Whispers In The Dark

Victoria

Victoria

I went shopping with my cousin that weekend, but really, all I wanted to do was curl up in my bed and sleep the days away.

I hadn't seen Jenna in over a year, so why she suddenly showed up and dragged me to the mall was beyond me.

I made sure to smile, though. That's what you do when you're sad. You smile. Some people just don't realize this. When she grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the store, I smiled some more, even though the raw lines beneath my sleeve were burning and itching. I was only vaguely aware of what she was saying, but I smiled and laughed, even though envy was beginning to rear its ugly head and poison my blood.

I was jealous of the spark in her eyes when she laughed, and the way her mouth could form a smile no matter what happened.

Jenna began pulling clothes from racks and tossing hangers to the side. She piled the majority of them into my arms. She pushed me in the direction of the dressing room, laughter spilling delicately from her lips.

"Go!" she ordered. "And don't come out until you have tried on at least one outfit!"

I groaned internally, but complied nevertheless. "Yes, your highness."

Jenna smirked and walked away, saying something about making sure that the outfit matched.

I dropped the pile of clothes on the floor of the dressing room and locked the door behind me. I sifted through the clothing that Jenna had picked, cringing as I saw the significantly large amount of short-sleeved shirts. There were two sweaters, however, and all the jeans were long, so that was good. Unfortunately, one pair of jeans, grey skinny jeans with studded pockets, had rips across the knees and thighs. Though I fell in love with them on sight, I knew it wasn't a possibility. In the end, I pulled on a plain pair of blue skinny jeans, rip-free, and a long-sleeved grey sweater with sleeves so long I could bunch the material in my hands.

Jenna rapped on the door. "Are you done yet?"

I opened the door and she voiced her approval instantaneously. I dropped the rest of the clothes on a table. I then spent the next hour helping Jenna pick out three complete outfits, mumbling "mm-hmm" and shaking my head at the appropriate times.

I made it through the entire day without a mental glitch, and I was proud of myself for that, but the urge to sleep forever only kept growing stronger. By the time I actual did get home and crawl into my bed, I slept on and off for eighteen hours. Never, when I cracked my eyes open and stared at the clock blearily, was I able to coerce my feet into moving or gather the energy to pull myself up from my blanket and pillow fortress.