Endearing soul dehumanized

The iron curtain that separated the fabricated ideal world from the memories of the past had dissolved. The rivers finally merged together and reality had finally hit Orei.

Before her was the truth. The seconds, minutes, and days onwards awaited her call, her reaction. It was like a test for her, to bear each passing moment.

That feeling across her skin would soothe her guilt. The feeling of her sins pouring out of her arms she, missed it. She yearned for it, a break from reality.

A bird who has tasted the fruits of time will always return to the tree that fed it.

Her head was soothed by the feeling of the sins flowing out of her arms. It was first cold and stung a bit before the dopamine rushed through her head. 

"This is for the transgressions you committed."

That tranquillity lasted as long as she was in her room. Moments after leaving her room, the stairs reminded her of her unfinished dream. That perfect world she was living in had yet to be ruined. The dream version of her could still be saved. 

She didn't want to fall asleep, she didn't want to continue playing the images inside of her head. Oreiha doesn't deserve the truth. The continuation of the act. Orei refused.

Today no one knocked on Orei's door. Jecca didn't come today. It was still pretty early and Orei for the first time decided to walk out of her house alone. It wasn't because she wanted to but forced to. The monster with eyes grew larger and followed her as she walked around town.

After a few minutes of walking, she reached the park. She found an empty bench and sat in solitude listening to the the chirps of birds and the laughter of children.

She admired the children playing with a ball. Thinking about their lives, and how they were living their childhoods. Deep down she all hoped none of them would land in a situation like hers.

A golden shine caught the corner of her eye. She recognized that shine, it was Abby. She was sitting all alone by the swings swaying along with the breeze.

Orei wondered what she was doing all alone. Pondering if she should go and talk with Abby Orei stood up before sitting down again. With one last push of courage, she marched towards the lone wolf.

"It's you."

With a scornful look, Abby immediately stood up and said she was leaving.

"Wait!" Orei reached out her hand but her voice was so quiet that it couldn't reach her.

What was Orei even thinking? What was going on inside her head? Why couldn't she just be normal? Why couldn't she just be Oreiha? Her mind went numb and she sat down on the swinging swing. 

But to her surprise, she saw a shadow below her feet. Lifting her head back up she saw how Abby stood there in front of her.

"I might have been a little mean there, what was it you wanted to say?" She said with both her arms crossed.

Her eyes were diverted in another direction and didn't dare look at Orei.

"I just wanted someone to talk to."

Abby let out a disappointed sigh before telling Orei that if there is nothing she would go.

"Gel is returning to town."

Like an ancient statue of Greece, Abby stood completely frozen as if her body had solidified. 

"That bastard… ditching his best friend on the day of his death."

Abby had a deep hatred for all of us for how we reacted towards Maro's death. Orei isolated herself from the world and hid away from the fact her brother was gone and Abby hated her for that. Jecca moved on so quickly and it was as if Maro never existed for her and Abby despised her for that. She was about to rant on about Leto but suddenly stopped remembering something. 

She shook her head and said that she didn't want to talk about it anymore. She then took a good look at Orei. In Abby's mind, Orei resembled Maro. Her hair, her eyes, and her body all reminded her of the care she got from Maro.

She couldn't take seeing Orei anymore and without warning left. Deep behind that facade of hers, Abby's eyes were streaming and her cheeks were wet. She tried to wipe as much as possible with her jersey but it was like an endless stream. All she could think about was Maro, Maro, Maro, why did he commit suicide?

Unsure of how to interpret Abby's departure without saying anything she continued to walk around the town. She revisited the places she was at with Jecca earlier. The burger place, the fountain but then she remembered there was one spot she wanted to go. A spot that was a part of her cherished memories.

The trees grew more dense as she followed the trail. The same trail all of her friends walked on together. But in the midst of avoiding tripping on the roots, she heard a loud cry for help.

When she approached the source of the screaming she saw Leto on the ground surrounded by Abby and her hooligans. There was no way Orei would take them all head-on. 

"SOMEONE HELP ME!"

Leto cried out but for some reason, his melodramatic cries sounded a little exaggerated and fake. When the hooligans heard his screams they told him to shut up but when he didn't, they slapped him trying to silence him.

Rapidly approaching she heard someone sprinting through the forest and when she looked above her she couldn't believe her eyes. Jecca flew over her head before landing with a dramatic roll. 

"Not this girl again, let's just get out of here, not worth the trouble." 

The hooligans sighed one by one before hopping on their motorbikes and driving away. Leaving only Abby there at the scene.

Jecca confronted Abby, saying that this was way over the line. Orei saw how Abby's face twitched with anger, yet she tried to keep her face as stoic as possible.

"Everything with you has changed! Your appearance, your personality, your friends but yet you decide to come to our old spot? Doesn't that prove something?"

She turned away from Jecca and stomped towards Leto who was sitting on the ground.

"This is all your fault… IF YOU JUST DIDN'T…!"

Jecca and Orei witnessed a side of Abby they had never seen before. A rapid Abby with no sense of morality. She was breathing and moving like a wild beast.

She grabbed him by his neck, lifting him from the ground. Jecca tried to intervene but before she could Abby had already dragged Leto towards the lake they used to fish in.

In a fit of rage, she couldn't stand the sight of Leto in front of her. Just wanting to get rid of the problem, she threw him into the dark muddy waters.