"Laura?" "…" I didn't respond, simply closing the front door behind me. I dropped my backpack to the floor, and my mother approached. "What're you doing home?" "I… I couldn't handle class today." "Well, did you take your"- "Yes! I did, mom!" I snapped, and her expression hardened. "Then why are you here?" "It. Doesn't. Work." Before she could respond, I pushed past her, storming up the stairs to my room. I made sure to slam the door, and turned the lock with a satisfying click. I was tired of having to rely on medicine that wasn't up to par. And I was absolutely tired with my parents expecting me to only get better from it. At the thought, I flung the door open in my bathroom, and opened the medicine cabinet. I grasped the bottle of Zoloft, and shut the cabinet closed with a huff. For a while, I just stood there, running my fingers over the label. I contemplated emptying the bottle: either into the sink, or eating the pills like they were candy. By that point, I didn't care. Flicking my thumb upwards, the bottle top popped off, landing onto the counter. I shook the contents around once, twice, before starting to empty them out into my palm. "I wouldn't do that, if I were you." I gasped, dropping the bottle onto the floor, making the pills scatter around haphazardly. There's nobody else in the room… I thought, trying to calm myself. I sighed, leaning against the counter. "You're wrong. I'm here." I jerked back from the mirror, and saw who was speaking: my reflection. She wore a cocky grin, arching an eyebrow at my reaction. I averted my eyes, backing into the wall. "…you're not real… you're not"- "That's a rude thing to say to your sister." I froze, looking directly at the mirror. Then I noticed, how my reflection's eyes glistened a bit more, how her hair was slightly shorter than mine when I raised it up, and altogether, she just didn't look nice. "Don't believe me? Does this jog your memory?" she smirked, and showed me her shoulder, where a dull scar was. ~ "Get back here, Laura!" Veronica shouted, chasing me into the backyard. I hadn't done anything wrong, but Veronica thought I had. Apparently my favorite necklace was "hers". "It's mine! Just go away!" "No! You took it from my room!" she yelled, her skirt fluttering about as she rushed after me. Her flip-flops plopped against the dewy grass, and her hair flew wildly in the wind. "I don't know what you're talking about!" I snapped, as we headed deeper into the trees. I stumbled over a rock, and righted myself quickly, thankful I wore sneakers. "Stop playing innocent! You're a thief!" she cried, storming towards me, and she grabbed my arm. "Give it back!" "It's not yours!" "Veronica? Laura?" we paused at the sound of my mother's voice coming from the house, before Veronica glared at me, tightening her grip. I winced, and struggled to pull her hand from my arm. I pushed at her, and she grabbed my necklace by the chain, ready to break it if she had to. "Let go of me!" she yelled, and I pried her hand away from me, the sudden tension release sending her backwards. I gasped as the necklace snapped, and Veronica fell back, tumbling down the hill. I heard a thud, and the woods were deathly quiet, before my sister started to cry. "Veronica!" I worriedly peered over the hill, to see her laying at the bottom, clutching her bleeding arm. She had landed on a fallen branch, and it made a gash on her shoulder. ~ It was Veronica… it had to be. Some how… She grinned, pulling her sleeve back down to hide the scar again. "What do you want from me…?" "Everything. It's the least you can do for killing me." she retorted "I didn't kill you!" "You could have warned dad, couldn't you? But you just couldn't wait to see me croak." "Shut up!" I snapped, and she laughed. "Murderer!" I felt my hand shoot into the mirror, and it shattered, revealing the shelves of the medicine cabinet's interior. Her laughter rang in my ears, causing me to shake in fear. "You won't get rid of me that easily…" --------------------------------------------------- Oh noes.
My Better Half - Surprise Update I shakily pulled my hand back from the shattered mirror, feeling the stinging pain attack my fingers. They weren't cut up too badly, but blood plopped into the sink anyway, crimson trailing down the drain at a snail-like pace. I tried to slow my breathing as I rinsed my wounds, biting back tears at the fact my mother didn't check on me. I didn't bother cleaning up the glass on the floor, instead I averted my eyes from the sight altogether, closing the door behind me as I unsteadily walked to my bed. I collapsed onto the many throw pillows arranged neatly atop the comforter, and focused on the swirls paintbrushes left behind on the ceiling. Despite me trying to distract myself, I couldn't ignore what had happened… whatever the hell that was. Had I seen the bitter ghost of my sister? Could it have been something else? I shook my head, trying to clear any thoughts of the supernatural away. I was just stressed… nothing happened. Turning to my side, I shut my eyes. Maybe I could convince myself it was all a dream. The next day, I woke up to my alarm buzzing. The digital numbers read five-o'clock. It was Saturday, and as much as I didn't want to go for the usual jog, I thought it could possibly distract me from everything. I pulled on a pair of shorts, a hoodie, and tugged on my running shoes, quietly leaving my house with a water bottle. I kept up a good pace as I jogged, my breathing steady as I pushed my legs into a brisk run. I had always liked running, it felt natural to me. But I never joined the track team at school; I couldn't bring myself to. After I passed the bench with an unnecessary plaque about the wood it was made from, I slowed down to a stop, leaning against a boutique wall as I caught my breath. The sun was beginning to peak over the horizon, its warm rays shining into the trees and buildings. "Huh. I didn't know you were athletic." Water splashed onto my legs, and I gasped, looking down to see I had dropped my water bottle. My head snapped up to see Veronica in the storefront window, perched on a display. She smiled at me and I shook my head, taking a step back. "Leave me alone!" "No. And do you know why I have to refuse?" she asked. "You need my help." "I-I…" "Desperately." she added, giving me a once over. "Don't you see? You're so nervous all the time. You're… boring, really. And even though your looks are fine, you could actually attempt to put yourself together." I flinched as Veronica came up to the window, placing her hand on the glass. She smirked at my reaction, but didn't move away. "Basically, I need to give you a makeover. Personality wise. Maybe appearances too"- "I don't need your goddamn help! And why the hell are you… appearing all of a sudden?" "Please. You need me more than you think." she snorted, making no attempt to answer my question. I sighed, looking away from her naturally mischievous expression. "Fine…" I whispered, lowering my head in defeat. I had reached a new low: believing a ghost- or whatever, existed, and actually taking their advice. I placed my hand on the glass, and Veronica chuckled as she disappeared, before appearing right next to me. She had taken a necklace from the boutique display, and twirled it around her finger. My eyes widened, and I tried to take it back. "What? It's a gift. To make up for the other necklace." Veronica shrugged, tossing me the obviously expensive jewelry. The chain felt heavy in my hands; like I was holding a lead weight. "B-But you stole this…" "So?" she arched an eyebrow, before glancing back. "C'mon, let's go home." Without thinking, I tucked the necklace into my pocket, and began the walk back home. It felt like ages until we got there, considering that my dead sister was walking beside me. --------------------------------------------------- Alrighty. I know what I said. I had this written. All of the updates are just so my stories aren't forgotten . I'll update the others again in a few weeks.