3:07 AM.

something’s  different.   for  a  moment,  she  does  not  recognize  her  friend  without  the  hair  hanging  past  their  shoulders.   but  it’s  been  awhile,  they’ve  been  away  and  she’s  been  in  her  own  hiding  place  too  long.   things  always  look  blurry  when  she  crawls  out  of  the  dark  spots.   

“  oh.   interesting.  ”   eleanor  fidgets  with  her  own  hair,  which  has  started  to  unravel  at  this  time  of  the  day.   she  tugs  at  the  loose  ends,  pulling  at  the  knots.   “  too  bad  for  you  though.   you  can’t  do  braids  now.   suppose  you  might  get  cold  too. ”

    words marinate for them to sew the sentences all together.    no  ,  she was wrong.    there was a wag of a finger as they turned their head to reveal the ponytail all of their hair was gathered into.    the person with the scissors made that for them.    sternly they pointed to the subtle lines shaved into the sides of their head.    that’s all that was changed.    was the word  haircut  too drastic  ?

CONTINUED.  @three02.

she  finds  herself  a  lost  thing ,  a  stray  creature ,  and  clings  on  tight.   she  follows  them  around  with  stubborn  intent.   that’s  just  thing  with  parasites ,  they  are  so  hard  to  break  free  of.   the  cuckoo  makes  itself  comfortable ,  with  or  without  invitation.   

this  is  their  game.   hiding  and  seeking.   popping  out  from  the  darkened  brambles.   she’s  just  playing ,  she’s  just  being  funny !   ellie  emerges  from  the  black  woods ,  feverishly  giggling.     “    surprise ,  it’s  me !   ”she  leaps  forward  with  sudden  aggression ,  like  a  feral  cat.   there  they  are ,  her  odd  little  friend !   she’s  been  waiting  for  them  to  come  play ,  they’ve  been  gone  so  long.

“ it’s  me ,  it’s  me !   aren’t  you  happy  to  see  me ?   ”     they  aren’t  laughing ,  why  is  that ?   don’t  they  see ,  it’s  supposed  to  be  funny ?   no ,  instead  she  sees  something  gruesome  flash  in  their  face ,  a  ghastly  shift.   that’s  not  right ,  that’s  not  right.   oh ,  but  she  does  not  know  how  to  back  away. 

    they seem to be permanently frozen with a grotesque curvature of their spine.    limbs grow crooked and unwilling to become opened again.    there’s an unnatural contortion to their body like something is threatening to rip through  ,  but it doesn’t show.    internally they know who stands before them  ,  but as a part of discovering of passing as human  ,  they explore this feeling.    it throbs hot in their chest for some time and that thumping in their chest grows heavy and fast.    is this what they call  fear  ?

    they are about to go into the night to refuel.    into that little pocketed safety where no one else can bug them.    where no one else wants to be because of those very eyes that they may feel on the back of their necks.    there’s always something watching  ,  they know it.    and it’s always the one creeping on skinny ankle with wonky step.

    as they’re about to meander through a couple set of trees  ,  they come to a road open to display houses.    they can count easily on their fingers to which houses they’ve been to already and as they scan the street  ,  there is a twitch of twigs.    senses are heightened and they stop in their tracks as head begins to turn towards the sound.    before they can see entirely what may be lingering  ,  the form of a girl jumps out from the shadows and roars something furious.

it  doesn’t  need  to  be  spoken.   they  already  know.   strange  to  be  in  this  world ,  so  unfamiliar  with  its  ways ,  wearing  this  flesh  suit.   finally ,  someone  to  share  this  with.   they  understand   —   odd  creatures  can  spot  each  other  in  the  wild ,  they  can  smell  it.   curious  traveler , she  steps  closer.   cautious.   there’s  no  need  to  hide  here ,  we  are  among  friends.   the  false  skin  parting  open  in  a  smiling ,  unpeeling  to  reveal  its  teeth.   friend ,  are  you  hungry ?   it  has  been  so  long  since  she’s  had  someone  to  share  a  meal  with. 

@three02· .       WORD PROMPTS ,  MONSTER TEETH.

that  hunger  is  all  too  familiar ,  she  needs  no  reminder.   such  a  funny  creature  her  friend  is ,  there’s  no  need  for  words.   a  simple  exchange  in  glances  and  she  gets  the  hint.   “   YES ,  I  KNOW ,   I  KNOW.   ”    she’s  holding  on  tightly  to  a  handful  of  change  —   swiped  from  her  brother’s  piggy  bank ,  thank  you.   thirteen  dollars  and  five  cents  exactly ,  what  a  prize !

ellie  gestures  for  them  to  follow  her  lead ,  heading  into  the  convenience  store.   the  candy  aisle  seems  appropriate.   she  narrows  her  gaze ,  surveying  their  many  options.     “    come  on ,  we’ll  find  you  something.   do  you  know  what  you  like ?   ”

    the lights in this place were mighty bright.    felt far too revealing on the naked skin and nearly made them want to hide away.    were they getting conscious about their true looks or were this just not the place for them to be that way  ?    there’s an awkward look on their face at first not knowing exactly what everything is in this place just yet.    there has been only one kind of food they’ve been atoned to and nothing else  ,  really.    they look around anyways  ,  up and down the shelves of brightly colored packages that pop out at them.    must be how objects get bought since it’s right in the faces of onlookers.