One-shot: Lead The Way
The chirps of a lone bird outside the screened window echoed inside the deserted living space. Everyone knew that the calls of a bird meant that morning had arrived, pushing away darkness to bring a fresh start. However, all the windows were covered, leaving only an eerie lighting inside the apartment. It somehow fitted with the atmosphere: rooms that contained un-used furniture, and a fine layer of dust on each piece of decoration. With beige walls and hardwood flooring, the dullness was overwhelming.
The stagnant environment was interrupted when a blanket-covered girl fidgeted, letting the fabric fall off her shoulders. She turned her head left and right, eyes half-lidded with sleep. She was in a tight spot; to her left was the edge of her bed, and to her right was a wall. Then she remembered: she had fallen asleep in her corner.
Her corner was special; it gave her the ability to feel safe. When she huddled in that corner, a veil surrounded her, so that she could forget everything and feel nothing. An air vent was pressed against her back, easing her nerves with a jet of cold air. The best part was that a window happened to be right above, so if she ever needed to, she could easily escape from danger (if she was willing to jump 3 stories).
She stretched her legs out, cringing at the stiffness, and slid her hand under her bed until she pulled out a laptop. The screensaver disappeared, revealing a blinking window. Clicking it, she mouthed the text that was revealed. Tiffany, I’m coming over today, so I better find everything in perfect shape. That includes you, too. -Taeyeon
Tiffany sighed, as she threw the blankets back onto the mattress. Standing up with the laptop in her arm, she made her way out of the bedroom. She stood in the living room like a ghost, just observing her environment carefully. Then, she placed the laptop over piles of papers on the coffee table; all of them were unpaid bills.
Making her way into the kitchen, she opened a cabinet. Empty. She checked another one. Empty. Cabinet doors were thrown open, until nothing was left closed and she didn’t find a crumb of food. Suddenly, Tiffany remembered that she had eaten her last bowl of ramen two days ago. She clutched at her stomach, feeling hunger churn her insides. Disappointed, Tiffany retreated back into the living room, setting herself in front of her laptop.
Her computer was her life. It was her sole connection to the outside world, the world in which she never wanted to be in again.
Tiffany’s entire body stiffened when she heard the knob of the wooden door rattle. Was someone trying to break in? Were they going to hurt her? Her mind raced, as she immediately stood up, eyes locked on the rotating knob. The door finally creaked open, and Tiffany was about to run away, until a familiar figure stood at the entrance, causing her to sigh in relief and sheepishly run a hand through her hair.
The slightly short girl raised a plastic bag in the air, a smile on her face. “I brought food!”
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Placing the steaming bowl of ramen on the kitchen table, Taeyeon returned to the kitchen to clean up a little. She smiled softly as she observed Tiffany quickly pick up her chopsticks and dig into her meal, slurping a mouthful of noodles hungrily. However, the smile faded as she began meandering around the household, carefully examining the condition.
“Aigoo Fany, I thought I told you to keep your house a little bit decent…” Taeyeon complained as she ran a finger over a table, brushing her finger across her jeans after obtaining a fairly large amount of dust, “I don’t check up on you for a week, and your house already looks likes it’s been abandoned for years! Oh-that reminds me. I distinctly remembered that I only bought enough ramen for 5 days, since I thought I come back sooner; what did you eat for the last 2 days?”
Tipping the bowl until its contents slowly poured into her mouth, Tiffany exhaled in satisfaction. She stared at Taeyeon, nonchalantly replying, “Nothing, really.”
This caused for Taeyeon to smack her forehead with the heel of her palm, groaning at such a ‘relaxed’ response. “Aish! Really Fany? Why didn’t you call me for some food?! I said to take care of yourself too, you know!”
The disgruntled girl paced back and forth in the living room, leaving a guilty Tiffany to stare in deep thought at her empty ramen bowl. After a couple of seconds of mumbling, Taeyeon eyed the papers on the coffee table. Taking one in her hand, she scanned the contents, scratching the base of her head.
“Hmm, looks like we got to pay these bills, too. I’ll see how much money I got in the bank, and I’ll try to pay as much as I can-“
“I’m sorry…”
Taeyeon flashed a surprise look at Tiffany, who simply sat in her chair, clutching the table with her pale hands. “I’m sorry you’re doing all this for me…”
The surprised look immediately changed to a sincere one, as Taeyeon turned her body to face Tiffany, arms akimbo. “Well, someone’s got to do it. If anyone, it’s going to be your best friend!” Her smile grew wider as soon as she spotted the younger girl’s smile.
“I just remembered! Someone moved in next door and I happened to have the liberty of speaking with her for a bit. I invited her over; maybe you could make a new friend?”
Tiffany stiffly nodded, shocked at hearing Taeyeon suggesting to ‘make friends’. She had Taeyeon to take care of her, why did she need another one?
Three silent knocks rapped against the wooden door, followed by a press of the doorbell. As Tiffany threw her breakfast into the trash bin, anxious at having guest, Taeyeon cheerily made her way to the door.
“That must be her now!~”
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Tiffany stared at the newcomer from the couch; her mouth slightly gaped in awe. The stranger wore a simple white blouse with skinny jeans, along with flats. Dark-blonde hair draped over her shoulders, cold and yet deep chocolate eyes examined the room, and smooth lips moved in harmony as the girl conversed with Taeyeon. Tiffany wouldn’t have mind calling this girl blindingly beautiful.
“My name is Jessica Jung. Nice to meet you.”
The younger girl jerked out of her trance to stare at the welcoming hand in front of her.
“T-Tiffany Hwang. Nice meeting you, too.” She stuttered, cautiously grasping the hand with her own.
A beep caused Tiffany and Jessica to separate and stare at the source, which was Taeyeon’s watch. “Oops, looks like I got a class in 30 minutes. I have to leave now. Tiffany, I probably won’t be to check up on you anytime soon, so please take care of yourself, ok?”
The short girl approached Tiffany, hovering over her ear. “Don’t worry, Jessica won’t hurt you. I promise,” she whispered.
Waving good-bye to Jessica, Taeyeon grabbed her keys off the table, and shut the door behind her, leaving the two girls in the apartment. Tiffany attentively watched the older girl as she made her way to the other couch, making herself comfortable.
“So Tiffany,” Jessica stated as she crossed her legs, elbow on the armrest as she rested her cheek on her closed fist, “You live in this apartment alone? Aren’t you a little young to be living by yourself?”
Tiffany flared her nostrils at the remark, as she retorted, “I’m not 5. I can handle being home by myself.” This erupted a slight chuckle from Jessica.
“That’s true, but then why does Taeyeon always check up on you?”
The younger girl took a pillow beside her, and hugged it, a frown on her face. “Taeyeon worries too much. She does too much for me, basically. She knows I can’t financially take care of myself, so she does all these unnecessary things.”
“Finance? Don’t you have family to help you with that?”
Jessica eyed the tightened grip Tiffany had on the pillow, her eyes hardened as she noted the bittersweet smile that contradicted the earlier 100-megawatt smile when she first saw her. “It’s complicated… my family…”
Tiffany fidgeted in the sudden, uncomfortable silence. Her eyes veered in every direction, occasionally looking back at Jessica who wore a slightly confused and yet curious look.
“S-So, did you move in with your family?” Tiffany questioned, trying to break the awkward feeling.
“Nope, it’s just me. I’m here to study in a nearby university. By the way, what school do you go to?”
Tiffany bit her lip nervously, as she shakily pointed to the laptop on the coffee table. Jessica stared at the object for a while, until she gazed back at the girl in slight shock. “Online school?”
The latter nodded, “I told you I’m having issues with finance. Besides, I-“ Tiffany stopped herself. Though she was already comfortably talking to someone new, she wasn’t going to immediately reveal her ‘problems’.
“I’m sorry to hear that… But, why don’t you come visit my university? It’s huge and it’ll be good to see a real school! Plus, there’s a mall nearby; we can go shopping together!” Jessica stood up excitedly at the sudden idea, grabbing Tiffany’s hand as she led them towards the door.
She felt something die inside her as Tiffany realized what the girl was doing. Panic-stricken, she frantically tried to writhe her hand free. “Wait! Hold on-let go, please! I don’t…”
“Come on! It’ll be fun! We’ll just do a little window shopping; if there’s something you really want, I’ll buy it for you!” Jessica replied, ignoring the begging pleas, opening the apartment door.
Tiffany’s eyes went wide in horror as she saw the opening that came closer and closer. A dark aura surrounded the doorframes, and she could have sworn wispy hands extended from it, taunting her, wanting to take her into the darkness. The opening to the danger that was the outside world, and she was only inches from it. The thought terrified her deeply, as she shrieked in horror, yanking her hand free and slapping the older girl’s hand away.
Jessica backed out into the hallway, dumbfounded at the sudden action, eyes questioning her. Tiffany heavily panted, clutching at the spot where her heart pounded wildly. “I-I can’t… just… I’m…” Without warning, she slammed the door in Jessica’s face, leaving the girl to stare in confusion, with a tint of hurt to go along with it.
After standing at the closed door in complete silence, Tiffany ran into her room. Grabbing the blankets off the bed, she retreated into her corner, blankets engulfing her - hiding her so that she could feel safe again, and so that no one could hear her cry.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
It had been a week since that accident with Tiffany, and even still was Jessica utterly baffled. She contemplated what might have caused such harsh actions. Was it too soon to take her out? Did she come on too strong? Had she done something offensive? She still didn’t know, and she was still a little hurt about it.
Jessica lazily walked down the corridor, thoughts all fixated on solely Tiffany alone. She barely caught her name being called, until it was called again, except louder. She turned around to find Taeyeon walking up to her, a laundry basket being held by both hands.
“Hey Sica! Why didn’t you reply the first time I called?”
“Sorry Taeyeon… I was just thinking is all.”
“Why? Something happen?”
Jessica rubbed her hand on the back of her neck, thinking of the event of a week ago. “Well… I don’t really know what I did, but I think I made Tiffany mad…”
The two started to walk down the hall, thinking it was bad to stand in the middle of the hallway. Taeyeon soon opened the door to the laundry room, where she settled her basket on a washer.
“What did you do?” The short girl asked, a hint of concern in her voice.
“I have no clue. All I did was invite her to come see my university, and then go shopping with me. I tried to make friends with her like you said, but all she did was push me away…”
Jessica stared at the elder girl, who was blankly looking at her basket. A sigh escaped the latter’s mouth, as her fingers drummed the machine. “She didn’t tell you, did she?”
“Tell me what?” The latter arched her eyebrow, suddenly curious at Taeyeon’s statement.
“Tiffany is agoraphobic.” Jessica was about to ask what that even meant, until Taeyeon continued, “Meaning she’s afraid to go outside.
It’s kind of hard to explain. I’ve been her friend since forever, so I will say that she was able to go outside when she was younger. As a kid, she was normal: played with other kids, went to school, and basically have a life. Did I mention she was a big talker back then? Anyways, she was able to go outside… until her Mom died.
I don’t know much about her Dad; something about suicide the day before she was born I think, but for Tiffany’s whole life, her Mom was her only family. She and her mother lived in that apartment together. Being that I was only a friend, I could only witness how… close Tiffany was to her mom. But, that all changed one day when she and her Mom went shopping in that mall near your school. I don’t know much, but apparently Tiffany got into a hold up, and she was used as a hostage. A gun to her head, as the police tried to save her. However, her Mom got impatient and tried to save her instead, and… well I think you get the idea.
Ever since then, Tiffany has been terrified to go outside, afraid that she might die like her mother. All she does is hide in corners, trying to disengage herself from the world.”
Jessica’s face was solemn, absorbing the whole story. Taeyeon studied the blonde girl with seriousness in her eyes, observing the girl’s reaction to Tiffany’s past. Oddly enough, a smile made its way to the short girl’s face soon after, as she reached into her pocket, fist enclosed on the object. Approaching her, Taeyeon took Jessica’s hand, shoving the object into the open palm. Jessica looked at the older girl, surprised to find a key in her hand.
“What’s this?” Jessica asked, rotating the metal with her fingers.
“The key to Tiffany’s apartment.”
“Wha-Why would you give me this?”
“Well there are many reasons why, but I’ll just say the important one,” Taeyeon crossed her arms, eyes glinting at Jessica’s confusion, “I’m very busy these days. Seeing my ill friend once a week is not ok with me. She needs connections to the world. As far as I can tell, I’m her only connection, a very weak one at that. Once my connection breaks, she’ll be lost in her own little world forever. I want you to help me, help me take care of her.”
Jessica shifted the key into her other hand, a faint reflection of her eyes shining in the metal. “But… why me?”
“Because I have a feeling you might be a better friend than I am to her. I have a feeling that you can change Tiffany.”
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Tiffany placed the chopsticks beside the half-open bowl of ramen, plopping herself into her chair. Her eyes stared intently at the boiling pot on the stove, waiting for the spout to explode in steam, alerting her it was mealtime.
As she gazed at the kitchen, her thoughts suddenly came to Jessica, and that event. Should she forgive her for measly trying to befriend her, or be cautious, thinking the girl could have been after her throat? Tiffany was lost in her thoughts, until the high-pitched whistle filled the air.
Surprised, Tiffany ran her hands over the table as she dashed to the kitchen to turn the kettle off. It was a stupid idea, though; as her palm was scraped by a shard of glass from a cup she had broken yesterday and was too lazy to clean up. She retaliated, clutching her hand just as she removed the kettle from the stove. Observing the wound, she noted it wasn’t too deep, but blood still broke through the cut nonetheless.
The front door’s knob jiggled, catching Tiffany off guard.
Wait. Taeyeon always has a class at this time. Then… who could be trying to get in?
Panic enveloped her heart, as Tiffany ignored her wound and ran into her bedroom, proceeding to dive into her corner, blankets hiding her from the oncoming danger.
The door opened, as Jessica walked into the apartment, observing the environment. “Tiffany?” She quietly called out as she closed the door behind her, seeing that the said girl was nowhere in sight.
Jessica wandered around the complex, eyeing the opened ramen on the kitchen table, the broken glass shards, and-blood? Her breath was caught in her throat at the sight of droplets of the red liquid.
“Tiffany? Hey! Where are you?!”
Jessica looked left and right, worried about Tiffany’s whereabouts. She frantically checked each room in the apartment, keeping in mind of Taeyeon pointing out the younger girl’s hiding spots. Eventually, she came to the only room with its door wide open. Peering in, she noticed a messed up-bed; Jessica had a feeling this was Tiffany’s bedroom.
Step by step, she examined every nook and cranny in the room, hoping that Tiffany was somewhere around here. Jessica halted when she noticed something fidgeting in the corner by the bed. Slowly, she approached the heaving blanket, calmly calling out, “Tiffany?”
She heard a whimper emit from the blankets, and Jessica had never felt so much pity and sympathy swell up inside her at the same time.
“Tiffany, I’m not going to hurt you.”
Jessica managed to get herself in front the covered figure, her hand hovering over the top. She grasped the blanket, pausing as she felt something tense underneath. Exhaling, she pulled the blankets back, revealing the younger girl: legs pulled up to the chest, eyes closed tightly in fear, a hand cradling the other bleeding one. Never in her life had Jessica witnessed a being so defenseless, so scared, and so innocent.
Her eyes softened as Tiffany peeled one eye open, staring at the towering figure in front of her.
“Found you.”
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
“OW, that stings!”
“Hold still! It’s not going to hurt much longer.”
Jessica tightened the grip on the younger girl’s wrist, placing the alcohol swab onto the table. Tiffany scrunched her face in agony, as Jessica dabbed at the wound with a towel. Though she was busy tending to the wound, Jessica was smiling on the inside as she glanced at Tiffany’s constant-changing faces.
“Taeyeon told me about your problem.”
Tiffany raised her head, watching as Jessica took a band-aid and tore its covering off.
“And, I just want to say I’m sorry. I should have listened to you. I didn’t mean to traumatize you like that.”
“…It’s ok, I forgive you.”
Jessica released her grip, as Tiffany retracted her hand, looking at her bandaged wound.
“That’s good, because Taeyeon’s asked me to help her take care of you.”
Jessica raised her hand, placing it on top of Tiffany’s head. The younger girl slightly jumped at the intimacy, even though the palm comforted her in so many ways.
“I don’t want you to be scared every time I come over, ok?”
The hand that was rubbing the top of her head slid down, caressing Tiffany’s cheek with the back of the hand. Heat gathered in her face, eyes staring back at the older girl’s. Something about those caring, protective eyes made Tiffany feel a feeling she hadn’t felt since her Mom died.
“Besides, even if I was dangerous, I could never hurt something so cute.”
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
It had been more than a month since the day it was declared that Jessica would watch over Tiffany alongside with Taeyeon. Though Taeyeon came once a week to restock the younger girl’s kitchen (Jessica made sure that she bought more ‘healthy’ meals since ramen wasn’t really even a meal), Jessica ended up visiting everyday to keep her company and just talk. When she came over, she brought her backpack with her, as she came to Tiffany’s place right after school. While Jessica did her homework, Tiffany dug into the blonde’s backpack, often reading the books the bag contained.
Jessica learned that Tiffany liked a lot of attention. She didn’t believe it at first, because if the girl really did, then she would be clinging to Taeyeon also, but that wasn’t the case. Sometimes she would just lay on the floor, back resting against the wall, and read in silence. While she did so, Tiffany would always throw a fit when the older girl ignored her, and so she would end up snuggling next to her for attention.
The bad part was that it turned into a habit for Tiffany. Whenever Jessica sat down or lied down, she would cuddle up next to her, often burying her head into the crook of her neck. And what did Jessica do? Caved into the girl’s desires, as she let the younger girl know she was paying attention to her by stroking her head, playing with her hair, or just pet her in general.
This overjoyed Tiffany, because not only was she becoming high on the feeling of attention and being cared for on a daily basis, but the feeling Jessica made her feel reminded Tiffany of her mother.
Jessica laid on Tiffany’s bed, flipping a page of a book with one hand, the other stroking Tiffany’s left ear. The younger girl was toying with Jessica’s backpack, randomly pulling out items, observing them, and then putting it back.
As Tiffany rummaged through a pocket, she felt a paper make its way into her grip. Extracting it, she examined the paper. It was a picture, and the more she looked at it, the wider her eyes were getting.
Tiffany immediately sat up, startling Jessica in the process.
“What’s wrong, Tiffany?”
Tiffany pointed at the picture with her index finger, a frown on her face. “Where did you find this?”
Snatching the photo from the younger girl, Jessica looked at the picture: it was a meadow of purple flowers. It stretched as far as the eye could see, covering acres and acres of overwhelmingly beautiful plants. Off to the right was a towering oak tree, standing out from the sea of purple.
“Oh, this? I found this place, as I was moving here. It was incredibly beautiful, so I just had to take a picture. Do you know this place?”
Tiffany gazed at the picture, running a finger over the laminated surface.
“I used to go there with my Mom. She told me that we were the only ones who knew about it. I played there a lot; my Mom played with me, too.”
Jessica inwardly flinched at the sudden sad eyes in front of her. Tiffany lied back down, stuffing her face into the older girl’s neck. It was muffled, but Jessica heard it clearly. “I miss that place so much… I want to see it one more time.”
Jessica scooted back and turned, so she could see Tiffany’s face. She lightly gripped the younger girl’s shoulder, comforting her.
“Then I’ll take you there; maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but I’ll take you there one day.”
“B-But, I can’t… that would mean I would have to go… out there.” Tiffany felt her heart beat erratically of going outside once more. The mere thought made her shudder. She felt two slender arms wrap around her neck, and she sighed in appreciation at the sign of comfort and protectiveness.
“You idiot…” Jessica whispered. A burning trail was left as she caressed Tiffany’s cheek, her hand stopping at her chin. Within seconds, Tiffany took in the fact that Jessica’s lips were on hers. It wasn’t really a kiss, more of a peck, as the softness and warmth evaporated quickly. Tiffany’s brain momentarily malfunctioned as the levels of incoherency and seduction were over the charts, as it registered the smooth lips that were Jessica’s. “I’ll protect you from any danger that comes your way. I’ll make sure you’re safe and sound. Just keep that in mind, Fany-ah.”
Jessica stood up from the bed, putting the backpack strap onto her shoulder.
“Well I got to go. It’s very late now-“
She was interrupted as a force threw her around, and something crashed onto her lips. Her oxygen depleted as Tiffany ringed her arm around her neck tightly, never separating their lips. Tiffany ran her other hand up and down Jessica’s arm, before heading downward, intertwining their fingers. Tiffany bit softly on Jessica lower lip, earning a restrained moan from the older girl. Jessica felt something weird about Tiffany’s actions; it begged her for her love, pleaded for her presence, wanted her protection, and needed her care.
“Stay for the night. Please?”
That night, Tiffany fell asleep on her bed for once. It felt weird not sleeping in her corner, but it was close enough, as her back pressed against Jessica’s chest, hands intertwined with the ones wrapped around her waist.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Jessica closed the door to her apartment, her fingers finding its way to the key stringed around her neck. She checked her watch, though there was no need since she didn’t have any classes for the day.
Her head spun as a door down the hall opened, Taeyeon literally running out the door. Jessica smiled, waving her hand.
“Hey, Taeyeon.”
The short girl almost zoomed by her, until heeding the blonde’s presence.
“Hey Sica. Is this important? I’m in a rush right now; I’ve got a job interview in 30 minutes, but I need to get Tiffany’s food for the week and get the money from the bank to pay her bills.”
“Actually, this is about Tiffany.”
Taeyeon quickly slowed down, turning around to face Jessica. “What about her?”
“Well, you’re a busy person. You shouldn’t overstress yourself. You asked me to help you take care of her. So, why don’t you… let me take care of her full time? I’ll buy her food and everything, so you don’t have to worry so much.”
Taeyeon stared at her in astonishment, not expecting the request. However, she soon smirked at the girl. “So, you’ve finally secured a connection with her and want to cut me off?”
Jessica opened her mouth to object, but Taeyeon raised her hand to stop her. “It’s ok, I don’t mind. I knew you could do something for her, I knew you could be a better friend than me.”
“Well actually,” Jessica clasped her hand around the key on her neck and smiled, “I think I’m more than a friend now.”
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Jessica didn’t come every day often. She claimed that Finals for college were approaching, and she needed more time to study. Tiffany always whined why she could never just study at her place, but she just said the same thing every time.
“Because I wouldn’t get much studying done, now would I?”
The days Jessica came to her house was for only a short time. She would embrace Tiffany, as she went over some notes or read a book. Tiffany took advantage of these moments: kissing her, making Jessica take naps with her, just something that would keep her at her side. She hated it when Jessica had to leave. Tiffany would beg and plead for her to spend the night, but the older girl was persistent. So, she was forced to look upon the wooden door in devastation, as Jessica left her all alone.
Tiffany sat at the kitchen table, head resting in her folded arms. She stared at the door, hoping that it would open to reveal her Jessica who would hug her, kiss her, and never leave her alone.
She despised this feeling she got when Jessica wasn’t near her; not even hiding in her corner helped her coped with it. Tiffany sighed, eyes half-lidded with the loneliness she felt. The blonde hadn’t visited in two days, and she was beginning to wonder; wonder what it would be like if she could actually go outside. She wouldn’t have to be so lonely; she could wait for Jessica outside her school.
Tiffany shook her head, knowing well that she wouldn’t even make it out the door. But then she thought harder about it. Jessica said she would protect her, so if she were with Jessica… could she possibly go outside?
Tiffany jerked when she heard the door open, head whirling around to find a grinning Jessica. She stood up, as the older girl causally greeted, “Hi.”
Jessica held her arms in mid-air, as she found Tiffany burying her head into her chest suddenly. Eyes softening, she rubbed a hand back and forth on the younger girl’s back.
“What’s wrong?”
Tiffany clutched the hem of Jessica’s shirt with both hands, gazing deeply into Jessica’s brown eyes.
“I don’t like being alone anymore. Jessica… I… I-I want to go outside with you.”
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
“I suddenly think this is a bad idea now.”
Tiffany tampered with the blindfold shielding her vision, earning a small slap to the hand.
“Don’t remove that. Besides, it will help you. You won’t be so scared, and… I want this to be a surprise, your first visit outside.”
“B-But… I don’t know anymore…”
Jessica approached Tiffany, placing a small peck on the girl’s forehead. She trailed her lips on Tiffany’s soft skin until she hovered over her ear. “Trust me, baby, please. I’ll hold your hand,” Jessica grasped the younger girl’s hand, which she could clearly tell was shaking, “and I won’t ever let go.”
When Tiffany didn’t say anything, Jessica beckoned the girl towards the open doorway. Tiffany felt her heart beginning to race, and her breathing becoming irregular. She was about to panic, but the squeeze on the hand told her otherwise. Something told her that within seconds she’d be standing directly at the entrance of the doorway. She slowed her pace, trying to just stop, because she could tell that another inch meant she would be in the forbidden world once more.
Jessica turned around, noticing that Tiffany had rooted herself in place. She placed a soothing kiss on her cheek, a kiss that told her that she wasn’t going anywhere without her, that she would stay true to her promise and protect her.
“Just try to walk normally, ok?” Jessica softly ordered, which soon persuaded Tiffany to move.
As far as Tiffany could tell, the outside world was dark and blinding (though she had the blindfold to blame for that). She had absolutely no idea what anything looked like, but her main concern was what was happening around her. Something in the pit of her heart told her something cold and metallic would press against the head, and she wouldn’t register the loud boom! Till it was too late, and she was already dead.
Tiffany sighed to relieve her anxiety, holding tightly to the strong hand holding her fragile one. In her mind, she kept repeating, “Don’t let go. Don’t let go. Please, don’t let go.”
And Jessica never did let go; not even as she lead them down the stairs, not even as they exited the building, not even as she opened the car door for Tiffany to sit in the passenger seat and for her to get in the driver’s seat (she had to climb over Tiffany to achieve that), and not even as they drove off from her apartment and Tiffany was lulled to sleep.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Tiffany’s eyes were half-lidded as she attempted to open them; they were groggy with sleep. Her vision was a blur, but as she blinked out the sleep, she found herself staring into Jessica’s neck.
“We’re here, baby.”
Apparently they were lying down from what Tiffany could tell, and as she heaved herself onto the support of her arm, Jessica was supporting herself against…a tree?
Wide-eyed, Tiffany stood up and examined her environment with her mouth agape. It was the meadow of knee-high purple flowers. In a trance, she walked out of the shade of the large oak tree, her legs tickled by the overflow of plants. She brushed her fingertips over a petal; it was soft, fuzzy, and so real. The ocean of flowers stretched forever, as Tiffany spun around countless of times, never seeing an end to the beauty. Arms in the air, a wind blew by, gently brushing her skin, and raking her hair. She inhaled, feeling intoxicated at the scent of millions of flowers. The sounds of birds chirping in the air caught her attention, as she looked up into the blinding sky to just see two birds zoom by.
As she looked back to the flowers, a translucent figure was in front of her: a child that was smiling to no end; the child looked a lot like her. The figure jumped and skipped, often batting a few flowers before dashing in a series of circles and loops. The sound of the child laughing filled Tiffany’s ears, as the child soon looped around to the oak tree, where the child ran up to a young woman, who giggled at the child’s antics.
“Mom…?” Tiffany whispered, a smile on her face as the child hugged the woman’s leg, the lady petting the top of the child’s head.
The woman looked up, and she flinched when the lady stared directly at her. Tiffany was about to say something when the two figures suddenly vanished. In place of the woman stood Jessica, closely observing her face, wanting to know her reaction.
“Jessi…” Tiffany felt her eyes brim with tears. She didn’t want to hold them back; she let them spill out as she approached the older girl.
She stood a foot away from the blonde. Jessica softly smiled, reaching out to wipe a tear off her cheek. Tiffany felt all her emotions explode at that little gesture. She lunged out, and wrapped her arms around Jessica’s neck, pressing her lips firmly on the other’s lips. Jessica pressed back, as her hands pressed onto the younger girl’s waist.
“Oh my god Jessi, I’m outside.”
Tiffany couldn’t believe it, the fact that she was outside once more. She didn’t know it could have been so easy. That all she needed was a little push, and for someone to just lead the way.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
I just want to applaud the judge that said that my writing seemed to had gotten sloppier as it progressed. I think that person is like psychic or something. The day they announced the contest I started writing. I did 500 words a day, because I was lazy like that, but then I got stuck on a part and abandoned it. And no, I didn't abandon it for a few hours. I abandoned it for prolly... 2-3 weeks? Idk, but it was like 2 days before the due date, and I was rushing like hell. In the end, I managed to turn it in 30 minutes before the due date. Hurray for procrastination~ That's why I didn't believe this would win at all. x3