Somewhere Someplace

Purplish magenta eyes were staring up, those iris-surrounding outlines only slightly glimmery. Consuming all around were merely those sounds of slumbering peace… Snoring, breathing, and such… They really were disgusting, these noises…

Why was she herself even here, lying in this bed…at night? Albeit, day or night, she hated sleeping anyways.

Truth be told, she was just…waiting, hoping to see… Hoping in vain. Indeed, she flipped herself and turned her head, seeing that same empty bed. Sighing, she sat herself up…

What was she even thinking? What was she…even expecting, honestly? It was obvious that she was not going to be here, back in this…dorm of juniors. Attendant maids slept somewhere else. She had checked in those dormitories as well priorly though still found no pink hair…

She had not any the idea…where Blossom could be at these hours; the one place that could yield a result…happened to also be the last place she would ever dare to want to venture.

She did not know what she would do, if she would even control herself, were she to stumble upon that…specimen…whilst he so slept, harmlessly and…defenselessly. The thought of it alone was enough to cause a stir in the mind, a momentary brightening of her outline eyes…yet which only dimmed the moment she gazed at the sleeping others.

Hunger yearned deep down within the very stitches of her decaying soul, yet…nothing was appetizing.

Being picky was apparently a good trait, mother always said; for nature was one about balance and efficiency. Energy gained had to be greater than the energy expended to obtain, and the process of obtaining was…energetic.

"Hm…"

Apple. Miranda spotted that girl sleeping away upon her usual bed, though…restlessly so; there were faint moans in her breaths. Miranda was not…ignorant to the gossips regarding that girl lately. Apparently, Apple's chief 'friends'—Moon, Black, and Burgundy—were insisting that she was simply 'sick'… However, they had been—Moon more particularly—insisting suchly for…several weeks now.

One would think that the folly of the maids would presume a curse, possession, or some other superstition of the commons, but, in fact, no… The consensus amongst the senior maids seemed to be that Apple was developing a kind of 'growing girl temperament' and was becoming thus rebellious, willfully lazy, and intentionally mocking. And Miranda, ever attentive to the whispers, had already begun to hear murmurs from the seniors regarding a potential expulsion. Why they had not already was certainly due to Apple's diligent performance and astute character priorly.

Perhaps Miranda could feel bad…for that girl, for she was not ignorant to the truth, even if she had yet to be told herself. Yet it was still hard to feel bad. She never really liked Apple… Granted, she never really liked any of the girls here.

Though, she was excellent at pretending otherwise.

Compared to the other two, while she was difficult and…rather unwieldy, she was without any doubt the most socialized and the best socializer. Such was not just from her natural characteristics—innate predispositions—but also the fact that she simply knew how to talk to people.

"Hm… Wait…" Miranda, looking at the bed directly next to Apple's, saw… "Someone is missing." Indeed, empty.

That was Black's bed… That was how Apple and Black had become friends literally overnight; they cohabitated in proximity.

"Whatever." She did not care, however. Probably went to use the out-toilet or something.

Finding her continued presence pointless, Miranda stood herself up and swiped at the wrinkles on her elegant attire. Her shoes were still on, since the plan was never to stay. Quietly, she picked up an oil-lamp and carefully exited the dorm, entering the nightly halls of this manor-estate. She lit her lamp as mellow and hollow moonlight beamed through the windows whilst she walked.

It was a clear night without any clouds to obscure; naturally, her eyes found themselves looking out through the large windows, seeing the grand cosmic disky stream and all the stars, the moon being the moon… Although, it was merely a waxing crescent, thin and meagre though at least on a growing trajectory, its refracting haze evident.

Looking at the thin crescent of that atmosphered moon still bright, Miranda began to reminisce… It used to be only the two of them, her and mother. Somehow, she was simultaneously the oldest 'sibling' yet also the youngest… Youngest by age, yet the first of the three…though now third in the pecking order.

This was never anything bigger than what it was for her, at first… Her and mother; mother and her. But now things had grown, and it was clear to her—from her perception and interpretive world within—that mother now cared little for her… Barely ever included in the plans at be… No. Mother had her favorite.

But she still needed mother… She was still useful to mother. Without mother, she would not have survived for as long as she had; mother could make the hunger bearable… Yet…

You might be more troublesome to read,
Being what you are
And that cumulative exchange effect…
But that does not make you unreadable.
You are predictable.
Inferable.
I know what you are thinking.
Always remember…
You escaped that fury on your own…
By sheer chance.
No cause or reason.
No moment of intervention or realization.
You were simply lucky. Nothing more.
But that is what makes you exceptional.
You lived as a rat in the shadows.
And what are rats if not renowned for survival.

Miranda could feel the sudden warmth of a surging presence that filled her within, though it dampened and cooled… Reduced and hollowed, empty…

No doubt, she was wondering yet again if she were nothing more than a walking shell without anything within… Day by day, it felt more and more that she was being stripped and peeled by that single consuming desire, slowly and hiddenly.

Maybe…she was too picky and had neglected this for far too long… Or maybe she was just so enticed that patience was waning… Indeed, the potency and girth…

Agh. It ached her mind, and indeed her head was aching…

She needed something to do.

"I know what to do!" It ringed into her head… "Library. Yeah… That should be nice and warm… Books—I like books… Stories… I like stories! Stories are exquisite—and alluring!" She needed to stop speaking out loud. "What am I actually saying, ugh… Woe to me, a blabbermouth. Pinky, what thou'th done to me…" She could only blame Blossom for rubbing off on her…

Madness had a propensity of presenting itself in a myriad of ways.

Nevertheless, with that desire in mind, she diverted her course for the manor-estate's comprehensive library. However, as Miranda made her thitherward stroll, eventually she turned a hall, and…

She paused.

Another, she could see. A junior maid in her sleep gown, making her own strolling way. Her hair was black, and although she could not see the face, she knew that hair; she knew that girl. The trailing stream that flowed from her beating lifeforce gave everything away, each person being unique in that way.

But she had not spoken to this girl for a while now. She did not want to speak to her, frankly, yet… She was heading in the same direction; Miranda might as well happen an interaction.

-|-

Black.

Black was walking down the darkened hall, alone. A silent shell, almost; not much was being attended to by her. She seemed fatigued yet also restless. Breathing faintly with some sweat, her hand gently massaged the area between her nose's bridge and eyes' sockets, before shifting that massage to her temples…

Although she was walking finely, there were aspects about her movements that suggested partial difficulty in…motor coordination, as if her legs were heavier than they ought to be.

However: "Boop!" So suddenly did such a lancing pierce of a boop strike the oblivious junior maid's shoulder.

"Heh??" Nearly tripping in a twisting twirl, orange-amber eyes spun themselves around as the assailant hopped herself back as to avoid a turning smack. Breathing somewhat agape, it was as if Black had to take a moment to process… "Oh…" She quickly calmed. "Miranda dear… It's… It's you…" Indeed, it was… "Hello… It has been…some time…" Indeed, it had.

"Hm…" Yet Miranda immediately had taken notice… Black's reaction, that jerking startle, had seemed rather sluggish… Slower and dimzy. Nevertheless, Miranda smiled; "Salutations, Blacky, hehe… It has been a bit of a time! Yeah…"

Black stared for a delayed moment, her posture slightly slothful. "What…are you doing…here, any event?"

"I work at this hour, if you may recall? I am a night gal! One with the moon and stars!" Miranda replied with charm.

Black, again, stared…as if she had to really process to understand what she had just heard. "Oh… Rightly… Of course, yes… That is… Rightly…"

"Hm…" Miranda had spoken with Black enough times before to know what her 'normal behavior' and 'normal speech' was, and this was…certainly not that. Nevertheless, she remained playfully pleasant. "To flip the question back to you… What are you doing meandering out at this hour, missy?"

"I needed a nightly walk and freshened air… Also, wwater. I-I needed waater…" Black replied. "My heed—head," she grasped her forehead, "it is…prohibiting me from…sleeping…"

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Yeah, I see that…" Indeed, her pronunciation too was… Miranda's eyes began to so peer, leaning closer… "Blacky, are you alright? I heard…something has been up with Apple lately."

Yet Black's eyes shifted down and away, her figure tensing a little as her lips tightened against themselves… Taking in one and then two gentle breaths, her eyes returned their sight to Miranda… "I am surprised you… that you are even…speaking with me, Miranda deary… Considering that…you know what happened; what we…did." She did not answer the question, rather posited another.

"Ah… So, Moon must've told you of our little chat-chat… It was all many weeks ago, after all…" A full month, more accurately.

"I…believe so, yes…" Black replied as if uncertain with her own memories… "But you have been…ignoring Moon, no? Even after…she has tried to make amends… She has been trying to speak with you, but…you have been…ignoring her… T…that isss… That is why I am surprised…you are…talking with me…"

"Yeah…" Miranda's eyes swayed aside; she had no excuses. "I just…haven't been specially talkative lately, haha…" She rubbed the back of her neck. "But I saw you…wandering the same direction of my venturing, so…I decided: you know what, might as well happen a chat for once" she explained; "I thought it befitting."

Black stood there, a very soft and small stride in her shoulder's posture… "How is… Uhm… Pink? I have not…seen her in weeks now, since…"

"Oh, uhm…" Miranda's lips went to the side, following her own evading eyes… "I was…mayhap…kind of hoping…you would be able to answer that… I have not seen her once."

"Really…?" Black seemed surprised… "You two were…always affixed… That is surprising…" she remarked, voice still slightly…slow; "I… We have only…seen her around…the young sir. She is no longer…a junior of…oor—our…group, thus we do not talk... Not that she…would want… to do suchly…"

"Yeah… She was suddenly promoted, rightly?" Miranda remarked, feigning uncertainty. "She's one of…the young sir's…retainers? Attendants now…"

"Seemingly thus…" Black thus replied… "Many of…us are still shocked by her promotion… After all, we have…they have…worked tirelessly yet for the…worst of us to be uplifted to…such a…pro—prestigious role, for reasons…untold…" Yet she looked down mellowly… "I cannot…be angry, though… Perhaps this is…Fortune making amends, Fate's…signal… Pink deserves it, frankly… She does."

"Hmm…" There was an abrupt shift in Miranda, both in posture and within… "She deserves it, huh?" muttered her breaths… "Say…" Her eyes and attention returned to Black with a forward lean… "Speaking of amends, Pinky told me that you all apologized to her—cryingly so." There was a sneer in her eyes.

Yet Black was very slow to reply… "Oh…" she just mumbled, as if now realizing herself… "Rightly, yes… We… We dhid…apologize… Ve… We…" Her voice began to jitter somewhat… "We…had to… We had to, we had to… It was only thing we could do… We had to… Because… Moon said… Maybe then…this would—We would, it would…" her breaths became discomforted, as did her posture; her words circled around themselves, repeating. "It would… It would… It would…"

"Uhm…? Seriously, Black? Are you alright?" Miranda inquired with ostensible concern, even though she knew exactly what she was doing.

Yet her very soft and ear-singing voice was enough to snap Black out of this…trance. "Huh? Rightly, oh, rightly…" She grasped her forehead again… "My head…" she muttered in groan; "My heart… My soul…" She was starting to tear up a little…

"Focus. Merely focus, now…" Miranda gently gripped Black's hand in comfort, support, and affirmation, not of it genuine; "You apologized to Pink a couple few-ish weeks ago, rightly? She told me."

"Yes… Rightfully, we did…" Black was able to refocus, breathing in and out. "We…did not beg for…forgiveness, only that…we were… That I was…very sorry. We made known…how sorry we were… But…" Her jaw began to…shake, a tension in her voice… "But… I do not believe…that changed anything for us… We are still… I am now…" Her teeth chattered with affect; "Perhaps it was because Burgundy was not…there… She had to be present…for it to work, was that it? Or maybe we—I…" Her mind yet again flaring, she gripped Miranda's hand… "Pleaze. May you please…speak to Moon? You might…know something, half-elf…"

"About?" Miranda softly prodded.

"…I… I…" Yet Black struggled to speak… "I c-cannot… cannot say it… It is difficult for me to…articulate it without… Without… Without, without…" Without precisely this happening. "B-b-but… Moon, she can articulate it; she has been the one who… Please, talk to her!"

"Hm…" Miranda needed to so 'think'. "Listen, Blacky… I really do appreciate that you apologized to Pink and have tried to make 'amends'… She did not deserve what happened to her…" She let go of Black's hand… "I might be a gal who…loves to get along with everyone and pierce hearts… But even I have my tolerances." She looked into Black… "And…I cannot be friends with girls who think it is proper to torment another soul…out of spite." Ironic words, indeed, considering what she herself was currently doing. "I am only talking to you, to be honest, because you were probably talked into it by Moon—she's the 'mastermind', so I really do not want to talk to her—ever. Sorry." Not sorry.

Black's posture tensed, feeling pressure… "I… It was not… No. Please. You must…understand… I did not… N-none… None of us believed…that we were…capable of-of…doing any of-of what we did.. I do not remember…extensively, but I know…we did…things that…we would never…" she tried to explain. "I never liked Pink… I recall…hearing what she said about Cloud's 'bush', and…we all know…the embarrassment she inflicted upon us all through her improperness, especially with what she…said to the young sir—though, that does not matter anymore…since she is now…his… But, but, and…none of that meant that we—that I wanted to hurt her!"

"Hmm?" Yet Miranda remained so plain. "So then, why'd you do it?" she asked. "What made you become so abrasive as to risk everything your mothers had expended throughout the years to prepare you for even qualifying to be here, just to beat up a girl who said a few dumb words?" Her voice was so dry and harsh. "Bullying and hazing, most esteemed houses have no tolerances… You should be glad I never told anyone—I could have, and I still can."

"I… I, I…" Black's posture became deeply discomforted; breaths dripping with guilt yet also anxieties, she began to scrape at her bottom lip with her teeth… "I don't… I don't… Don't… That's what I'm tr-trying t-t-to, to…to…tell—t-tell you, you… I… We… We didn't—Something, something happened to—I… Just, I don't—Please listen! I don't, I don't" Her voice clogged as her breaths flared, tears starting drip and drop, the gripping of her forehead becoming clawing…

All the while Miranda simply stood there, indifferent and plain, waiting for her to finish. She knew her words were going to cause a miserable display, but this was just particularly pathetic.

Miranda had no proper reason to be so venomously petty regarding what happened, considering she was well aware that those four had…minimal agency. However, knowing how mother tended to be with her spells, there was usually a preexisting or underlying desire; an amplification, thus, of what had already existed within their hearts rather than direct forceful control.

Although, no doubt, it was not even any of that. Black had unwittingly said something that had struck Miranda badly, and she was simply biting her back, although with fangs that actually carried venom. Indeed, she was wondering how long it would take before this little girl began to fully break down and sob so that she could lick the tears… Maybe even give her decaying soul a little snack…

She could see herself doing it with Black.

Yet, in an instant, everything so abruptly stopped.

No overwhelmed breaths or stuttering words. No cramping voice or clogging tears. No longer was anything being heard by Miranda's ears.

"Uhm… Are you serious?" Once amused, she just stared, now bemused…

Completely stiffened and frozen in place, Black was silent… There was a slight tremble to her arm and hand which remained gripped upon her forehead… Her eyes were staring down where they last were, yet now…so blank; they were blinking, fluttering… Yet she was motionless, her mouth agape…as if utterly absent.

"…hello?" Miranda tilted her head…

No reply.

Well, this was…terribly confusing and…slightly disturbing, to be honest.

"Hello?" She waved her hand over Black's eyes…

Yet, still, no reply or even following eye. It was as if static was coming out of Black's whole mind.

"Blacky… Blacky? Black? Heyo…? Hello? Uhm…" Miranda did not know what to do… This was... "Alrightly, Blacky. I went too far with this… I manifestly did!" Indeed, she recognized… "I am sorry, alrightly? I am sorry. I didn't mean to… I can be a mean-spirited bitch sometimes; I've just been…pissy lately. So, I am sorry…" she apologized, genuinely feeling…distraught by this.

Yet still no acknowledgement. Black remained blank, stiff, and completely static.

"So… Uhm…" And, indeed, Miranda's legs began to shake somewhat… She was experiencing genuine anxiety. "What…do I even do here? Uhm… Mother…" Indeed, she wanted to know… "What do I do—"

Yet: "Huh??" Breaths all so abruptly came bursting out of Black's mouth as she breathed and breathed, rapidly looking around. "I don't…" She was utterly confused. "I don't… Where am…" She became extremely perturbed, nearly falling down.

"Woah! Calm!" Miranda immediately gripped her, trying to keep her from falling down. "You are fine. You are fine. Just settle down…" She attempted to alleviate with her soothing voice.

Black looked at Miranda, breathing in and out, in and out. She nearly slumped down as she grasped her head again… "My head…" She was sweating, her breaths heavy and speedy… "I need to breathe…"

"Just breathe then…and try not to fall…" Indeed, Miranda doubled her grip… She had no idea what had…just happened there, but it seemed to be over. "I am terribly sorry… I did not mean to…" She genuinely felt…responsible.

"…why are you…apologizing, Miranda deary?" Yet Black merely inquired… "We were…talking about something or… Rightly, you asked me… Asked me…" She began to remember, breaths immediately tensing…

"N-no, no!" Miranda, however, did not want her to remember. "Focus only on me. Only on the present…"

"Rightly…" Black nodded her head slowly… "My head…does not hurt as much anymore… It feels so…odd, though…" she remarked, still trying to reclaim her awareness. "Did something happen? I really do not…"

"Let's just… Uhm…" So, indeed, Black herself did not seem to know what had just happened… "Let's get you some water, huh? You might… It should help." Miranda suggested… Obviously, she was not worried; she cared little for this stupid girl, yet… That was just so unexplainably odd…

"No… No, thank you…" Black, however, refused; "I must… I need return to my bed… That was what…I was trying to do…before you…arrived…"

Miranda stared… "You were attempting to return to the dorm?"

"Yes… That was what I was doing…" Black replied, voice clumsy.

"…" Miranda continued to stare… "Blacky… You were…going the completely wrong way?" Indeed, the dorms were well away from the direction she had been going.

"No doubt." Black so replied… "I… I appear to have become lost, I believe…"

"Lost?" Miranda was…even more confused; "You… Blacky, this manor is a maze of many doors, but I am sure you know…your way around? You never…"

"Miranda deary…" Black just looked at her… "That is… That is…very true. I should know my way around, but…I appear to have…no idea how to find my back." she was completely frank, not even somber. "I will admit, this has been…a reoccurrence lately… Tonight was the worst, however; I am very exhausted… But I fear…what has…happened to Apple is…now happening to me. It is…the curse."

Miranda slowly nodded, simultaneously understanding yet also…not understanding… "Alrightly, I will…" She knew that they have been acting weirder lately, but…this was just… For once, she was actually at a loss of words… "I will take you… I was just coming from there, in fact." She tried to smile… "I will tuck you nice and warm into…bed, alrightly?"

"…I do not deserve your kindness…" Black so replied, not aloof to the patheticness of her own state.

"None of man deserve my kindness. But I bestow it anyway!" Miranda so replied. "Come, come now. I shall lead you…" She playfully waved and began to walk.

Yet Black remained as if affixed and stuck… "Uhm… Miranda deary," indeed, she began to say, "I might require…some…assistance…"

Miranda paused and turned… "…with?"

"My legs." Black stated; "I cannot move them… Or, it appears that…they refuse to move…" Her breaths were frightened though she retained composure. "I can feel their presence, though… But…I cannot move."

"…uhuh… I see…" Miranda…just stared, a certain disconcerted tension entering her breaths… "Alrighty, then, sure… Let me help you along…" She quickly went to Black, wrapping her arm around her shoulder… "Slowly now, let's see if…you can still walk or not…" Miranda began to slowly and surely walk.

"Thank you…dearly…" Black thus began to move along with help; she gradually regained voluntary command over her still-felt legs, lessening the weight on Miranda.

Yet even as Miranda helped the recovering Black move along, a question no doubt remained lingering in her head, so inferable from that expression on her face…

What exactly had been done to these girls?

No matter your insistence to reject, you do have a heart.
After all, you are nothing inhuman.
However…
There was no mistaking what that was.
Ah… Here I thought this…progression was slowing.
This warrants recontinued monitoring…
Even if the obvious conclusion continues to be willfully stalled and ignored.
All for…story and narrative effect.

Priority to Intendant: Personality Instability rising