Crazy watched her younger self slip the black card inside her PJ's pocket.
The girl then moved to the balcony. Crazy didn't need to look along with the girl to know what she saw.
Her memory was blurry.
But she still felt the strong emotions she had felt that day that painted the picture perfectly enough.
It was a small boy under an apple tree beside her compound.
Her neighbour's only son.
Her one and only best friend.
His small body crouching. Looking smaller than usual.
She remembered that she was always taller than him. He was very small for his age and incredibly weak to crown it. So she toke up the role of protecting him. She was incredibly aggressive and violent at her age. The boys feared and respected her in her grade. So her best friend was always safe around her. Though they were born two years apart. They were incredibly close. She did wonder whether it had to do with their somewhat unnatural birthdays. He was born on a solar eclipse and she was born on the day of Northern lights.
Two phenomenal days. Her mother always reminded her how special she was.
Because of it.
Born for great things.
Though he was older than her. He was sicker, weaker and more quiet. He didn't have one friend from his grade. So did she and well as fate would have it they were nextdoor neighbors. So they were childhood friends as long as she could remember.
There was something else about her childhood one and only bestfriend. It was his somewhat weird family.
His parents fought almost all the time. His father a drunk and always inflicted pain on Cassian and his mother. Everytime she told her mom about it. Her mother worriedly glanced at her and only talked about how Cassian's mother refused to be tangled by the law because of her love for her husband so there wasn't nothing the community could do about it.
Whenever Crazy asked about Cassian's wellbeing her mother laughed light-heartedly patting her head. Hiding her worry, a worry Crazy could sense easily but didn't think much about it.
"He will be fine. No one can hurt him."
Well it wasn't true.
That was one and only lie her mother told her. And because she usually lied to her mother sometimes when she broke her mother's ceramics.
Crazy didn't pursue it.
Her mother probably had her reasons.
It was later.
Much later she realised how terribly wrong she was.
The ten year old child sprinted downstairs in full speed as quietly as she could.
An art she mastered after years of being caught by her mother sneaking out to see her friend.
Crazy rapidly followed her effortlessly leading the way.
All of it making sense.
Memories of her mother's worried face whenever she talked to Cassian. Or invited him to the house. Memories of Cassian refusing to eat with her since she first met and became his friend.
Memories of her mother and her visiting the hospital.
Arghh!!
Her head hurts. Closed memories resurfacing.
"You have an imaginary friend?" The friendly bespectacled doctor in a white labcoat asked her. Holding an injection as Crazy stared back up at him.
"Nope. He is real. His name is Cassian."
Crazy's small legs moving up and down on the bed somewhat excited about talking about Cassian and nervous about the injection.
"Can you describe him for me?"
"Yes I can! He is blond with emerald green eyes. He is incredibly small. Though his older than me. He's weak so I protect him."
She puffed out her chest, grinning at the doctor who equally smiled. But concern written all over in his eyes.
Crazy's eyes then dulled a bit.
"But mom says that he's not real. That Mrs Lincoln and Mr Lincoln don't have a child. And they are planning a divorce. That means Cassian would be sad. Since his parents are separating can't I be with him. So he won't feel lonely and sad?"
The doctor toke a sample of her blood. Crazy on the verge of crying from the pain. The doctor looked at the door. A while longer.
"You are strong girl am sure your mother is happy that you have a beautiful heart. I will talk with her, okay?"
Crazy's eyes twinkled in joy. Bubbling her head up and down in agreement.
There was stifled sobbing noises behind the door.
When Crazy wanted to ask him who was crying. She dozed off....
Crazy opened her eyes.
Her head aching more.
Her gaze spotted him.
He was crouching under an apple tree in his compound.
Her younger self was hugging him tightly. Probably reached there before her while she was remembering.
A heavy crash came from his house.
Drowning in the light rain.
"You killed our child!!! If you weren't abusing me all the time!! My child would have been in my hands, Steve!!"
Cassian's mother screamed in anger her voice drowned by another cacophony of crashing noises.
Cassian's father grunted in fury.
" No!! Arghhh! Stop blaming me, Woman!! It was two years ago!! It was an accident. So just shut up!!!"
Glass shattered followed by a inhuman shriek filled with agony.
Crazy froze. Her eyes as wide as saucers. How could she miss this?!
She looked at Cassian small sickly body. Lightening striking at the same time.
Her younger self lifting him up. Biting an apple she got from his tree. Giving him his.
Cassian turned as if aware of her gaze.
He looked like a corpse. Deathly pale and shrunken skin.
He gave her a light smile. Being dragged away by her younger self to the forests.
An attempt she remembered was to make him happy.
" Cassian wait!!!!"
She ran chasing after them.
The duo moved to the forest avoiding the police check points.
Crazy ran didn't care of being seen because she wasn't real.
Not here at least.
She wanted to see it again to the end.
What really happened seven years ago?!
The duo stopped, Crazy's younger self splashing mud water on Cassian. Cassian froze before splashing back at her right on the face.
"Oh you are on!"
Crazy jumped on him, both landing on the puddles of water.
His eyes widened as they burst into laughter rolling and rolling together in the mud.
Their night wears quickly turned dirty and wet.
The cold rain lightly splashing on their skin. Her younger self grabbed Cassian as they broke into a ballroom dance. The sound of the rain their music and the moonlight peaking out the sky their spotlight.
The girl was smiling. Her grin equally matching the quiet kid. They hummed a tune. Spinning each other. The girl leading.
"Am supposed to be leading you know. I am the older one."
Cassian looked away his soft cheeks flushed red.
Crazy's eye brow rose.
She found herself inside her role again. Flashing a mischievous grin at him.
"But I am taller and stronger. So you will listen to me."
She said bending him over her small hands wrapped on his waist.
"We are only doing this because you suck at dancing. And have a dance test on Friday."
Cassian retorted. His face reddening in embarrassment and agitation.
Crazy involuntarily rolled her eyes.
Moving in an awkward speed. Suddenly feeling self-conscious. Pouting, she glared at him.
Before sighing and looking away.
"Well if it wasn't due to the fact am dancing with The Max Brandon. I wouldn't care if I tripped and fell my partner so no judging okay?"
"Do you like him that much?"
Cassian turned looking at her solemnly.
Crazy back in her younger self's body observing, felt her heart skipped a beat.
Cause she saw his green eyes darken in deeper shades of green.
She was still surprised why she was suddenly in back her body but there wasn't nothing she could do but watch.
There must be something the monster wanted to show her and her inquisitiveness didn't help matters at all.
" Well yes. I guess."
'She' shurgged.
Cassian nodded keeping quiet his blonde hair sticking to his feminine chubby face. Watching how cute he looked pouting. Was so cute.
'She' hugged him. Falling both of them on the wet ground.
Cassian groaned in pain from the surprised hit. Tears already clouding his vision.
"Sorry you are just so cute. Are you feeling good now?"
Cassian still encased in a bears hug nodded.
"Much better."
"Good when it starts happening again. Come to my house. Mom will love your presence and you will eat great food. You are getting thinner and lighter. Am afraid you will blow away."
Cassian was silent. But 'she' kept rambling on and on.
"Let's go am hungry."
Dusting her drenched dirty clothes while she stood up.
Cassian shot up in worry.
Surprised, she moved back.
"What happened?"
' Huh?' Her younger self thought flowed in.
Crazy internally tried to close her eyes. But it was useless.
"Why is there so much blood?"
'She' turned down to see her pocket region of her pajamas soaked in blood.
Cassian knelt down.
Devoid of weakness and fear.
He was always afraid of blood he had fainted if he saw so much blood.
Why is he behaving like she was older and she a kid.
Well he was twelve but it's my role.
'Stop' Crazy thought. But it was immediately drowned by hers.
Her younger self.
Cassian carefully reached for her bloodied left pocket.
His hand pulled out a black card stained in her blood.
The card didn't look so blank anymore.
It depicted a half bitten poisoned apple weaved in thorns at the back.
And a word written on the front.
It says..
"Desire"
They both read it aloud.
Cassian face turned ghostly pale when he saw the card cut him.
A drop of black blood spilling on it.