Chapter 7
previous scenes | click on the image
To understand this chapter, you’re really going to need a bit of backstory. The most important is probably Chapter 6, though of course, I encourage you to read from the beginning. ;)
Laura has a secret.
It’s a dark, powerful force that surges within her, threatening everything she does.
It is a shadow that walks alongside her, casting its gloom across her life.
She must hide it from everyone; for the longest time, Laura tried to hide it from herself.
She learned.
Despite outward appearances, Laura is never far from the truth.
The shadow is within her, and thus in everything she does. It mimics her every movement. It is always in step, a demonic overlay of her existence.
It is an echo to her pulse, a perpetual rock in the pit of her stomach. It is a cartoonish thundercloud hovering over her head, threatening to crack the air with lightning at any minute.
The darkness built up inside Laura, until the shadow was so close, so nearby, that when a cloud passed over the sun and the shadow flicked to the surface, it came to life,
while Laura cracked into pieces on the inside,
mourning.
The demon follows her to work, whispering each of her shortcomings in her ear, mocking her failures relentlessly. Every typo, every misstep, is magnified ten thousand times until it’s all but impossible for Laura to type, let alone make the 5:00 deadline.
It is an unwelcome third wheel when Laura tries to go out with her friends.
Even when she goes on her morning run to try and quiet her mind, Laura cannot escape her demon.
Every step she takes, the darkness is one step behind.
No matter how hard she runs, it can run faster.
There
is no
escape.
“Don’t you think you could leave me alone, just for a second?”
“That’s not the way this works.”
“I don’t see why not. Surely you must be sick of me.”
“For one thing, you need me around to make sure your pasty ass loses weight. Why the fuck are we walking, shit-for-brains?”
Laura stretched her arms lazily. “And where are your horns? And your tail?”
“I can change my appearance as I please.”
"That’s confusing. Will you always be purple?”
“I’m a figment of your mind. I appear however you picture me.”
A pause.
“Let’s go,” Laura volunteered, setting the pace again.“
"Are you slowing down again? Jesus Christ, you’ll never lose that last five pounds.”
“Seriously, though, do you think you could shut up for just a second?”
“No. That’s not how this works.”
“How does this work, then?”
Silence.
Laura sighed. “Come on. Let’s talk about this somewhere else. I don’t want to have this conversation in public.”
The demon whirled on Laura when she reached the base of the steps.“You want to know the truth? Then here it is.”
With a long, pale purple finger, she motioned Laura to come closer.
“I’ve been sent here to correct you. To make you perfect. To sculpt your worthless, filthy body and mind into something sub-human. Something that’s at least passable in society. All your flaws, your faults, your nitpicky little traits, I have to torture you with them. I have to point them out, so you can be better.”
“The truth of it is, you’re not really fit to be on this earth. You contribute nothing to no one. You are a drain on society. They’d be better off without you. But I’m here to try anyway.”
“No… that… that can’t be true.”
“Oh, but it is.”
“Get out. I know I have worth. That’s a terrible thing to say to someone.”
“I’m saying it to you. And you know it’s right.”
Laura stepped back, attempting to regain her mental footing. “Listen, you have to get lost. You bitch at me while I’m at work, you bitch at me while I’m in class, you bitch at me when I’m out with friends - you need to leave me the fuck alone!”
“I’ve got a life. I don’t have time for this shit!”
“You think I want to be around you, you filthy, herp-ridden whore? I wish I didn’t have to. I wish I could get lost. I’ve better ways to spend my time than with wannabe-Woodward adulteresses.”
Laura raised her voice. “Now don’t you start-“
“You can’t AVOID it, bitch, you know what you’ve done! ‘Fess up!”
“It’s not like that -“
“What other possible way is it to be like? Did you not sleep with a married man? A married man with children? Did that not happen?”
“Not with John -“
“Oh please. You think he gives a shit about you? All he cares about is getting his dick wet. You’re just a whore.”
“Listen - “ Laura yelled.
Just then, voices drifted down from the street above them.
“Do you hear someone?” the demon asked.
Fine.” Laura pivoted on the heel of her tennis shoe. “We’ll continue this some other time.”
I somehow managed to do this entire shoot without noticing that the "demon"’s horns and tail were off. (She shouldn’t have a tattoo on her back, either, actually, only the ones on her arms.) I didn’t feel like redoing the entire thing (and I really love these pictures!), so I threw in a line to cover it up. Please forgive me! When she reappears, she will be dressed appropriately.
We’re getting into the experimental part of this story, and I can’t wait to hear what you make of it. Tell me what you think!