eBunnee revolutionised the job market, opening doors for aspiring individuals who possessed the ability to captivate audiences and engage with communities. It stood as the most addictive piece of software ever created, captivating not only humans but also animals and beings from other realms. Remarkably, Xinx, a virtual reality entity, boasted an astonishing one billion followers. eBunnee seamlessly integrated into society, firmly establishing its presence in every aspect of our life.
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I woke up quickly in the early morning. I lay in my room, staring at the K-pop posters on my walls. I took one last long look at Kassy before drifting back to sleep.
Kassy! What a sensation she was—perfect in every conceivable way. The songs she wrote were some of the catchiest and most addictive songs I had ever heard. She was the personification of perfection! Beautifully smooth, blemish-free skin and pink bangs. And a semi-cute, smirk-like smile all the fans try to replicate but can't quite pull off. All the people who tried to mimic it either looked angry, looked like they had constipation, or were a combination of both.
I didn't understand her sudden disappearance. I so wanted to go to one of her concerts one day or meet her in person. All her fans missed her greatly! I became a bit emotional and rolled over onto my side.
Then, out of nowhere, there was a loud screech and a voice screaming, "Arghhh!" right beside my head.
It took a while to readjust my eyes to the challenge that was pursuing me right in front of me! I saw a blur of mist drizzling in circles around the room. It felt like a feverish dream. What was all this? I noticed a tiny spider in the corner of my room.
I rested my hands on the back of my head, then brought them forward to cover my eyes.
"Miss Famous Bunny Girl! Help me!"
"Hold on. Larisa?! Why are you in my room? What is this madness? Were you here all night?"
"Yay! I was protecting you!"
"Protecting me?! You just screamed your lungs out at a spider!"
"You asked me to follow you! The wish can't be broken now, Miss Famous Bunny Girl!"
"I didn't mean for you to follow me home!" The cadence of Lillian's voice dropped as she spoke the words, "Follow me home." She was delighted to have Larisa here, but for sure, she certainly didn't want to show it. I needed to keep up the act of being angry to demonstrate my dominance here.
I am NOT Miss Famous Bunny Girl!" I said, much louder than I intended. I rubbed my throat a little and averted my eyes.
"You never told me your name," Larisa replied in a soft, gentle tone.
"Didn't I? Maybe I didn't want you to know. She then posed the pressing question. "So, can anybody see you but me?"
"Anyone can see me, as long as I let them."
"So why didn't you let the people see you last night?"
"I could have; I just forgot to. I got too into the dance."
"You forgot to? So you were dancing just for yourself."
"Nooooo! I was dancing... dancing for you!"
"But I left?"
"And I danced for four hours after you left. You can't stop me, nuh-uh!"
"And what do you mean, 'you forgot to'? What does that even..." Lillian stopped mid-sentence when she spotted Larisa scanning her room, looking in every nook and cranny.
"Don't look around my room! I will slap you... hard!"
Larisa was about to say something but hesitated, reluctantly halting whatever she had originally intended to say. Instead, she said, "I found your name. It was on the front of your textbook. Nice to meet you again, Lilly!"
"You don't know me well enough to use my nickname!"
"'Text-book'! That reminds me of something," she thought, glancing at an unflattering caricature she had drawn of a girl named Eliza on the front of her textbook.
"Sooooo... what's up with all the South Korean girls with multi-coloured hair you have posters of? Are they your relatives?"
"Larry, hush! They're singers."
Larisa burst out, shouting, "Larry!" Her tone carried a slight hint of annoyance.
"I need to call Eliza so we can meet up with her and Kai. Let me just give her a call. Stop looking over my shoulder; I'm trying to make a call."
"Are you just embarrassed about something?"
"No, not at all," Eliza picked up. Lillian said, "Okay, Eliza, dumb-butt-idiot-kins, I have a new... umm, friend I want you to meet."
"Hi, I'm Larisa. It's such a pleasure to talk to you!"
Awkward silence.
"Let her speak, then," Lillian replied, her voice tinged with a hint of agitation.
"Silly me, I forgot to let her hear me. Derp!"
Larisa picked up the phone, looked up at the ceiling, and uttered the words, "I looooooove you, Eliza!" matching all the tones and inflections of Lillian's voice to a tee.
"Lilly, stop playing with me!"
"What is it like to kiss? I've never kissed anyone before. I absolutely adore your voice, Eliza. It brings me immense joy. I'm curious about your essence. We should meet soon, and..."
Eliza cut her off and anxiously said, "Lilly... Are you on the weird potions again?"
"Behold! I am Larisa, an elusive presence traversing the realms of Heart-ling, a mischievous deity beyond compare. As the goddess of mischief, my aim is to become the most adored spirit in all the realms, thus ascending to surpass the esteemed eBunnee, the revered icon of this ethereal domain. Shower me with your affection, for I long to be your eternal ghostly companion, destined to dwell within your heart forever."
I sat in disbelief. A moment ago, she had been speaking in my voice; now she spoke in her own. How was she able to mimic my voice so flawlessly? I couldn't even look in her direction for more than five seconds without feeling embarrassed. I was dumbfounded. I wanted to run away, but this was my house! She was intruding upon my space, and I had nowhere to escape! Would she follow me again?
Summoning courage, I finally took a close look at Larisa. For a moment, I didn't recognise her, but then my eyes adjusted, revealing the ghostly figure I had encountered in Heart-ling Forest. Her skin radiated a glowing shimmer with glittering particles. Each tiny speck was too small to see individually, but collectively, they highlighted her facial features. She tilted her head sideways, resting it on her closed palms, exuding overwhelming happiness from her expression as she walked. Can I really dislike her? There was not a trace of ill intent on her face at all.
As I whimsically pondered in my tipsy head—gradually, like a delicate butterfly gracing my thoughts—the once-bizarre situation grew endearing as I appreciated the genuine moment of vulnerability it offered me.
Larisa was still on the phone with Eliza. I zoned out and wasn't acknowledging any of the words said during the last minute or so. Thankfully, she was speaking again using her own soft, gentle tone and breathy, ethereal voice.
Eliza's voice resonated loudly through the phone's speakers: "I really, really want to meet you. I still think this is Lilly pranking me with a voice thingamajig. Okay, let's meet outside Wally's Pugtopia, and Kai and I will walk to school together. How about a double d-date with us?" The slight stutter when pronouncing the word "date" was quite noticeable.
Before Larisa could reply, Lillian grabbed the phone and yelled, "This isn't a girl. I mean, she's not exactly here. I mean, she's not... umm."
"Lilly, I am quite aware there's nobody there with you. Now stop playing with your little voice toy and meet us."
"You don't understand! She's coming with me. Just wait and see."
"Ahem. Anyway, I've got to go."
"Okay, I'll bring her with me and prove it."
"Sure, Lie-lie."
As soon as the phone call ended, Larisa immediately asked, "Who is 'Kai'?"
"Oh, that's her boo."
Larisa looked perplexed, thinking deeply about the word "boo."
"Problem?"
"I have questions."
"Well, I am not answering."
To silence Larisa, Lillian blurted out one last thing: "That spider you were running from... it has been on your shoulder for the last 10 minutes. Sow-wee!"
Larisa froze as if struck by lightning, still like a statue.