinder.
Lincoln squinted his eyes into the flames, and saw the shape of something within the flames, the shape of a dark leather-back book.
"Wait- Luce! That's your diary!" Lincoln cried out in shock.
"I know Lincoln… I put it there..." Lucy uttered spitefully while facing Lincoln.
"Hmm, well, so long as you know what you're doing Luce..." Lincoln frowned as he trudged away up the stairs, taking one last pity filled glance at Lucy, before taking off to his room.
Although Unbeknownst to Lucy and Lincoln, Lisa saw everything from above with her hidden cameras placed in corners all around the house. Wearily frowning to herself in great worry. "Oh dear Luce, I really hope you're okay..." Lisa muttered, staring up into a great big monitor above displaying many camera views, swivilling her chair towards the accursed golden book that laid caged up in a protective clear case.
Though while Lisa was ogling the book's cage, she saw the broken window behind it, and an idea quickly popped into her mythical mind. Lisa then swivelled herself towards the broken window view, and hoped off the seat to go look outside. And down at the ground, lay a seared mess, a mess, that could help her greatly.
"Maybe, I don't have to just pray that Lucy's fine..."