Disclaimer: I don't own it.
A/n: The style for this one might be a bit different because it talks about one specific event...ish thing. And because I didn't write this at practically midnight when I was half asleep.
000
Something at the back of what passes for her mind is calling her. She's felt it before, she thinks, but she can't remember anything clearly. It all gets lost somewhere, somehow. She thinks that should bother her, but the thought passes.
The call remains, singing a plea to come, come quickly, come to me. She goes, for no reason other than its existence.
It sings, louder and louder with every step she takes, though sometimes softer when she doesn't, and there's something familiar about this, something about a game…but it hurts to think about, and she stops. So many things hurt to think about, so usually she doesn't bother trying to.
But the song calls, insistent and demanding, yet tender and full of love, wordless, but telling her everything she needs to hear, everything she wishes she couldn't hear because it reminds her of there and beyond there, before she was like this. She almost feels something at the song, and it might be anger, but she can't tell because she hasn't come close to feeling anything in so long.
Come to me, follow me, I love you it seems to say, and even if she doesn't understand what it means she still complies. That's what she's done for so long, comply, allow people to do to her what they would and never saying a word, so why stop now?
But this call is different. It comes from somewhere deep inside her, the only place still whole, still functioning. The only place that was never broken.
It burns to think of, though, and she stops. Somehow, her feet stop moving too and the call wails. But she can't continue, can't go toward what used to be because something inside her says that it's wrong. She can't deny the something, even though the call promises love and help, because the something is law and how can she disobey?
Another part of her mutters that she used to disobey all sorts of laws, and yet another says that she only did that with someone, though it's not too clear who that someone was. There are two parts that disagree what the someone looked like, and through everything the call sings.
That's all she is now, bits and pieces of thoughts and feelings that never really form anything coherent, never have until now anyway. Until the song got louder and louder and now it's waking everything up inside her and it's too much, just too much—
She stops thinking. Thinking is dangerous; thinking will draw attention to things that should remain hidden. Everything has to be buried or else they will come and poke at it and break it some more.
The song continues, and there must have been something she forgot to hide. She turns, walks away from the song, not knowing where she is headed but knowing that it is safer than here.
A while later, she sees a building, broken open and with all of the glass smashed. Inside one window is a spot of black, so she walks over to look at it.
It is a mask, simple, just plain black cloth shaped to cover the forehead and nose, leaving holes for the eyes and tied with black ribbon. Nothing special, nothing important.
The ghost of a half-memory flits through her mind and she puts it on.