I wake up to a flash of light. I could also hear a clicking noise that sounded just like a Polaroid camera. I groan as I shift while slightly rubbing my eyes. I hear a small gasp before the sound of a few objects moving can be heard. That is until a loud bang wakes me up completely.
I set up quickly only to see Diara picking up a bunch of pictures. I went over to help her pick it up when she suddenly threw her body over the printed pictures.
"NO!"
I stared at her in shock as I backed up. Her golden complextion turned a bright red as she stared at me in what looked to be embarrassment.
"S-sorry, I-I didn't mea-mean to ye-yell. You j-just startled m-m-me."
My widened eyes go back to normal. She has a point, I shouldn't have rushed over so quickly.
"No, no. I'm sorry, I should have said something."
She smiles slightly as I bend down on one knee while she continues to lay on top of the pictures on the floor.
"Let me help you pick those up."
I smile, but my smile drops as her face twists into a look of pure horror. She shakes her head vigorously as tears pile up in the corner of her eyes.
"NO, NO, NO!"
I stand up swiftly and back away with my hands in the air.
"Okay, okay, no helping."
I walk away from her and head to the bathroom to take a shower. After taking a shower, I went to grab my clothes from the hamper. Diara told me to put it in yesterday, but they were nowhere in sight.
I grasped onto my towel tightly as I desperately searched for my clothes. After a few minutes, I ran my hand through my hair as I gave up and sat down on the edge of the tub.
Right as I began to feel frustrated, I heard a light knock at the door. I know that knock. I cracked the door open to see Diara with a guilty face and an oversized hoodie with some basketball shorts that clearly aren't hers.
How did she know I needed clothes? Confused, I opened the door wider. Diara's eyes dropped from my face to my chest as a blush rose onto her cheeks and ears. I hesitantly grabbed the clothes that she was now hugging against her body as I pretend to not see her checking me out. Once I slipped the clothes from her grasp, I mumbled a thank you before going back into the bathroom.
After shutting the door, I locked it and began to get dressed and do the rest of my morning routine. Once I'm finished, I head back to Diara's room to give her oversized shirt back only to find the room empty.
I could hear movement downstairs and talking, which gave me the impression that she was probably downstairs with her mom or dad.
I decided to just place the shirt in her dirty hampers bin, but as I went to close her closet, I noticed something lying on the floor. It looked like one of those pictures she had dropped this morning. One must have slid under here.
I picked it up only to stare on in horror. It-It-It was a picture of ME. It was from last night while I was sleeping. Did she not sleep? Did she stay up all night watching me and taking pictures.
My skin crawled as I realized that those other pictures I saw on the floor could have been of me as well. No, I'm getting ahead of myself. Maybe she just wanted a picture of me to add to her photo album. She did always love to take pictures of a moment. She found it more interesting to capture a moment where people are simply enjoying their time rather than having everyone face the camera and yell cheese.
I came up with a million excuses to try and convince myself that she didn't mean any harm, but I would be lying if I said that I believed any one of them.
Wait, was Diara the one I felt watching me the other day. Chills ran down my spine as I decided that I needed to get out of here. I quickly dropped the picture and rushed my way out of the room. When I got downstairs, I saw Diara cooking with her mother beside her. They were talking about something only for their conversation to come to a halt upon my arrival.
"Y/n! I'm so glad you could join us. Diara was just about to make some pancakes."
I gulped as Diara gave me this confused stare with a hint of fear coating the outer layer of her eyes as she remained unmoving. Does she know what I saw? I can't stay here, I just can't.
"As much as I would love to stay, I just remembered that I have lots to do today. Please forgive me."
With that, I began to walk to the front door as their eyes lingered on my back. I could hear Diara's mother let out a quiet oh right before I walked out the door, shutting it behind me.
I walked away from the house only to break out into a full-on run as I tried to get back home. Once I get to my house, I rush in and lock the doors behind me.
I let out a breath of release before sliding my back against the front door with my eyes closed. What the hell is happening? Was Diara actually taking pictures of me?
My mind was put into overdrive as I tried to wrack my brain around it all. Every day just keeps getting harder and harder. Why am I even here? Why am I still living? I banged the back of my head against the front door multiple times until I was satisfied.
I massaged my temple as I thought some more. Maybe those other Polaroid pictures weren't pictures of me. I did kind of jump to conclusions pretty quickly. With that, I decided to just talk to Diara about it.
I nodded my head to no one in particular before standing back up. I look around the room as the silence becomes ear splitting. The loneliness begins to suffocate me as all of Evelyn's words become a loud voice echoing in my head.
Evelyn. That bitch took everything from me. I clenched my fist as I thought of that arrogant fool and her unhinged daughter. They ruined everything. I take a moment to inhale before exhaling as my body relaxes. I need to take a walk.
With that, I'm back out the door, making sure to lock it behind me. As I'm walking through the slums of the town, I can't help but stop at the altar still being built near my house.
"It's breathtaking, isn't it?"
I jumped at the sultry voice behind me. With a sharp turn, I come face to face....well more like face to pelvis with the 12 foot elite herself, Tati. I stuttered incoherent blabbering as I tried to form words to say.
She looked down on me with a taunting smirk. Her shadow swallowed me whole as her curvy physique covered the sun from my view. I bile formed in my throat as I tried to gulp down my fear. Tati clicks her tongue as she watches me pathetically stumble on every syllable.
"What's wrong, my child...afraid?"
She spoke as she bent down to my level and softly caressed my face. Her skin was warm to the touch, but her aura was cold, freezing in fact. Something about her touch felt familiar. As if I felt these hands before, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
Her white hair floated around us while the stars littering it glowed a soft pink and purple color. Over the years, I learned that the stars in her hair mimic her emotions, yet I have never seen it turn this color. I've only seen them colored grey, black, and red. The grey and black being her neutral relaxed state. While red meant she was pissed off, livid even.
"Such a small thing. So feeble and frail yet you believe your oh so powerful. You walk your life with an unspoken arrogance, unaware that there are creatures that are far above you in status. How naive of you, how gullible. Do you wish to know why I wanted to start the construction of an alter here?"
I shrink into my...well Diara's clothes as she spoke. I gave her a meek nod, not trusting my voice. She gave me a small, comforting smile before looking towards the alter as it's still being built.
"I want to be closer to you, all of you. I want to see how the lower ranks live. Will you fight for survival, or do you let it be? If I could better understand you, I could worshipped even more so. You would trust me. You would love me."
She looked me in the eye as she spoke the last to sentences, almost as if it was directed towards me and me alone. I doubt she meant it that way, but I couldn't help the chill that ran down my spine as her black voids gazed into my eyes. We were so close I could almost see the speckles of light hidden within those black pits she sees the world with.
With that, she drops her hand from my face and stands to her full height once more. She gave me one last look before walking away from me as if we never spoke to begin with. I watched her figure dissipate into a black smoke with no sign of her ever being here.
I stretched the back of my head as a bad feeling washed over me, and the feeling of being watched returned. My skin crawled as I decided it was time to go back home not before bumping into a woman as I turned to walk away. She cursed me out as I nervously continued my walk back home.