Hope Everlasting. [COMPLETED.]

Chapter Thirty Two-The Dance of Death.

Dedicated to the above, for placing first in my competition! Congrats. You guys should check out their work, especially Windia. 

Song on the side inspired a lot of this chapter, 'She's Killing Me' by Rocket to the Moon. :) 

Chapter Thirty Two--The Dance of Death.

Ashlynn’s P.O.V.

The reflection in the mirror, was anything but me. She was beautiful, she was flawless. Yet, she and I shared some similarities. She had my hair, the only thing about myself I didn’t have a certain hatred for. My auburn mane was tied up in a sleek little bun, a few ringlet curls straying around the girl’s face. She had my eyes too, although they too had been transformed. The right amount of brown shades in her makeup made my hazel eyes pop, and my pale skin had been transformed to ivory.

As much as I couldn’t believe it, the girl in the mirror was me. All I could say was, Sadie is an artist.

And I hadn’t even started on the dress. It was ruby red, not something I would usually choose. Yet when I had seen it, I’d fallen in love. And remarkably, it suited me. It came to just above my knee, minimal detail on the fabric, and a few diamantes around the neckline. The girls all said I looked gorgeous and for once, I almost believed them. Almost.

The only thing I wasn’t happy about, was the fact that I could barely breathe. I mean, I know these things were meant to be tight fitting and all, but this was ridiculous. I could have sworn it was tighter now, than when I’d first brought it, particularly around the stomach area. Unless of course, it was my imagination--it wouldn’t surprise me, really. I was supposedly hanging on a thread from losing my sanity, after all.

“Jaz, are you done with the silver eyeliner yet?” Sadie was stood in the middle of the room, looking rather frustrated with her so-called best friend. It wasn’t surprising; Jazmin had frankly been a bitch recently, and all because she was getting nowhere with Jack. I wasn’t one to create a grudge against someone, but she really was getting annoying. I didn’t like nor understand her, and I’m pretty sure the feeling was neutral.

Clearly, Jack thought the same.

“Aw, you guys look so cute!” I turned around, grinning as I caught the eye of someone that had quickly become one of my favourite people.

“Thanks, Beckah. Just wish you could come, too.” Yeah, that’s right. We’d decided that, to be fair to Rebeckah, we’d get ready at hers. Then, the plan was for the girls to sleep over. It was just little things like that, small things that made her slightly included in everything.

And obviously, she was still ill. The doctors were baffled, both about the fact that she had some sudden, probably terminal illness, and the knowledge that she was somehow still holding on, for much longer than anyone had expected.

She also seemed a little more…well, Beckah. Although Tallulah’s hold on the girl was more than obvious to us, at times it seemed just like normal. It was nice to know that a small amount of her remained, and that somehow, she was holding on…just.

“Don’t worry about it, you guys go have fun! You can take pictures of everything, and then show me when you get back. We’ll have a great night, too,” she promised.

I nodded, grinning and glancing once more at my reflection. Jaz eventually emerged, a short—and I mean short---low cut black dress, with a stupid amount of makeup on, heels that looked impossible to walk on, and extremely big and extravagant earrings.

I felt for Dylan, I really did.

Yep, that’s right. Jaz was going with Dylan. It wasn’t like there was any affection between them; they were merely ‘friends’, although I knew she irritated Dyl to no end at times, just as she did with us.