When I Open

Parallel

     I reached a somewhat more open area, away from trees cramped near to each other. A sight from afar stopped me. I saw clear, blue sparkles. I neared it and realized, it was a large, freshwater​ lake.

     Someone stood across the lake, showing signs of losing something. I yelled and started approaching him while he approached me.

     When both of us came in contact, the guy straightaway embraced me into a tight hug and he kissed my forehead. "Becky, you made us all anxious," he said.

     "Wait," I forcefully pried his hands off my back, "I am not Becky. Who I am is not important now, what's important is that someone is dead in the woods," I reported as the tears continued and my fingers pointed to the direction which I came from.

     "Who is dead?"

     "I don't know! Her head was awfully crushed and blood was everywhere. See my hand?" I showed him my bloody palm.

     "Wash it off, and lead the way back in to where you saw the body."

     I squatted at the bank of the lake and dipped my hands into the water. The blood was washed off my hands and we walked back into the woods. I retraced my steps to find out the corpse was gone. She was gone. The bloody ground was also clear now, clean from blood.

     "I swear I saw it - her here!" I was beginning to look mad.

     "Becky, I don't know if you're serious or not," he sighed, "but I think you are seriously hallucinating."

     "Oh my god, I am not Becky! My name is Clarissa!"

     "Come on, let's just go home."

I was taken to the city, not far from the woods. It was a quick 5-minute drive. All the buildings were beautifully painted with vibrant colors, every single citizen was wearing a bright smile, but oddly, there wasn't a single person looking old. They looked as if they stopped aging at 20 something. My brain told me this place was familiar, but I refused to agree. Well, it seemed familiar but I couldn't remember what.

     The guy stopped at a large house painted sweet apricot. He opened the door and we walked into the spacious living room. He sat on the sofa beside a girl, I guess his sister, who was punching down the keyboard of her phone. I just stood still, looking at him shifting through TV channels.

     "What are you waiting for?" He looked confusedly at me.

     I looked back at him, even more puzzled. "What? I don't know! I am supposed to go home or something. I have a job to do."

     "Job?" he mockingly asked, letting out a single laugh sarcastically. "A job?"

     "Yes? What's so funny or weird with a job?"

     The guy's sister started talking. "Well, Rebecca, as you recall-"

     "Okay, I'm gonna stop you there," I cut her off, "I am not Rebecca or Becky. My name is Clarissa."

     "What's wrong with her, Ryan?" she asked the guy.

     "I don't know," Ryan chortled. "First, she hallucinated a dead girl in the woods, then she kept on saying her name is Clarissa."

     "That sounds so off," she scoffed, still scrolling through her phone.

     "Okay, Bec, now just go and clean yourself up. You remember what we're going to do tonight, don't you?"

     "In fact, I don't know," I politely answered.

     "Stop being funnily weird," Ryan giggled. "Go and pamper up yourself. Be ready by 8, okay?"

     "Tell me first, who are you and what am I here for?"

     "Bye!" He walked out the door and drove away.

     "Okay," I sat beside the girl, "who are you and what am I doing here?"

     "Are you playing dumb, or are you really dumb enough to realize I'm your sister?"

     She's my sister? "Okay, okay, what's your name?"

     "Bec, stop fooling around."

    "Whatever. You seem to know what will happen tonight. What?"

     "Ugh, I am not ruining Ryan's surprise for you."

     "Oh god I could kill myself!" I yelled to myself.

     "Just go and clean yourself up okay! You're hideous, and you're loud and crazy weird today. Did you bump your head or something?" She hissed and strolled out of from the living room, up the set of a winding staircase.

     I reluctantly did whatever Ryan and "my sister" told me to do. I walked up the winding stairs and entered the room on my left, not knowing whose room that was. It had a large, queen-sized bed and a walk in closet. The bathroom was also incredibly vast with a shower cubicle and a giant bathtub.

     I cleaned myself up very very well, and by 8 I was ready, wearing a gray, long-sleeved shirt and black leggings. The girl who admitted to being my sister saw me and became outrageous.

     "I didn't teach my sister to wear this to a fancy date, did I?" she shouted.

     "A date? A guy I never knew is my date?"

     "Don't be silly! You knew Ryan since elementary!"

     Just then the sound of a car horn beeped outside the house. "Go and change! And put some makeup on. I'll stall Ryan."

     I went back into the room and into the walking closet. I took my current clothes off and explored the whole place. I finally found a scoop-necked, backless, teal-and-silver flare dress. I really liked it, so I wore it. There was also a round, vanity table in the center of the room. This closet really reminded me of Chanel Oberlin's closet in Scream Queens, truly.

     I slid the drawer open to a bubblegum pink lipstick. I quickly applied it, and also lined my eyes with eyeliner and brushed my cheeks with blush-on. I chose a pair of black pumps and walked back out.

     Both Ryan and "my sister" looked amazed. "You look so beautiful, Bec."

     "You call me 'Bec' one more time, and I'm gonna kill you."

     "What do you want me to call you?"

     "Clarissa! My name!"

     "Fine, Clarissa," he snickered.

     "Now go, go! Keep her safe for me, Ryan!" The girl smiled at Ryan and winked at me.

We were seated in a private area where no one else was there. The seats of the table were oversized, crimson and gold plush armchairs.

     Ryan and I were going to eat dessert, but when the round service plate was opened, a blue Tiffany's box lay on the silver plate.

     I started to remember from the cheesy dessert swap surprise...

     ...this was my first story I posted on Wattpad.