Growing up, I never had many friends. My solution to this little dilemma was to, of course, just make some. Not real ones, though. If no one wanted to be friends with me, then I'd just have to think of people who might. If I had someone I thought was cool or I admired, the next day, they would magically appear in my mind, talking to me and being friendly like we had been besties since birth. After that, I would stop seeing them at school in their actual forms. They would just be there in my mind, almost like they had decided that they were fed up with their old friends and decided to be friends with me instead. After a while, I had gotten used to this regular cycle of people I hardly knew coming up to me and us instantly bonding. I almost didn't even pay attention to the fact that the number of people who were in my class had started to dwindle or that people would whisper and talk about me after I passed by them. I was too busy hanging out with my friends to even notice that anything had happened. And then we moved.
Naturally, I couldn't just take my friends with me. They all had their own families, and I didn't want to drag them along with me just because I was too selfish to find some new friends. I didn't know why we were leaving, but I did remember my mum saying something about all the missing kids. When I got to my new house, everything felt so wrong. For once, I was just alone with no one to talk to, and I had to come to terms with the fact that my friends wouldn't just spring up at any time I wanted them to. It was just me in a room, alone with my thoughts. That's why, when my mum opened the door and introduced me to the girl that lived next door, Becky, I was instantly enamoured.
She was pretty and kind, and she seemed to really want to get to know me better. It was nothing I hadn't gotten used to from my imaginary friends, but it just felt so different this time. So real. She wasn't perfect, and I think that was what made her feel so different. She didn't obey my every command and bow at my every whim. She was a real person, and I was thrilled to have met her. I felt so ecstatic that she was willing to put up with me, that she was real, and that she had chosen to hang out with me, even after I had told her about the kids at my old school avoiding me. But it had all changed after the day I had planned to meet up with her, and when I opened the door, I was shocked to see that it wasn't who I'd expected it to be.
"Oh! Belinda! I haven't seen you in a while!" I exclaimed, shocked that my old friend had shown up at my doorstep."Yeah, Mary. You didn't think to call me?" She replied, clearly upset."Um, I'm so sorry! It just slipped my mind!" I stumbled, realizing that I had forgotten to talk to the people I had held so close to my heart for so long."Right! Then can I come in?" Belinda asked, seemingly brightening up at my apologetic expression."Um, I'd love for you to, but...""Great!" Belinda exclaimed as she shoved her way past me and into my house. I stood there for a while, watching as my friend looked around my house in awe. "Look, I really missed you and all, but I kind of have a friend that is coming over today and..." I started"A friend?!" Belinda screeched, "You made a friend?""Uh, yeah? She should be coming soon, so-" I was cut off again as the the door squeaked open and Becky walked in. Belinda started muttering to herself as I assessed Becky and tried to find something to say to her, but she bet me to it.
"Hey Mary, Are you okay?" She asked, "I heard screaming."
"Um, yeah, I'm fine. This is my friend, Belinda." I told her. Becky turned sheet pale as she turned her head to look at Belinda. I gave her a confused look as to why she was so pale, and that was when I saw it. Belinda wasn't the person I used to know anymore. She had grown humongous, sharp teeth, multiple pairs of eyes, and had turned a shade of sick green. I started to shake as Becky turned around, preparing to run for it. "So you were the one who broke the curse." Belinda said. Her voice was dry and raspy, like she hadn't drunk water in years. "She was under our control, and then you had to come along and ruin everything!" she growled. Belinda raised her hand and clawed at Becky, her long, sharp talons ripping her open. Blood spilled everywhere. "Honey, I'm home!" my mum said joyfully. She stepped into the living room and screamed.
