The Uncanny Valley - Corey Taylor FF (Slipknot/Stone Sour)

7

Lia kept behaving weirdly towards me and during the passing weeks this intensified, if even possible. The one evening she talked to me appeared like years ago. Every time she was on the phone and I entered the room she would leave it. Said, if I ever met her at home. Being different than I ever knew her she went to bed the moment she got home. Instead of being ready fast and at least one hour before she had to, she kept sleeping in every morning. Always in a rush if you saw her and if she ever talked to me, she barely looked me in the eye. I felt as if I could not trust her anymore. More likely that I was loosing her, as a friend and my family. I was not sure what actually caused all this and it scared me. I was thinking that maybe Chase contacted her again, tried to get her back and slowly succeeded in talking her into it. Why else would she avoid me every time she was on the phone with this mysterious person? And why else would she seclude herself and act all weird? I also knew Chase and how manipulative he could be. Very subtle, but still. Did he get his grip back? But whatever happened, I could not ask her and the last talk we had disappeared from my thoughts. The last time we sat outside in the morning, drinking coffee in our PJ's and laughing about the starved models in some magazines such as the last evening we were out together seemed to vanish. Another thought occurred to me and I learned of the fear you feel if you think that the person closest to you might be into drugs. Thing is, I could not keep an eye out for her, really and Mason knew as much as me. Means nothing. I was too busy at work, time flew by like nothing and the business was going more than well. This also meant that Lia was as busy as me and I would not have any time to talk to her. I was still sure that if she really wanted to, she would come and talk to me, but she never did. And time kept flying by.
It took another month or so until she finally approached me, but just to ask me if I would tag along the next day. She wanted to see this damn mansion she had talked about, which I had long forgotten. Honestly, I had had more on my mind than this, you know? But she insisted on me joining her and since I wanted to know what she was up to, I agreed. So now, we stood here like the biggest fools, Lia with her idiotic camera in her hands, trying to capture the mansion. Okay, I admit it is quite an impressive building. I'm not sure whether the odd feeling you get here comes from the rumors, but I was confused and sick of this either way. Dumb, actually, since we all knew it was taken over by a record label. But hey, rumors has it, right? Still, I wanted to do something useful or go out or so, I mean it was around eight pm and already dark. We could have visited the beach - I could have visited the beach. Instead, we had been driving for forty-five minutes, remaining silent and not saying a word to each other. What kind of bullshit this was. At least Lia had insisted on going for burgers after this - just that I was not sure if I fancied going for dinner with her, being all quiet and thoughtful instead of the crazy girl I knew and loved. She tore me out of my thoughts, though, when she grabbed my hand and literally dragged me along with her, nearer towards the huge, white building.
"The hell?" I gasped and heard Lia chuckle.
"C'mon, I wanna have a closer look!" she exclaimed and I rolled my eyes at her.
"Lia, you know this is the property of someone and I bet they won't like some middle-aged girls sneaking around on it. Besides, you really think if some label owns this they would leave it without any guards or so, especially while some bigger bands are recording their shit there? No mate, believe me, we won't even be able to set a foot near this -" but she did not listen, instead she just kept dragging me along at her side.
"Psscht, keep quiet, Kae. Or do you wanna be heard?" she giggled like a teenage girl and I rolled my eyes at her again. I was so close to shoving my middle finger into her face and going back home on my own. She really could not get her shit together. Dammit, what if she really was on drugs? I could never forgive myself for not stopping or preventing her from it... I mean, I know what it is like and what you have to go through with this and I just could not bare it if she... well, yeah, ended up like me. I felt her tugging at my hand and concentrated back on her.
"Come on, now! Move your ass!" she grinned and I followed her again, I had not even realized that we had stopped. What was her plan now, burgle into this house and - "Ouch!"
I had totally bumped into her and my nose hit the back of Lia's skull. She had stopped quite suddenly and I had not seen it coming. I also had not noticed that, by now, we stood in a clump of bushes and trees, palms and grass. I had not even recognized how we had left the gravel path and now I stood here , totally dumbfounded.
"You hear this?" Lia suddenly whispered and I tried to concentrate on whatever I was supposed to hear.
"Ehm.." then it hit me. There was music. Probably muffled by the building itself it still sounded as if it might be in the backyard or so. Crazy.
"We should go." I tried, but Lia was not even listening.
"Oh come on, maybe, whoever is here, will give us a tour through the haunted house," she grinned widely and I gave her another suspicious look.
"Kidding me?" I asked but she shrugged and pushed me further through the plants. She had to be on drugs, really now. And then, suddenly, she spoke again.
"Hey, can you wait here for one sec? I need to get something from the car."
"KIDDING ME?" I hissed as loud and clear as possible, though the damn words were drowned by the music.
"Oh, c'mon, I forgot the spare battery for the cam," she explained herself and shrugged and I rolled my eyes again. She took a step away and I wanted to follow her, not feeling safe staying behind.
"No, just wait here. I'll be right back."
"What if someone finds me, are you fucking mental?!"
"As if, c'mon, just wait here. It seems safe."
"Yeah, being about five meters from blasting music in a backyard of people I don't know and never saw before is so safe, really," I argued, but she totally ignored my precious sarcasm.
"Just shut up and wait. Three minutes."
"You are frigging lunatic." Again I rolled my eyes, crossed my arms over my chest but eventually nodded, totally upset.
"Alright. Hurry your ass or you won't be able to hurry ever again, mate." Lia shot me a grin and ran for it the second I said it, but somehow my stomach twisted and I had a really bad feeling. I watched her disappear into the thicket and was alone. What the hell was I doing here? I was no burglar or anything and my best friend who was totally odd lately had just left me alone with no idea which way I would have to go. The hell was she thinking? Hell, what was I thinking when I agreed to this shit? Alright, whatever, I would just wait here. Arms still crossed, trying to watch my sides and back so nobody could jump on me, I waited. And waited. Aaand waited. Suddenly something flew right by my head and scared the shit out of me. An empty beer can hit the tree on my right and fell to the ground, giving the typical 'clonk'. Totally surprised I gave a little gasp. I then tried to get a grip on myself and took a step towards the direction the can came from, a step towards the terrace that was pretty close now.
I peaked through the bushes with wide eyes. Did someone spot me? Really now? I'd kill Lia!But all I could spot was a figure seating itself on one of the loungers some meters away and back to me, around a beautiful pool. I took a step nearer and stopped, taking another look over my shoulder. Lia was still gone and it was at least ten minutes that I had been waiting now. The figure groaned, it was a man it seemed. I heard him open another can of beer though he already looked pretty drunk, at least the way he layed on this lounger was... implying something. Dammit, I felt like I was in some stupid horror movie or so. You know, when you are watching one of the main characters doing something totally stupid and you are about to scream bloody murder at your TV but at the same time you are like 'omg this was so obvious, fuck my life, no, just fuck this character!' ? Exactly. And with that feeling I took another glance up and down the terrace and stepped out of the bushes after I had decided that I could just, I don't know, say I took a wrong turn and was searching for a different house number or so. Easy going, that would be so credible. Not. But this guy seemed drunk, so whatever I'd say he would either go nuts or help me... I guess.

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