Chapter 5: an ending to begin
Ellen had woke up in a sweat, the nightmare from before causing her heart to race and her mind beginning to dart around, the image of Viola in her old body flashing and burned into her eyelids. The smile on her face was as cold as her eyes. The sight and smell of blood all over made her sick. Feeling cold, she slowly stood up and fumbled herself to the bathroom, getting a hot bath going, undressing, and stepping in. As she sighed, she began to pour over the events once again from the previous day. She was dealing with phantoms throughout the day, found out her best friend was in love with her, doubted her own feelings in return, and managed to make a few enemies. Thankfully, no major injuries were had, from anyone except the gang that had decided to pick a fight. In retrospect, all was well.
It took her a moment to realize that Chia was in the bath with her, their chests pressed together and their faces inches apart.
"Chia, what are you doing?" Ellen's expression was one of annoyance. She tried her best to resist the urge to throw her out of the tub.
"i'm relaxing with you. You walked off like you had a rough sleep." Chia's smile hid her concern, trying to not irritate any further problems the girl may have had.
"trust me Chia, I'm fine. It's still early, so we should probably get ready for school."
"actually, it's 8 o'clock. We're late."
like the sound of glass breaking, Ellen's eyes opened wide. She jumped out of the shower with no regard for Chia, quickly drying herself off and getting dressed in her uniform, brushing her hair and quickly braiding it like she usually did. Within seconds she was drinking old instant coffee and ignore her sleeping father, who was off work today, a feminine figure was sleeping on the couch across from his armchair, and on her way out the door, Chia immediately following behind her. She smiled and rushed by Ellen's side as they ran to school, unknowingly holding hands as they went.
In the time it took them to get to school, it was already time for Dr. Edwards' class, which they had barely got to in time. They bowed and sat down, with only a suspicious glare from the Dr. Before he allowed them to reach their seats. Ellen, as usual, tried to look out the window, daydreaming. However, she caught wind of a conversation between two female students.
"did you hear what happened? A blonde girl with a mean glare beat up Ritsu's older brother. Apparently she was wearing our school's uniform."
"whoever that girl was, she's got an A in my book. Ritsu and his brother are no good perverts."
"shoosh mai! He's not exactly happy about his brother being ripped a new one, even if he did deserve it."
'poor guy, even his brother is too weak to beat up a girl. Older or not, I don't exactly pity them.'
Ellen's thoughts stirred back to the men she met in the park. She smiled as she remembered the feeling of the two dunderheads clobbering each other with pipes. Despite the way she walked into class, she oddly wasn't bothered by Dr. Edwards. On her way out, she smiled as she walked outside the school without incident, hoping to get lunch elsewhere today.
Chia, as usual, was following Ellen to the fast food place they usually went to. She ordered a burger and fries, same as Chia, except with no cheese on her own. They sat down and started first on their fries. Chia was the first to start the conversation.
"so, the whole school is talking about you. How you beat up Ritsu's older brother."
"I didn't even know he had a brother."
"and Ritsu and Alice are back together and causing trouble again."
"marvelous. I get two people to beat the shit out of today when I see them."
before they could say another word, a boy with dark blue scraggly short hair and a cocky smile walked in, with a girl with short purple hair at his side, both wearing the usual school uniform.
"I wouldn't be too full of yourself if I were you blondie." Ritsu and Alice, in the flesh.
Ellen couldn't help but crack her knuckles and stare at them with the corner of her eyes. She quickly stood up and walked outside, knowing exactly was was happening next. The two followed.
Ellen was glaring at the two, who seemed to be in a sort of stance with each other. Ritsu and Alice both had grins on their faces, his cocky and confident, and hers sly and almost amorous. Ellen waved her hands through her hair, and almost in a split second, Ritsu had made a mad dash toward her, throwing a punch to her face. As she recoiled, Alice came in with a kick, which Ellen caught. As soon she did, Ritsu punched her again in the face, sending her to the ground. It was mere moments before Ritsu was on top of her, punching her brutally in the face with Alice kicking her in the ribs. Ellen was taking the pain, taking in the movements, and then she retaliated. She shifted herself over so that Alice kicked Ritsu in the ass, to which Ellen re payed all she was hit with a furious headbutt, sending him reeling. When she was able to stand, she grabbed Alice by the hair and pulled her into a flurry of furious kicks, which broke her nose and sent blood flying before crashing her head into the pavement. After this, she walked up to Ritsu and quickly stomped on his testicles, his screams beginning to turn into squeals and howls. Her face beaten up, she looked him dead in the eye before speaking.
"if you dare try to pick a fight with me again, I will fucking kill you, and your worthless trash heap of a brother. Do you understand me?"
she didn't wait for a response, she grabbed him by the head and smashed it into the ground like she did with Alice. With them now out cold, and a crowd gathered, she walked in and continued to eat her food. The rest of the day after walking to school went completely normal. Not a single complaint was made about her all day. When she had gotten home, she didn't drink any coffee, she simply hopped onto her bed, smiling. The fight felt good despite her being beaten to a pulp at first.
The weekend was upon them now, Ellen giving Chia a call on the landline phone. They were talking about possible places to visit since staying at home was established to be a boring way to spend the days.
"well, what if we went to the park? We almost never go there during the day."
Chia's static sounding voice was coming though the speakers as she responded. "we always go to the park at night though. Is there somewhere else? Like an arcade or something?"
"how bout a trek through the woods?" Ellen's smile was slight, but purposeful.
"why would you want to go to the woods?"
"eh, old times I guess. I wonder if my marks are still there."
"oh, right. You went there fishing a lot with your dad, and that friend of yours. What ever happened to her?"
an immediate sense of regret coursed through her as she responded. "she….. died. Her illness was apparently too severe."
"oh, I'm sorry Viola. Well, I'll get ready to go to the woods with you. I can't wear thins dingy skirt over there, can I?"
"well, you can. You're in charge of pulling out the stickers though."
"fine. I'll meet you there Viola." as the receiver clicked, she sat the phone onto the table and got dressed for the trip. She wore a pair of steel toed hiking boots, dark blue jeans, a thick green camo hoodie, and a thick "skirt" that doubled as a fanny pack. With a camera loaded in her pack, she was ready to go. She ran out the door with a small handbag, carrying lunch and her usual brand of instant coffee, running toward the entrance to the woods, where Chia was waiting, dressed in a thin pink sweater and blue thigh high shorts and purple knee socks. It was truly a colorful apparel for her.
As the two walked through the woods, talking, laughing and taking pictures, one particular picture was printed immediately and stuffed into Ellen's pocket. It was one they took together beside what she was told was their favorite tree when they were little. Chia and Viola used to play in these woods a lot. Of course, Ellen didn't remember this. She was in her home at the time.
"hey, do you mind if we go check something out real quick, I want to make sure the place is intact."
"place?" Chia couldn't help but look dumbfounded, but followed an already walking Ellen anyway. The path to the old house was still there, but faded over the years. Following it, she saw a black cat. In an instant, she darted for it, with a panicked Chia behind her. Breathing heavily from the sprint, she looked around for the cat, but it was in vain. The house was now in plain view, decrepit and lost to time.
"Viola, what was that about?" Chia was more out of breath than Ellen was. She never saw the girl run so fast.
"the black cat, did you see it?"
"yeah, I did. But why did you chase it?"
"something doesn't feel right. Come on, lets go inside. There's a broken window over there."
Ellen walked over and climbed through the broken window on the left side of the building, which somehow seemed larger than it was when she was little. Chia reluctantly followed.
A flashlight in Chia's hand lighting the way, Ellen and she walked through the halls of the house, seeing nothing but dull grey due to the cobwebs and dust. Chia and Ellen were hand in hand, like it seems they've been for a while now. A rattle of metal was heard as the flashlight darted to a shaking platter.
"Chia, over there." Chia nodded and walked with Ellen toward the door closest to the platter, which was open a crack. Walking in slowly, the light shined slowly across the room, the girl's moving cautiously inside. There was a hole in the ceiling that gave enough light to see without the flashlight, but just barely so. The girls sighed and started to look around. Ellen ran her hand along the bed that was on the side of the door, looking into the dusty mirror on the end, the stuffed animals, now mildewed and rotten, lining the shelves. This was her old room. The wave of nostalgia made her smile, then frown bitterly. Here, she spent her childhood in pain. Here, she had a friend who visited her every day. Here, she left her regret and her betrayal to fester like an untreated gash. Placing her hand on the dusty mirror, she closed her eyes, seeing the vision from her future flowing into her mind. Her power, though faint, was still in this place. The vision she saw, would scar her for a time to come. Not with how real it was, but how close at hand it seemed.
Blood all over here school, corpses littering the floor, all her classmates with pained and agonizing expressions. And the one most painful, Chia, her eyes wide with surprise, bleeding from her mouth with a knife still in her throat. Ellen running back to the house, falling just inches away in the rain. Opening her eyes to the reality.
It took much shaking and relentless calling to get Ellen out of her trance, Chia looking creeped out. She looked at Ellen worriedly.
"can we go? Please? The longer I stay here the more I feel like something is gonna jump out and make me pee my pants."
Ellen nodded and followed Chia out the way they came, being sure to close the door. Before leaving for good, she looked back, and in the window, she saw a woman with violet hair, looking straight at her. She didn't respond, and walked away with Chia. Beside her.
Getting home, she undressed herself and showered, wondering if what she was at her old home was real. The vision at her school, running in the cold rain. All the dead people she saw. She hoped it wasn't her future, but she knew better. Fate had toyed with her since the moment she was born. Why would it stop now?
Attempting to push the scene from her mind, she left the shower, dried her hair and layed naked in her bed. It was strange and also frightening. She tried to think about Chia, but all that came to mind was her lifeless, shocked form. Tears in Ellen's eyes, all she could do was try to sleep, her nightmares haunting her until morning.