VANISHED (#1 in the VANISHED series) #NaNoWriMo2019 ✔

t w e n t y - f o u r ✔

The air turned polar, and Arielle's breaths fogged out around her like earlier.

Shit.

She rubbed her upper arms and shifted to the being as its contour became more and more visible, though still shifting in and out of focus.

"No..." said the being, never lifting her head to show her expression. A few of her ebony tresses slid down to cover her forehead, to curtain her from Arielle's view. "Unavailable..."

The way she said it, the slurred and raspy voice that broke from her hidden mouth, was all too familiar to Arielle. Ice coated her heart and lungs, and her breaths became wheezy and difficult.

No... no, it can't be.

"P-Penny?" The supposed suicide girl, the dream-wanderer, the girl in front of the red door—had they all been Penny? All along? "Is that... you?"

The white-dressed woman took another small step forward. "Unavailable..."

Arielle crawled from the wall, unsure how long she had until she reached the rag-room door. "It is you. You've been..." She shook her head in disbelief. "But... yeah, y-you said that... unavailable. And you said it at the parking lot, too, huh?" The memories crept into Arielle's mind and petrified her. So many puzzle pieces, so many fragments of sentences joining here—too much. It was too much. "No... you've been telling us all this time, huh? Jade is... unavailable." She inched a little farther back. "Is she always unavailable? Is there a better time to—"

"—Always... to you..." said the girl, or the woman—her age was hard to figure out with her features concealed. She wasn't much taller than Arielle, but the gown she wore was old, worn-out, stained, frayed at the edges. The sleeves ruffled at the ends and hid her hands, but they were caked with a darkness that resembled mud... or blood.

"Wh-what the... what the fuck does that mean?" Arielle missed the swirling breeze. At least it had no form, no image to tattoo into her brain and forever freak the shit out of her whenever she closed her eyes. At least its voice was fainter, less easy to recognize, to remember. "Does she... not want to talk to me?"

The being's head cracked to the side, in slow-motion, like frames of a movie skipping, fast-forwarding, then pausing. She slithered forward again, sending Arielle hurdling backwards. She'd soon meet a dead-end, and would have to think quickly.

Stand up, say something to confuse her, dodge her—and run.

"Not... here..." said Penny, fingers twitching near her hips. "Cannot... reach..."

Another inch and Arielle's back knocked into the wall. She looked up to her right and saw the bedroom door, and used its frame to help haul herself up. "Oh yeah?" Her legs shook too much—she wasn't sure they'd be strong enough to carry her past Penny and down the stairs, but... she had no choice. "Can you... try? Like... leave and go find her or something? I'll wait here." She flinched, hoping the girl's lowered chin would halt her from seeing the fear cloaking her face, her cheeks frosty, icier than snow. All heat had left her body the moment Penny reappeared—but she forced herself to breathe. To hold down the contents of her stomach, brewing and ready to shoot out. Though that would provide a sufficient distraction for Penny, no?

No... I can't. I have to be smarter.

Penny's neck slipped to her left, and her shoulders heaved up and down, as if she were laughing. And sure enough, a few seconds later, her ear-splitting cackle shimmied through the air, as a giant streak of lightning illuminated the area. Arielle hadn't even heard the thunder—it was like the weather was out of sorts, perturbed by Penny's presence.