Whispers Of Chaos

| 4. 𝑫𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆

Picture, picture, smile for the picture
Pose with your brother, won't you be a good sister?
Everyone thinks that we're perfect
~ Dollhouse, Melanie Martinez

Chapter 4. Dollhouse

The human mind is the most horrifying thing of all.

It is adept enough to create hauntingly vivid images that would scar you till no return.

Gasping, Selena woke up. Selena's eyes shot open, and her breath caught in her throat as she jolted upright in bed. "Seven hells," she rubbed her throbbing temples. Beads of sweat clung to her forehead, mingling with the tears that streamed down her face.

Thoughts painstakingly ate her soul away bit by bit. Hollowed her mind and then filled her with hysteria.

The space was dark and bitter cold, but she admired it.

There's something unspoken about the dark, something the girl can never quite put words to, something haunting yet hauntingly beautiful.

The warm tears dried on her drained face as she tasted the salty essence of emotions on her tongue. On her stomach, she lay. She planted her face in the silk pillow and coiled it into a fetal position. She hugged another pillow closer to her body.

Selena could not find peace in this unfamiliar environment.

She never would. She never will.

Her demons, no matter how quiet, were never silenced. Clam as they were, they waited for a reason to wake up, take a long-overdue breath, and crawl back to her ears—whispering like the scheming sirens, coaxing her to let them take control.

A strong sense of her demons returning possessed Selena. They were looking for a fight, willing to be unleashed and untamed. Take on everything that stands against her and win.

And this time, she might just let them.

----

Another sleepless night came and gone. A knock on the door jolted Selena from her slumber. She whined, reluctant to leave the comforting embrace of her mattress and pillows. Reluctantly, she dragged herself out of bed and opened the door.

"Good morning, my dear!" Liliana chirped, her voice filled with an unnatural enthusiasm for this ungodly hour. "I hope you slept well and are ready for a wonderful day!"

Selena blinked, her eyes struggling to adjust to the unwelcome brightness of the morning. "Right, good morning," she muttered, her tone laced with tiredness. She couldn't quite comprehend how her mother managed to maintain such a relentlessly cheerful persona at all times.

It was a good mom act. She loathed it.

Again, who had this much energy at eight in the morning?

Stepping into the room, Liliana surveyed the plain and impersonal space. "I decided not to decorate your room," she explained, her smile faltering. "I thought we could do it together, according to your taste. Won't that be fun?"

Selena's room was plain and devoid of personal touches, with only the essentials: a large bed, a mirrored vanity, and a walk-in closet big enough to be its apartment.

Selena fought the urge to roll her eyes. Fun? In decorating a room? She couldn't think of anything more mundane. "Sure," she replied flatly.

Who could blame her for being mean? She had a shitty night, and neither did she care about these people.

Liliana's smile wavered, but she quickly recovered, "Oh, I'm sure we'll have a blast!" she said, trying to inject enthusiasm into her voice. "Just let me know how you want it, and we'll perfect it."