Sorrow For The Darker

2

"I'm driving!" Erika cheered, pulling Elise out of her reality. She rolled her eyes playfully, yet somewhat cautiously, "Of course, this is your car. And you do have a driver's license." Erika giggled and opened her car's door. The sisters went inside and so, Erika drove off to the luxurious mall, with Elise sitting beside her.

The sisters soon arrived at the mall, with short conversations added. It was as if all of Erika's problems have disappeared. Although, Elise couldn't seem to agree with herself. "Let's go to that clothing store over there!" Erika cheered, once again dragging her sister. She then let goes of her Elise's hand as her eyes fully immersed on the trendy clothes. She ran circles in the shop, picking out what she loves the most. Elise sighs, before walking around the store. Not looking for something to buy, just for something to look at.

She tucked a strand of her hair, before her eyes set on an accessory. A choker. A faux leather choker, to be specific. Not her usual style, this calls for something more trendy and dramatic. But she couldn't help but take the choker as she looked for the price tag. ₱250, she thought.

She walked back to the cashier, to find her older sister with clothing dangling from her right arm, starting to pay for everything. "Elise! You want something?" Erika asked, with her eyes fixated on the item.

Elise nodded, "Yes. I'll pay, don't worry."

"Uh-uh!" she pointed her index finger and shook it, "I'll be paying for that too! How much is it?"

Elise, about to shake her head no, until the fair girl suddenly grabbed the dark choker and saw the price. She smiled for her victory cockily, and paid for all her items, including Elise's one choker. The darker girl then rolled her eyes playfully but felt ashamed for letting her older sister pay for her, despite already being a functioning adult. Once paid, her sister then takes out the choker from her shopping bag and handed it over to Elise, with the purest of smiles. She couldn't say no.

She grabbed the choker, and immediately placed it on her neck. She smiled. It gave a feeling of sensation. "Let me carry it, Erika." The fair girl once again shook her head, "Big sister rules! I do the thingies!"

The two walked out of the store. "I'm feeling like I want to buy some ice cream! Come on!" Erika giggled, dragging Elise once more to the nearby ice cream store. The cashier, turned around to face the two before Erika became a flushed mess.

"How can I help you two ladies?" the good-looking cashier asked, with his bright blue eyes shining from his glasses, his blond hair swung from his back.

Erika smiled and giggled, "I'd like to get to know you better, mister! I'm Erika Goldman! And what about you?"

The man blushed for a moment. Blinked, before cleaning the lenses of his glasses, "Mathew Moore. Ma'am, as much as this is a moment, I'm sorry to say but I'm busy right now."

"Sir, you barely have any customers!" Erika giggled.

Elise, felt once more, as if alone in the world. How she wishes for her problems to disperse as easily and as quickly as Erika's does. Replaced with a solution, something better.

The two continued on with their conversation, before Elise, whispered to her sister that she'll be heading off to the nearby art store. Erika, as absent-mindedly, smiled at her, and shook her away, as if Elise's a mere nuisance. Elise smiled, nevertheless, and walked off.

She arrived at a nearby art store, selling cheap materials, such as different kinds of paint, canvases, brushes, and all sorts of materials that could help her with her passion. Grabbing a small cart, she walked around, grabbing canvases, another set of acrylic paint. Make that 2 sets of acrylic paint and a sketchbook. Her bag is big enough to carry a sketchbook, and her other one has just been recently well, filled with doodles and drawings. Paying for the things didn't bother her at all, it was however, incredibly cheap.

Soon, she left the shop, then started walking back to the ice cream shop. But the cashier wasn't on duty. A different cashier was in his place. Instead of asking, she turned her head left and right, and saw the two drinking lattes at a coffee shop. She then sighs and ordered a cone of pistachio ice cream. While waiting, she texted her sister that she'd be on her way of home. She looked at the window to see through the coffee shop, to see Erika's phone vibrating, but not one of them acknowledged the gadget. Once her pistachio ice cream came in contact with her hands, she gave a quick thank you, and she walked away, beginning her journey back home.

"Elise, clean the bathroom. Wash your hands first, then cook us dinner. Erika would love fried chicken today. If I see any of your dirt on the bathroom and in dinner, count yourself dead."

"M-Mom, I have homework today! I don't know if I'll be able to do that in the span of one night!"

"Do it, or do you want to be thrown to the garbage dump? Stupid Vanessa, leaving me her trash."

"D-Don't call mom stupid!"

"Well then, it was she who had a hook up on one of the most horrible races on the planet! So she'd very much classify as stupid. Now, do your chores!"

The evening has passed, and it was a new day. A Monday. Elise's alarm clock buzzed through her room. She woke up, eyes jarred from exhaustion. Strange, for she slept rather early that night. A strange dream has passed too, but it's been happening a lot lately. She couldn't be bothered.

She looked over to her painting, it's still the same one. Except... a black streak of paint. A streak of dark paint was miraculously painted on the canvas, specifically on the woman's neck. It wasn't there before. She hasn't even touched the painting once after coming home.

Realization stung her as she clapped her neck to feel the leather choker. She hadn't taken it off since last night. A lump on her throat formed, as her vision started to get blurry. But before then, her phone started ringing once more. Out of panic, she immediately answered, placing the phone on her ear, and answered with a stuttering voice, "H-Hello?"

"Elise, this is Ariana. Are you okay?" the caller replied. The voice of her friend calmed her down, but her anxiety could not be beaten. "Y-Yea. I'm okay. What's the matter?"

"Listen, Elise. Erika didn't come home. She won't answer any of my calls. Is she there with you?"