7 - Badeline Chase

Prompt: Abounding

The reflection that escaped from the mirror looked from the distance to her counterpart losing time with dumb strawberries. She'd be laughing her ass off if it wasn't for her abounding euphoria for finally getting out of her stupid head.

She knew she was a creation from the power of the mountain. If it was not for the favor She just received she'd say how ridiculous and even infantile all that sounded like a children's fairy tale.

Right now She could be wherever she wanted to be at, doing whatever she wanted to do. And if she was honest with herself—something her counterpart seldom did—she'd rather as far as possible from this cumbersome mountain. Her perpetual misfortune made her know the bitter truth that to get that, she would have to make her other self to listen. A task not easy at all and one she not always accomplished.

But now she had much more direct methods.

After her counterpart decided to continue, She awaited her arrival to confront her next to a small campfire still accompanied by its previous owner which now was little more than a pile of bones. That would surely allow her second half to see what She saw and understand Her easier.

Once the red-haired counterpart arrived, She smiled satisfied.

"Madeline, darling, slow down."

The named girl startled upon hearing her named and turned around. "Who said that?"

"I'm you. Or rather, I'm part of you," She cleared up and floated up from the ground a couple of meters. She could she her uncertainty and fear in her face. Good. She had her attention.

"Why a part of me looks so…creepy?"

She looked down at her with narrow and irked eyes. "I just look like this. Deal with it."

"I'm sorry. I didn't think–

"No. Obviously you didn't think. But that's why I'm here. I'm here to get us out of this mountain."

"But, I still have much to climb. I'm sure I can do this."

"You're many things, darling. "But you are not a mountain climber. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into. Try to be reasonable for once. This isn't for you.

"That's exactly why I need to do it. And who you are to tell me what I can or can't do anyways? The weak part of me, or the lazy part?

She had to contain herself to not snap at her comments. She needed to be…

"I'm the pragmatic part. Even though you believe I'm all the bad things inside you."

"Bad things? Like in Badeline." Her counterpart chuckled lightly. "Do you have a name at all?"

"…" She looked at her incredulous. There was no way she'd be using such stupid name. "That's the worst idea you've ever had. Only second to climbing this place. Let's go home." She started to get closer and closer to her. "Together."

Before She could put her hands on her, her counterpart took a step back. Then another, and another, then she ran off.

She had no other option that go after her long and wide through the old site. Person and reflection ran through room after room as fast as they could. In essence they were the same being and went at the same velocity.

The person always stood away from the reach of the reflection.

She made sure to always be there whenever her other half looked back in her desperation fueled by adrenaline.

In an attempt to gain terrain She manifested copies of herself. Each for every problem her counterpart had. Doubtful. Anxious. Controlling. Bitter. Paranoid. Defensive. She name it. Problems SHE of course didn't have.

Even with that she never reached for her other self. Always stepping her heels but nothing else. Always being her shadow. Always staying at the shadow of a lesser version of herself roaming the corners of her mind and she could not get rid of.

Later than sooner, She understood she wouldn't catch her. She needed to hunt. Not chase.

She stopped pursuing at the end of the old site and She saw her getting disappearing in the distance. She didn't have to be behind her to know where she was.

In an escapism attempt, her counterpart distracted herself with a pole telephone. No numbers even dialed when the phone ringed and she answered.

She said everything she wanted to hear. She pretended to be an old friend and abounded her with a false sense of security until she put two and two together.

"I am dreaming, aren't I?"

"Madeline, of course you're dreaming. I haven't spoken to you in months. Why would I start now?"

"Ugh! Why I am even climbing this stupid mountain!?"

She uncovered herself floating in the air, looking down on her with a smile. "I'm wondering the same thing. It's time to give up and go home."

The pole telephone tremble and deformed into a hairy floating creature with mouth and several eyes. A freeze response kicked in for a second and that was time enough for the creature to devour her in one bite before it disappeared without a trace.

The reflection stayed with her own company for a few moments ruminating on the recent events despite that, in fact, they had just happened. The more she thought about them, the more she laughed at the tomfoolery her other self bared.

"Badeline. Pff, sure. Like hell I'll use that name." But in that solitude…Her mind started to accept the idea that any other name was better than that of HERS.

By traspassing the word limits I have in this challenge I wonder if I should have done a novelization for this game and not this exercise with random prompts. But I like the idiosyncratic view I have to have in each chapter.

The small scene with Badeline alone at the end was not among my plans. It wouldn't be the first time such improvised scenes end up being my favorite. Curious. Again if I had more space I'd definitely delve more into moments like this.