Ever noticed how creepy a mirror can get?
You do things, you say things, you smile and you laugh, and the person in the mirror does the exact same thing as you do. You feel comfortable, or at times you feel indifferent, because you know it's your reflection. You know it is a part of you, a shadow, an entity that has no life without you.
Seeing the woman again in the room brings a thousand of random thoughts in my mind. Now that I can see her face clearly, without the fear of getting raped by starnge men, I see the resemblance. And that resemblance is uncanny. She has the same features as me, same pale skin, high cheekbones and dark brown eyes, and same thin lips. She does not have the sickly pallor like I do, neither the dark circles around my eyes. She also does not have a stupid, clueless look, something my cousins always taunt me for. Instead, her eyes are sharper, more intelligent, and deviously beautiful.
"What the hell are you doing?" I ask huffing, pulling my eyes from her to Alp. He is still on the floor, but he has gathered himself now and folded his legs to sit more comfortably.
What the hell are you doing? She repeats the same tone as mine, but nobody notices that.
"I wanted to check something." Alp shrugs and smirks. "I was right, and you are going to stay with us from now on."
In utter annoyance and somewhat anger, I grind my teeth. "I will ask once again, what the hell was that?" I hear her repeating the words mockingly. My palms curl into a fist.
"A kiss is a connection forged by two individuals. It's an intimate action that brings two souls closer, and the bliss makes them burn like a star," Lazarus recites.
"Does it look like I am in the mood for poetry right now?" I turn my glare towards Alp, and slide out of the sheets. I point my finger at him and yell, "What you did is a violation. I can also add the fact that you have brought me to your house without my permission and now trying to keep me here. Which is a clear case of kidnapping."
The woman laughs. It sounds so beautiful and natural that I lose my train of thought momentarily. They saved you, silly, she says in a tone that I have heard only in vintage movies.
Alp says the same thing but in a more verbose manner. "Imagine what would have happened if Felix and Art had left you unconscious at the railway station in another town, at midnight, after you just got attacked by a monster. Maybe that's what they should have done. At least, we wouldn't get accused of kidnapping now."
"Oh cut the crap!" I snap and stand in front of him, my hands on my hips. "Why did you kiss me? Did you think I was that easy?"
Art and Felix suddenly laugh. "Is that what is bothering you, Franny?" Art asks me. For the first time in the last twenty-four hours, I feel warmth in the way he speaks to me, and it feels good. My eyes burn a little. "Nobody here thinks of you that way. If anything, we all think you are exquisite and very, very special. Now, can you please calm down?"
The woman now comes out of the shadow. She is naked, and there is a small star-shaped mark resting over her left breast. I stare at it for a while before I realize what I am doing. Embarrassed, I look away.
Oh don't be shy! It's nothing that you don't have.
That is not entirely true. My body is not as beautiful as hers, and I am not-
Felix comes close to me, takes the sheet and wraps it around me. The understanding makes me blush. I take the sheet and wrap it even tighter, making sure that no inch of my body is left exposed. Glancing around I find all the other men looking away, consciously trying to avoid my eyes. It makes me annoyed at first, but also throws water to my anger.
"If I go home, will it really endanger my family?" She mocks me, You don't care about them. I say, "I don't care about most of them, but I don't want anything harmful to happen to them."
"So, stay here," Alp says shrugging. Orion and Rayo watch me intently, like I am an animal ready to pounce, and they are waiting to catch me. Lazarus looks impassive. Felix and Art look worried, but it is Alp who makes me wonder whether I am making the right choice. He looks thrilled and happy, and his glee makes my heart sink.
"If I stay here, there should be some ground rules. I want a separate room for myself. I need space."
"You'd rather stay alone? We are fun to hang out with," Alp suggests.
I look at the woman. I don't think she is going to leave me alone.