Brianna's POV
Sofia and I checked our outfits one last time in front of a huge mirror on the toilet.
"Great, we look good," Sofia retouched her mascara. "You need retouch with yours?"
I shook my head, "my makeup is still fine."
"Okay, let's go," Sofia wrapped her arm around mine so we could go together to the venue. It's finally our friend's eighteenth birthday today.
I can't believe it, actually. It was not long ago when we all met in primary school and we were always in the playground playing with the sand until our uniforms were dirty and we got scolded by our parents. Now, all of us are now 'ladies'. Just the thought of it makes the butterflies in my stomach go crazy.
"Wow," Sofia's eyes twinkled as she studied the venue. "Of course it's blue. It's her favorite color after all."
I nodded.
"Name please?" The organizer asked us.
"Sofia Francia."
"Brianna Cho," I answered.
"Right. Table six." She handed us a ribbon. "Raised it when the debutant enters the room."
Sofia and I nodded. We went to our seats and waited for the event to start. It didn't take that long though. Just after a few minutes, our friend entered the venue room wearing a blue voluminous gown.
She was smiling at the crowd nervously until she saw our table.
"Oh my god," she murmured. "My mom invited you too?"
Sofia and I smiled.
"It's been so long!" I know she wanted to hug us but she needs to get to the stage already so instead, she blew us a kiss.
Everything seemed to be going so well until the atmosphere of the room felt a bit different. I looked around and saw a woman with silver hair standing at the far end.
I shivered. I do not clearly remember why but somehow, I am scared of her.
The world seemed to have stopped. Suddenly, the woman is standing in front of me.
"It's time," she said.
She held me by my arm and then for some reason, we were now in a different place. The stars are clear from up here. I looked around and found that we were on top of a building.
"Wh-where are we?" I studied the place. I am not familiar with this place at all. Is this even part of the building?
"Calm down, we are just outside. The demon is busy down there."
What is she talking about now?
"I already gave you a few months so you could enjoy your eighteen. I did well waiting this time, right?"
"Huh?"
"I tagged along with the demon when I found out that you are attending that woman's birthday party. I guess three months was already enough to enjoy being eighteen?"
I just stared at her. I do not understand any words she's saying. Is she even speaking English?
"I am not going to kill you just yet. I still need to do some process. I need to take your blood and then-"
I slapped her which obviously surprised her.
She held her cheek, "What's that for?"
"Wake up. You might be turning crazy for all you know."
She snorted, "what?"
I started shivering. The night has gone chill because of my lack of cover. The dress I am wearing now reveals my back so it's really not for this kind of thing. Whatever this thing is called.
The woman rolled her eyes at me. She probably doesn't care that I am literally shivering from the cold weather. It's September after all. Soon, the snow will fall.
“Who are you?” I asked again.
“I told you. I’m not going to answer that.”
“Fine. Why are you taking me? Or where?”
“I told you. I need to kill you!”
“B-but why?”
“So I could die.”
I grimaced. "You have to kill me so you could die?"
She nodded.
"Are you stupid? If you want to die, kill yourself!"
The woman harshly brushed her hair, "I wish it was that easy!"
"Why do I have to put up with this? Who are you, huh?"
She furrowed her brows, "Hold on. You are not joking? You really don't know me?"
I stomped my feet repeatedly on the covered ground full of hay, "Yes! I don't know who you are! Am I supposed to know you?"
"Hold on...this is not right. I thought you were joking because you used to do that to me in an attempt to persuade me that you are not her."
"Huh?" She's not crazy, right?
"The person that I've been hunting for a thousand years so I could kill you." Okay, yep. She is batshit crazy.
I shook my head, "you know what? Fine, let me help you with that. Do you want to die? Okay," I took the piece of wood that was close to where I was standing. "Sit. Let me hit you to death."
The woman stared strangely at me. "What kind of joke is this?"
"You want to die, right? Instead of killing me, I will kill you to fulfill your wish. This may cause me jail but whatever it takes to finally kill you, fine. I'll take it."
"Did you forget that we already tried this before but it didn't work?"
"Huh?"
"Your lifetime from four reincarnations ago. You tried to help me kill myself. You shot a gun straight to my heart but I still woke up feeling nothing. Like nothing at all!"
I dropped the wood on the ground. This woman is crazy...
She stood in front of me to meet me eye to eye. She's a little taller so she had to tilt her head. "You don't remember?"
I shook my head. "I am not even sure what you are talking about."
"You're an angel that I meant to kill. You have my life within your hands and unless I kill you, I will not die."
"Huh?"
"It's a curse. They threw my life at your hands. If you die, I have a little short time to kill myself but if you reincarnate before my last breath, I stay alive. That's the deal, remember?"
I shook my head. "What fantasy movies are you watching or books that you are reading? It messed up with your head.
Her shoulders turned slumped. She took out a photograph from her pocket and showed it to me. "This is you, right?"
I studied it. The photo seems to be taken decades ago. It's blurry and in black and white. "Definitely not. Thought the features that see share are a bit strange."
She shook her head. "Just go to sleep and we will deal with this again tomorrow."
"Here? You want me to sleep here?"
She glared at me.
My knees shivered at her glare so I fell onto my knees and just made a bed made out of the fabrics from my ruined dress. "Goodnight, I guess."
"Shut up."