#p:riptide

it was a call she’d received within the middle of the night which had sent the girl on edge—the small blinking light of her cellphone having  taunted her as she’d listened to her voice mail a numerous of times—a call so unexpected, cordelia still almost can’t believe the words she’d heard. remembering the shudder-induced beep, a computerized voice relaying that she had one new message (because there’s only a few living ‘things’ that knew this number, either way) and still, she hadn’t expected it to be her grandfather on the other end.  his words still resonating in her ears as she looks toward the crowd of people who dance and sway in the middle of the floor.

 with the lilac curls  which reach the small of her back, they fall gracefully along the girl’s frame as she spectates those before her. red lips coupled along with the light eye shadow and blush which enhanced her features. the short black dress  cordelia wears sways from side to side as she gets a feeling for the music.

it’s an odd sight—to see the girl so put together—so elegant, with the way her jewelry compliments her dress. though despite her suddenly attractive appearance, she’s tempted to take a few shots; the thirst that burns within her throat begging her for more. however, the female shakes her head, thinking back to the words which had been left for her; the picture in which he’d sent her.

she looks back over the crowd in search for a particular person. eyes skimming through various faces as she stands along the sidelines with arms crossed and it isn't long before her gaze finally falls upon her target. straightening her shoulders, she crosses the haunted floor; approaching the one she’d just laid eyes on. a sister she’d only been informed about less that twenty-four hours ago. each step she takes, recalling her back to the memory of the phone which continues to flash that tortuous red light.

 in that moment , a sense of anxiety begins reel in,  taking in a deep breath, she glances at the other in front of her. ’just do it,’ she repeats to herself internally, trying to convince herself that maybe something magical will happen. maybe is she repeats it enough, god will spear her. but, as she’s caught in her actions; tapping on the other’s shoulder,  the words escape her abruptly.

There was little Isis looked forward to in her day-to-day life. Chores were not one of them. Laundry was one she hated the least as it was a thoughtless task while the others required more work and attention. Unfortunately for her, this was not in her plan for the week. 

However, sometimes the stars aligned in Isis’ favor (though more often than not she forced them to). She was three days into meal prep before inspiration stuck her and she realized there was more fun to be had with her assignment than she had thought. Even better, there wasn’t a doubt in her mind who she wanted the target to be. 

If there was one thing Isis could say for D-day it’s that it had improved her resourcefulness more than anything else. She knew she was clever enough to manipulate, prank, and trick others but that was when she had everything she needed at her fingertips. A simple swipe of a plastic card or doe eyes could give her what she wanted. Now it was about using what she could get to give her an advantage. This required significantly more work but she wasn’t one to back down from a challenge. 

Isis took her time leaving the kitchen after dinner was prepared, waiting for the others to disappear. It wasn’t long before seven people in the kitchen turned into one and Isis was alone. Quickly, she grabbed the box off the shelf and set it down in front of her. It was long and green, the words GLAD PRESS AND SEAL printed across the top in big white letters. Isis removed the roll and shoved it in her bag, hurrying to her room. 

Time spent between leaving the kitchen and tuck-in was rarely ever eventful. Tonight, she decided that it was more work than it was worth to talk to someone else so staying in her room seemed to be the best option. Thankfully, Annie and Chloe were gone for the time being, though it didn’t matter much seeing as Isis always had the privacy curtain pulled around her bed. 

Nights were often spent writing down memories or anything she could think of just so she could use German. The idea of losing her ability to speak her native language scared her more than anything else. She knew that if she didn’t lose it that she would begin to forget it, little by little. Occasionally bruises on her knuckles appeared the morning after she found she could recall a word in English but not German. It never helped her think of the word but it did release anger that might have found it’s way to a (probably) undeserving citizen otherwise. 

Isis promptly punched in at 9:00 and continued to write everything she could remember about her grandparents house in Germany. It wasn’t a magnificent house but it felt more like home than the house in England. 

It wasn’t until 10:30 that Isis pushed everything under her bed. Even though no one could read what she’d written, it was important that no one know she was worried enough about something to work so hard at holding on to it. Keeping an attitude that seemed confident, apathetic, and strong was more important than letting Owen see if he could find a book written in German that she could read. 

At 10:34 she walked out of her room and down the hall to the Elite Suite. Although she didn’t think she’d run into anyone, it didn’t change her sense of urgency. She was almost certain everyone had gone to bed by now. 

Quickly, Isis pulled out the saran wrap, taking the end in between her fingers and jumping to reach the top of the door frame to the Elite’s suite entrance. She would remind herself to choose more height sensitive pranks to pull in the future. She jumped again, pressing down the plastic wrap to be sure it wouldn’t peel off. From there, she covered the entire door, making sure every inch was covered. 

Before going back to her room, Isis dumped the empty roll of saran wrap in the common room. She curled in her lips, trying to think of anything she may have missed but couldn’t think of anything, she had all her bases covered.