Opposites Attract

Chapter 3 - The Girl With the Mask

                                  ---------Chapter 3---------

                              ~The Girl With the Mark~

You wear your smile like a mask. So pretty and fond and fake. Not many, if any, can see your disguise. You’ve perfected it so well, it’s consumed you. You are it and it is you. Congratulations honey, you did it.

I’ll probably miss the days when I didn’t have to anticipate the worst for everything, but it seems the safest way at this point. The best, and probably the only way to protect my damaged mind and swiftly breaking heart. But I had to live for the future now. We needed to concentrate on getting her better. And I wasn’t going to waste one crucial moment.

I had already started to pack my cases, getting the majority of it done in record time (See? It seems some good things can come out of horrific situations!) I nearly forgot about one vital aspect: passports! I'd finally found them after what felt like digging through Naria in my mum's drawers to find them. Just at that moment my mum came staggering up the stairs, and if it was possible, I think she looked slightly worse than before. I quickly rushed over to her side to help. I managed to guide her over and settle her down on the edge of her burgundy king sized bed.

I had never seen her like this. For me; it was petrifying. To see someone who was usually so strong - not physically obviously cause if she took on a baby turtle in a strength test, I’ve a suspicious feeling that the turtle would win – but mentally. She’d gone through a lot and all the effects were now as transparent as a newly cleaned crystal. The wrinkle lines had now permanently implanted themselves on to her usually cheerful, full-of-life, face.

I gave her a forced smile, trying to give her a small piece of assurance, but it failed. Miserably. As it only caused her to furrow her eyebrows and frown more. She shot up and started to saunter towards me, and for a split second I was adamant that she was going to break down right in front of me, but instead she just came up and peered over my shoulder and examined my hard work. My eagerness shinning through as everything was rolled up perfectly in rows and nestled tightly in the suitcases, and the now retrieved passports seated neatly on top - what can I say, I don't like creases!

She slowly turned back to face me, confusion shinning through every crack on her run-down face. We began an intense game of 'mirrors'; when she raised an eyebrow, I just copied her in response. She tried gesturing to the cases, and I just pointed and nodded, wide-eyed. What on earth was she trying to get at? She finally gave up on her messed up form of non-verbal communication and just blurted, "What on earth are you doing?!"

It may not have been the most expectable response at this time but I couldn't help myself at coming back with the snarky reply. "Ohh I was just planning on taking a little trip to Jupiter. D'you want a fridge magnet from the gift store?" In a complete dead-pan tone.

Even in this state, my mother knew me far too well to be even faintly miffed by my antics. She just rolled her eyes and asked me simply, "Why have you got your passport out honey?"

Okay, I know she's out of it at the moment - like she’s closer to flying zebra world than Earth - out of it. But I was still taken-aback by the severity of her trance. "Ohh sorry! How was I supposed to get to London then!? Did you expect me to take the Loch Ness Monster?!" I exclaimed incredulously, throwing my hands up for dramatic effect. (People always say I'm a 'Drama Queen' but I have no idea where they get it from!)

I started at her intently and right before my eyes her face morphed like the seasons of the year - slowly but drastically. From furrowed eyebrows in confusion to her wide eyed, open mouthed look; which I believed was realisation. Again it changed, this times she looked murderous - it kind of resembled the same expression she wore when she found all of her makeup in the garden because Bella thought it be fun to throw it out the window. It then did a quick roundabout turn, and almost changed the complete polar opposite of her previous expression. She looked so innocent but also fearful.