REUNION
"I've always wondered what it would be like to have people who'd stand by your side—to laugh, make dumb jokes, and talk for hours. Friends. Must feel great to have those. It's hard to find one, though, when you've got a shitty reputation in a town this small. That's bound to happen when you're the daughter of an infamous serial killer. That man ruined everything for me—what an asshole. If not for my mom, I don't know if I'd even want to keep living. She's the absolute best. You understand how that feels, right, John?"
A young girl sprawled upside down on a worn, brown couch addressed the man across from her. Her blonde hair dangled towards the carpet as she lazily swung her legs. John, clad in a crisp black suit, shifted in his chair, adjusting his glasses. His voice carried the weight of his weariness as he replied "I'd love to delve into that as well as go over your complaints once again , Dove. But your session ended thirty minutes ago, and your mother's waiting. My services, unfortunately, do not cover overtime."
Dove smirked, her sharp eyes gleaming with mischief, thinking he'd want to hear more of her voice considering it's one of the last few moments they would have. "You're always so eager to get rid of me, John. Aren't I your favorite client?", John sighed. "You're unforgettable, Miss Monroe, if that's what you're asking."
Dove rolled off the couch with an exaggerated groan, heading toward the door. "Whatever," she muttered, pouting like a scolded child. As she reached for the handle, John called after her. "Good luck out there, Dove. College is the start of a brave new world. I'll miss our talks and I hope you find the friends you're looking for out there." She turned to stick her tongue out at him, but a faint smile betrayed her. "I'll see you around, Doc. Whenever that is."
In the hallway, Dove's mother, Marilyn, was waiting, interested in hearing how their final session went today. She smiles warmly towards dove "How'd it go, honey?"
"Same old yap-fest," Dove replied, waving it off with an exaggerated hiss. "You know how John is. Cold-blooded reptile." She mimicked a snake, drawing a laugh from Marilyn. Their laughter was interrupted by a man's voice.
"Marilyn?"
A tall, scruffy man with untamed hair approached them, his features barely familiar. Marilyn squinted, confused as to whom the man is. "Do I know you?"
"It's Rick. Rick Matthews," he said, his grin widening as he pulled a rubber band from his pocket, tying back his hair with dramatic flair. "Danger Rick!" Dove raised an eyebrow wondering if he just he carries around that rubber band around just for this shtick?
Marilyn's face lit up in recognition. "Oh my God! Danger Rick from high school! You used to pull all those wild stunts. The years sure do go by, I almost didn't recognize you, how you been?"
"Time's cruel, huh?" Rick laughed. "I've been really good myself actually, I'm married now. Three beautiful kids."
"Aww, that's sweet," Marilyn said, before gesturing to Dove. "This is my daughter."
Rick turned to Dove. "She's the spitting image of you back then. What's your name, kiddo?"
Dove gave him a deadpan stare and decides she's definitely outta this convo. "My name is 'I'm outta here.'" She spun on her heel and marched outside. Marilyn apologized with a knowing smile. "Teenagers, right?" Rick chuckled. "Tell me about it. I've got three at home."
Dove leaves the building and heads to the parking lot, Dove climbed into their car, shaking her head. Danger Rick? That ridiculous nickname practically screams the 80s. She laughed as she slipped into the driver's seat, putting her phone on the dashboard to take a selfie. The phone slipped, clattering to the floor. She cursed under her breath, bending to retrieve it. When she suddenly she looks up from the floor and catches sight of something frightening on the rear view mirror. She sat back up, her breath caught in her throat and reflected in the mirror, was a towering blue figure with glowing, hollow eyes.
"What the hell is that?" she whispered, her voice trembling as it reflects vividly on the car mirror ,she shakes in anxiety and terror at the otherworldly scene before her. The figure loomed closer, its distorted limbs writhing like smoke. Panic overtook her as she screamed, yanking at the car door. "Mom! Mom, where are you?!" The door wouldn't budge. The figure pressed closer in the mirror, its ghastly visage filling her vision. "GET AWAY, Fuck ,Mom where are you!!!"
Suddenly, Marilyn was at the window, tapping frantically. "Honey, what's wrong?!" Dove turned to look at her mother, tears streaming down her face. When she glanced back at the mirror, the figure was gone. Dove recounts her experience of seeing the beast in the mirror but Marilyn looks and sees nothing. "it was right there mom, right there, in the mirror coming closer to the car" She comforts dove, telling her it's all okay now ,because she's here with her and that thing isn't real and she probably needed some rest from the stressful day, Marilyn enters the driver's seat whilst dove moves into the back to relax and calm down her nerves, because right now, she was an absolute mess.
The ride home was quiet, save for the low hum of the car's engine. Marilyn occasionally glanced at Dove through the rearview mirror. Her daughter sat slumped in the back seat, staring blankly out the window. She looked shaken, her fingers absently tracing the fabric of her jeans. When they got home, Marilyn guided Dove to the kitchen. "I'm making your favorite—lasagna with chicken nuggets. Nothing a good meal can't fix." Dove managed a faint smile but quickly headed upstairs to pack for her college flight. Alone in her room, she moved mechanically, stuffing clothes into a suitcase, her mind replaying the horrifying image in the mirror.
Marilyn, sensing her daughter's lingering unease, knocked softly on the door. "Dinner's ready, sweetheart." "I'll be down in a minute," Dove called back, her voice tight. She didn't move. Instead, she sank onto the bed, her thoughts spiraling. It felt so real. How could it not be real? Marilyn entered the room and sat beside her. "You're still thinking about it, aren't you?" It was obvious she was trying to avoid talking about it, it's been ten years since the incident that started all of this and yet it still finds it's way to linger around, something so major and traumatic sticks around for much longer, like a weight but Marilyn knew all too well that she should not let her past affect her future so terribly. "It wasn't just in my head, Mom. That thing—it was there."
Marilyn placed a reassuring hand on Dove's shoulder. "Listen to me, honey. Whatever you saw, it can't hurt you. I'm here, and I won't let anything happen to you. Okay?" Dove nodded, though her heart still raced. "Now, come on. Big day tomorrow. Let's enjoy tonight, huh?" Marilyn's tone lightened. "Think of all the fun you'll have at college—the classes, the parties... the boys." Dove groaned, but a genuine laugh escaped her lips. "You're so embarrassing, Mom." "Now come, let's go eat dinner honey, it's your special goodbye treat" Dove chants chicken nuggets! as she heads to devour her dinner. After dinner, Dove returned to her room, exhaustion finally weighing her down. Her mother's words echoed in her mind. ,she can't let her past affect her future so terribly. She closed her eyes, her breathing steadying as sleep took hold.
But the night held its own plans. A faint whisper rippled through the darkness. {Unexpected events are the scariest, aren't they? Because there's no way to control them.} Dove's eyes shot open in a frenzy in response to the voice inside her room. Her heart thundered as she sat upright, scanning the room. Shadows twisted unnaturally along the walls, and a low, echoing murmur filled the space. "Who's there?" she whispered. Her voice cracked. From the corner of the room, a figure emerged. A boy, maybe her age, stood watching her with a casual smirk. "Finally. The last one's awake." Dove screamed, scrambling backward. "Who the hell are you?! What are you doing in my room?!, perverttttt!"
"Relax, drama queen," another voice called out. Dove turned to see a boy leaning against the wall, arms crossed who had already become tired of the noise. "Look around." Her room was gone. The familiar posters and furniture replaced by cold, featureless walls. Two doors stood at the far ends of the room, stark and menacing. Dove bolted for it, pounding on it with desperation. "Let me out! Somebody help me!" She bangs on the door repeatedly causing her frantically in order to escape this situation, Her fists ached, blood trickling from her knuckles. Before she could strike again, a boy with muffled brown hair grabbed her wrists gently but firmly stops her from causing more harm to herself as he couldn't stand to watch it. "Hey, hey, stop. You're going to hurt yourself." "Get off me!" Dove sobbed, struggling against him. "I know you're scared—we all are," he said softly. "We don't know what's happening and how we got here, But hurting yourself won't change anything. At least… we're not alone, right?"
Dove froze, her gaze shifting to the others in the room. There were ten of them, all around her age. What a breakfast club they were, They looked just as confused, just as terrified. This puts her at ease for a bit, like he said ,at least she wasn't alone. The boy with muffled hair introduces himself as tony and asks dove of her's, he had a really nice way of calming her down. A girl with short black hair and a piercing smile knelt beside Dove, pulling out a packet of wipes. "Heyy My Name's Kelly ,That looks so painful, Let me clean that up before you bleed all over the place, mmkay?" Dove winced as the girl dabbed at her wounds. Across the room, another girl with black locs, clad in a punk rolled her eyes. "Why bother dumbass? We tried breaking that door down too. It's useless."
"Luna's right despite her attitude" Tony said. "We've all been here for a while, we arrived at different times. None of us know how we got here. And the room's empty—no phones, no windows, just those two doors." Tony explains that the earliest to have arrived was Jake, the tall guy seated in the corner minding his own business. Before Dove could even respond,Suddenly the second door creaked open slowly. Everyone froze, their fear palpable, they run rampantly to the other side of the room awaiting what was on the other side.
Mason steps forward, fists raised. "If it's whoever dragged us here, they're getting decked." But what stepped through didn't even look human. A tall, terrifying blue figure loomed in the doorway. Its skin shimmered like a veil of water, and its hollow eyes radiated a cold, unearthly light. It spoke to them saying {I never thought I'd see the day. All of my friends, gathered together. How… sublime.} The group recoiled, their terror erupting into chaos.
"What the fuck is that?!"
"It's a creep in a costume!"
"I reject you, demon!"
The figure stepped forward, its movements eerily smooth. One of the girls, Kelly, suddenly gasped. "Meadow!" Before anyone could stop her, she ran toward the creature. the other kids screamed in fear as she approaches the creature "Kelly, no!" Stacy screamed. But Kelly threw her arms around the figure, hugging it tightly. The creature bent down, its massive arms wrapping around her in return. {You remember me, Kelly. That's wonderful.} "I could never forget you," Kelly whispered, tears streaming down her face.
The others stared in stunned silence. {You don't remember me, do you?} The creature's voice carried a soft sadness as it turned to the group. {Jake, surely you do?} Jake stunned by this, his face pale but defiant. He moves forward towards meadow "How the hell...do you know my name? Who are you? Why are we here!?" Dove is astonished by this as he had been quiet and maintaining his cool this whole time, but he had just voiced the million dollar question on everyone's mind. {There's no need for hostility, Jake. I know all of you—Jake, Mason, Stacy, Tony, Luna, Beatrice, Arthur, Tessa, Devante… and of course, you, Dove.}
Dove's breath hitched and she stares blankly. Her name falling from its lips sent a chill through her body. And then, like a dam breaking, memories flooded her mind. She begins to experience flashbacks of when she had began seeing things, before they had become a scary sensation, it was a warmth feeling of companionship that she desperately longed for
When she was younger, she'd felt lonely, but there had been a presence—a friend. One who laughed with her, comforted her, filled the void.
{Some of you may have forgotten me, and I'm really hurt by that you know, we had so much fun when you were younger, playing games ,watching stupid movies and talking about the shitty things the parents did, i was always there for you , i was what you all would cal..} "An Imaginary Friend, I remember now ,they used to call me crazy and sad and lonely ,but i remember it vividly ,those days i was alone ,you were there to talk to" Arthur exclaims towards the creature as it's smile begins to widen upon hearing this.
"Oh my God," Dove stares in disbelief and finally speaks out. "You're real. You were real all along… Meadow."