The Midnight Madness

Chapter Seven

I can't believe it, Arrietta lying, and to me! I cannot express how hurt I am, Arrietta was more than an accomplice, she had become my friend. It seems she didn't care for the friendship as much as I did. No matter, she is older than me, thus less in shape. I could finish my trek at a run, and leave her behind. There is no place for honesty in limbo it seems. 

" You are quite the girl Allora, mastering blocking your thoughts off of a mere whim. Very impressive." Arrietta praises  

" Why would you even know that, unless you were trying to read my thoughts." I say pointedly  

" Please tell me you are not upset with me after that little white lie, are you upset?" Arrietta asks 

" No, no. I'm not upset at all, I'm ecstatic actually. Why don't we take a break, my feet are tired" I say 

Apparently Arrietta could not sense the ploy in my words. She took my suggestion to heart and replied " That is a very good suggestion, I am younger than I look, but I feel older than I am." 

Everything is going exactly according to plan. We sit down on two small boulders that are nearby. Once Arrietta has sat down, I turn on my heels and go. It happens in a second, there is no turning back now. If Arrietta wants to tell me lies and hide things from me, than I do not want to be her companion, I do not want to be in her company. 

" Allora! What are you doing?! This is very foolish of you!" Arrietta yells to me, but I can't hear what she's saying, I am running down the hill. 

Then I see it, the disproportionate sun in the sky. Like a fish-eye camera lens. I feel hope and excitement well up inside me, and definitely joy, definitely triumph. I pull out a large clump of grass as a marker so I can return here. 

I walk back up the hill to Arrietta, practicing a shameful face for her to see. 

I finally reach her, she doesn't realize I had returned, it sounded like sobbing. I start to feel real guilt at what I am about to do. This women looks truly beaten, and I have defeated her. 

" Arrietta, I'm sorry, that was foolish of me. It was a very rash decision, and a very cruel thing to do. From now on, complete and utter honesty, alright?" I say to her 

" Yes my dear, agreed. No secrets, no lies. We stand together." she replies 

The most gut-wrenching feeling in my stomach almost forced me to tell her the real truth. I would take her hating me, than this awful feeling of guilt and self-hatred. You can do it, then you will go back and find your mirror-me, your guide, says the steel core inside of myself. 

" I know what we have to do, I found some train tracks down the hill, we will stay on those tracks until a train comes, and we will die. Then, we will go back to my mind, and find our guide, my mirror-me. We will return to the real world" I say surely 

That is a lie, but Arrietta doesnt need to know that.