Thirty minutes had passed since we locked ourselves in a dark, smelly closet filled with nothing but old socks and underwear.
Yeah, I am officially mortified.
But SpongeBob is still creepy as hell. I mean why do kids love that thing?
Have you heard its cackle? It sounds like how a poltergeist would cackle. I'm sure the Titanic heard that siren call of death and sunk to the ocean floor.
Well, that's my theory anyway.
"Okay, I think it's safe to get out now."
Really? Oh gosh, I can't take much more of this odor.
In the dark, I could see the slight figure of a slim hand reaching for the door handle. She jiggled it to the left then right and left again.
But the door did not give way. Slowly she turned toward me. Her eyes glistened in the dark enclosed space.
Weary of her words, she said to me with a slightly shaky voice,
"I-I think it's stuck."
Oh did you hear that? That was the sound of my heart dropping along with my sanity.
"No, it's not you just have to-"
Gently pushing her aside I jiggled the doorknob, but it was no use. The damn thing really was stuck.
"No, no,no,no,no,no,no,no"
I was starting to panic, I and enclosed spaces weren't friends when I was six years old, locked in my father's closet and we aren't gonna start now.
Frantically I started banging on the door, trying my best to basically break it down at this point.
"Reign, calm down. I-"
"Calm down, calm down?! I can't calm down! I and small dark places do not mix!"
"Alright, I understand. But it's okay. I'm here aren't I?"
She said trying to calm me down. Both her hands were firmly holding me in place by the shoulders.
"Nova, I know we just became friends.....but I will hurt you if you don't move your hands right now"
Releasing her hold on me she backed off a bit, but not even five inches away.
That's just how small this thing wassss ...oh gosh I just remembered I'm in a small dark room filled with dirty socks and underwear and I don't even know who they belong to!
I was starting to hyperventilate and it looked like my panicking was causing Nova to do the same.
Occupied by the walls enclosing in on us, I nearly didn't notice the touch of something hairy on my leg.
I stopped dead in my tracks. Nova looked at me with a confused face.
After all, I suddenly stopped my jittering and was now as still as a log. It was beyond suspicious, so she asked me,
"What, what's wrong?"
She asked a little scared to trigger me again. I slowly turned to her, my eyes wide and afraid.
I don't know why, but it was then I decided to whisper to her
"I-I felt something hairy touch my left leg."
"Are you s-"
"It touched me again!"
I said a little louder this time. Afraid even further now, I scooted closer to Nova's side.
"Maybe it was just a sock or one of the under- oh my gosh I just felt it!"
Like a bunch of five-year-olds seeing a worm for the first time in their lives, we screamed in fright.
"Help, help please help!"
I screamed out while we simultaneously banged on the closet door.
Without any warning, the door was swung open and we came tumbling out right to the floor.
"Oh dear, are you girls alright?"
"Y-yeah we're go-!"
"No, we're not!"
I interrupted, something I was not prone to do but did when freaked out like I am at the moment.
"Something, something is inside that closet. It was hairy and fast and, and creepy and.....and it was touching me!"
I said making weird hand gestures as if what I was trying to show her was a weird alien creature.
"Is that so? Well, perhaps it's Wilbert."
The sweet old lady replied not at all bothered by my hysterical panicking.
Getting off the ground and dusting myself off, I curiously looked at the old lady and with a brow raised, asked
"Who is Wilbert?"
"My pet."
Brows scrunched together in confusion my head turned to look at Nova for an explanation.
"Uhm....Miss Willows, who's Wilbert?"
She asked in a sweet voice like those anime, cutesy girls would. Wait, I think I just realized something important here.
This woman, whose house we barged into; without her consent by the way, was eerily quiet for someone having two, disheveled teenage girls who idiotically locked themselves in her closet. Who I thought didn't know us, was actually acquainted with Nova....
And is called Miss Willows.....yeah, who knew?
"Oh, it's my pet."
"Pet?"
"Was it a dog? It was strangely small for a dog though, perhaps a ca-"
"He's a spider."
"......"
"I'm sorry did you say spider, as in arachnid with eight hairy legs and crazy, deep, dark, soulless eyes?"
I asked for confirmation.
"Oh yes, deary. He's quite cute really and extremely friendly."
The snow-haired lady said with a soft smile decorating her wrinkled-up lips.
Mouth slightly open, I closed it, looked down, sighed, and gave a closed eyes smile.
Before anyone could utter another word, I was out the door into the hallway and outta that demonic-infested house within seconds.
"Oh my glob, oh my glob, oh my glob. Oh. My. Glob!"
Screaming and running in circles like a headless chicken, I repeatedly patted down my body, trying my best to get rid of the touch of that horrid beast.
Whilst doing this I heard an ear-piercing scream of what sounded like a mixed sound of a peacock's mating call and a rat having a squeaky toy lodged in its throat, enhanced by a microphone.
It was a very disturbing sound and it perturbed me further to see that the heinous call came from none other than the one who put me in this mess in the first place..... Nova
"Get it off, get it off, get it off!!"
She screamed and thrashed down to the floor, rolling about like a maniac.
I'd be laughing at the spectacle that played before me, I mean a beauty like her doing something as disgraceful as that? That is one for the books.
But the sudden stream of tears freely falling from her eyeballs prevented me from doing so.
Feeling a bit torn, against my better judgment I went to try and salvage her from completely tarnishing her dignity.
"U-Uhm... Nova? Just relax it's not on you, I promise."
The girl stopped her thrashing and looked up at me in tears.
"Are you s-sure?"
"Yeah, I'm sure."
I said with a soft and gentle voice as I got down on my knees next to the disheveled girl.
I still had to admit though, even with her eyes slightly swollen, lines of dried tears running down her cheeks
...she still looked gorgeous.
And this is why I hate beautiful people. They're just so....ugh!
"I-I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble."
She said whilst wiping away her tears with the back of her sleeve.
"N-no, it's okay. It wasn't your fault."
I tried to calm her, but I'm sure the constant waving of my hands didn't necessarily give her that feeling.
"No!"
She shouted, catching herself she lowered her voice, looked down then up again.
"No, it's definitely my fault. I nearly got us killed, I mean what else could be worse?"
I wouldn't say they were gonna kill us, but instead, maybe kidnap us or something?
I don't know, but definitely not kill.
"I'm such a klutz."
"....Yeah you are,"
She gave me a look of utter hopelessness, lips jittering and eyes welling up once more.
"B-but, in a cute way. You're like a cute princess in an anime whose only flaw is her klutzy nature. It adds to your charm."
I said in a panic before she could start crying again.
"R-really?"
"Yeah, really. I wouldn't lie to a new friend like that."
I tried to convince her with a shaky voice. What'd you expect? I'm new to this whole; "let's be friends thing!".
An antisocial, introvert like myself, I'm not use to having to deal with confronting another living creature....that isn't a dog.
"Okay. I believe you."
I admire your will to believe a stranger so easily. Can't say the same for me.
I watched as she got to her feet. Dusting off dirt stuck to her clothes, she did the same to her hair.
Feeling my own legs go numb from a very unknown and uncomfortable position, I rose to her level.
Doing the same as her, I dusted off my knees.
We looked to one another in silence for quite some time, then without warning like a bell was rung we burst out into laughter.
"Oh my gosh, that was so emotional!"
"Not to mention frightening!"
"Agreed."
She nodded in agreement, wiping away a stray tear.
"Come on, let's get outta here before Wilbert decides to have a play date"
"Wait, do you think she'd really do that?"
"Honestly, I don't know."
Turning to the sidewalk, we were about to go off on our way but the front door suddenly opened.
The white curly-haired woman came onto the porch, hand raised in a wave she called out to us
"Oh hey girls, won't you come by again next week? I think Wilbert has taken quite a liking to you?"
Our eyes shot up in alarm as we slowly faced each other, both sparing a look of utter horror.
"Run"
With that simple word setting us off, we were off in a sprint, leaving her in the dust.
Once more we were running down the road like madmen, only this time it wasn't from three large men covered in tattoos and piercings.
Nope, we were running from a grandma....yeah, I guess this is what my life has come to now.
"Wh-who is she to you any-way?"
I asked out of breath. It was hard getting my words out while running like this.
"O-oh, she's an old nanny o-of me and, huh my brother."
Nova wheezed out. I nodded my head in understanding.
"Do you think we're, far enough now?"
Stopping at the corner of the street, I leaned onto the street sign.
"Yeah, I think, I think we're good"
One hand was on the pole to provide support and the other was on my chest, breathing was quite difficult.
And by the looks of it, Nova was having the very same trouble.
"I think I'm dying..... how're...you...holding...up"
Each word was phrased slowly with in-between breaks for a breather. I was impressed she could still talk at this point.
I felt like death!
"Can't talk....dying!"
With that as my last sentence, I fell on my hands and knees onto the concrete ground.
After who knows how long of running; first from the cafe then those motorcyclists and now from a crazy nanny with a freaking spider for a pet, I could no longer carry on.
This was my end.
Goodbye. Cruel world.
"Reign, you still alive?"
Asked a black-haired beauty with emerald green eyes. She looked beautiful with the sun hitting her just at the right angle.
Her skin glistened in it's ray (probably cause of her sweat), making her look more angelic than she already did.
"An angel."
I said without thinking. But you couldn't blame me at this point of time, I thought I was dying so seeing an angel only signified my mortal ascendance.
"What? Reign are you alright?"
Rapidly blinking my eyes, the angel transpired to what looked like a human girl.
"Oh, I thought you were an angel for a second there"
She burst out into laughter. She fell on the green patch of grass behind her and proceeded to roll around on the green grass.
"What?"
"Nevermind"
I sat next to her with my arms wrapped around my legs. We sat in comfortable silence, gazing at the receding sun.
"Wanna hang out again?"
Silence broken, I turned to her in question.
She looked at me with wide eyes, close to tears.
"You-you still want to be around me, even after all....this?"
She gestured around to our surroundings. I laughed at that, looked to the curb in front of us and answered
"Well....yeah. Even though we almost got killed by big, scary dudes with tattoos and a disgustingly hairy arachnid....even though this all happened because of you....I still stuck with you to the end. And that's cause, I kinda wanna be your friend....I guess"
Shrugging my shoulders off I waited for an answer. After two minutes I could no longer take the anguish and took a chance to look at her.
She sat quietly, tightly biting her lips as if to prevent herself from making any weird noise.
At first, I thought she was trying not to laugh, but then I saw her silent tears fall from her eyes.
"Woah, woah, are you okay?!"
I asked frantically.
"Yesssss"
She snorted, wiping her nose with the back of her sleeve.
"Do, do you want a hug?"
I questioned, unsure of what to do or say.
"Yes please"
I slowly opened my arms and scooted closer to her. I didn't know how to initiate a hug so it was kinda awkward.
Without warning, the tear-stained girl threw herself at me, wrapped her hands around my neck, and finally let out the noise she was keeping inside.
I stayed still for a few moments, then with cautious movements made way to hug her back.
"You're s-so nice!"
I laughed at that, I couldn't help but to.
Here I was, sitting on the lawn of some person, covered in dirt and sweat, hugging it out with this girl I just recently befriended.
Didn't see this coming, but.....I liked it.