Bloody Mary

The frigid chill of the darkness is all that I seem to be. I cannot tell where I begin and the unknown begin, instead viewing myself as a horrid amalgamation of the darkness given the ability to think. The few times I can think, outside of my own endless existence… I don’t like it.

I open my eyes, the siren call ringing true through the darkness. Someone is calling me.

Tears welling in my eyes, I shake my head back and forth, my stringy black hair floating around me weightlessly. No! I think bitterly as I feel the darkness swirl around me. Not again, please not again!

The call grows stronger as a sliver of light pierces through the darkness, slowly chipping away to reveal an open doorway, full of light and warmth. Sadly, the doorway is too small for me.

They always are.

The call is pulling me forward, closer to the light… and the warmth, oh the glorious warmth! I close my eyes and sigh in contentment as the warmth washes over my numb form. I shake my head again, trying to resist the warm peace that seems to be washing over me. No! Never again! Not even for the warmth! I think bitterly, pulling away from the darkness as best I can. But still… maybe I can just stay by the doorway this time. Just long enough to get feeling in my toes again.

Hovering before the brilliant square of light, I stare into it as I bask in the great heat of the light. As always, a silhouette comes into the light, blocking the lovely heat away from me. Damned silhouette!

“Why do you taunt me?” I shriek at it, balling my fists at my side. “Why? All I want is to be warm!”

The call is clearer now… whoever is blocking the light, they’re calling my name.

“What do you want?” I shriek once again, banging on the sides of the doorway. All I get in response is a startled series of giggles.

I can faintly hear the dulcet tunes, the silky tones of the voice ringing through the doorway and into the darkness, echoing all around me.

Bloody Mary….

Bloody Mary…

Bloody Mary…

“What do you want from me!” I scream into the light, banging on the doorway until I could feel the edges rattle beneath my fists.

Staring into the light, I scowl as the light begins to dim, the heat begins to weaken. The silhouette remains, this time joined by two other shadowy figures. I growl to myself as I glare through the doorway. This always happens! Every time I get a chance to leave this icy Hell, I get blocked at the last second by these damnable shadows.

But I show them. Just like I’ll show these ones.

The warmth begins to fade even further as I float up close to the doorway, until I’m pressed against the surface, the last vestiges of the glorious warmth dying against my cheek. I stare through the darkened doorway at the shadowy apparitions, scowling as the dance in the dim light streaming past them, mocking me.

I put my palms on the glass, smiling as I casually slide out of the darkness and into the world of warmth, the dry air feeling cool against my moist skin but warm all the same. As I push my face through the glass I take a deep breath of air, savoring the flavor of the warm oxygen pumping into my lungs once more. The three shadows still hang before me, giggling amongst themselves, shoving each other playfully as I slide out of the doorway and onto the sink below it, my clammy hands holding me partially in the world of the warm, and partially in the world of darkness.

“I told you nothing would happen Jessica!” One of the shadows exclaims, earning a slap from the one in the middle.

I can feel the call coming from her, the call that had originally pulled me from the peace of the void. So I lash out, snatching the front flannel of the shadow’s chest, pulling it forward. The shadow shrieks as I begin receding through the doorway, dragging the shadow with me. I smile as the shadow shrieks, scrabbling at the sink and the edges of the doorway as it tries to fight against my grip.

She kicks and screams, her screams matched by those coming from her friends on the other side. She scrabbles frantically as I tug her through the doorway and into the free space of my darkness, where her screams begin to taper off. The doorway fades, now that the one who called me has been brought over to this side, and I’m plunged back into the icy void, welcoming her to my home.

And hers, from here on out.