The morning after the strange moment with Amelia, the town felt different. Like a cold breeze had swept this place apart. The air felt thicker than last night, a heaviness that was hard to place. I wandered through Everbrook's streets, trying to appreciate what I had right now. The buildings, the record store, the bar, the many shops within this town. If I couldn't appreciate it, I'd at least try to pretend. The old-fashioned streetlamps that sometimes flickered felt reassuring, the kind of quaintness that would make a postcard look too good to be real.
I was here. But was I?
Every step I took felt like I was treading in mud, getting progressively harder and harder to move along. The weight of my own mind was like a tether, pulling me back with every stride.
It wasn't just Amelia's strange mood that bothered me; it was the way it felt so familiar. A smile that hid something deeper. Something darker. I felt accustomed to that feeling my entire life. So to me, this was like stepping on familiar territory. Putting myself in her shoes wouldn't be so far-fetched. It was like she was wearing a mask after stepping in, almost like what I did. But she's been here longer than I have, so what was the real issue? This boggled my mind. Maybe the perfect haven isn't perfect after all. Like stepping into an old building with newly coated paint.
I stopped in front of a small coffee shop, its windows fogged with warmth. Soft whispers of conversation drifted from inside, spilling out as I opened the door. The bell jingled softly. That touch of sound felt comforting. Even though it was inviting to step inside and chat, I couldn't let the idea of getting close to anyone right now overshadow how I truly felt. I didn't want to drown out my emotions with other people's emotions.
"Clara?" The sound of my name pulled me from my train of thought.
Amelia's presence was immediately apparent at the entrance of the coffee shop. Her expression seemed warmer than the first time we met. She waved, almost as if to alleviate the weird energy from last night.
But I couldn't let that go. I never let things go.
"So, Amelia! Hi! How are you?" I said, reluctantly. She looked confused.
"Why do you sound like that, Clara? You sound unsure," she said in response.
"I don't sound unsure. I'm asking you how you are!" I replied, trying not to spill my guts where I stood. But underneath my words, my heart was racing, emotions tightly wound and tangled. The tension was building inside of me, pulling at my chest, and I couldn't shake the fear that something was about to snap.
"Okay, so what you need to know is... I'm great! Just a great day today!" she said, her emotional threads twisting and turning from happy to incredibly dark the next. It started to take its toll on me. Her sudden shift hit me like a tidal wave, and the internal pressure I'd been holding onto threatened to break loose.
"It's really unfortunate to hear that," I said, completely paused. This wasn't the response I wanted to say, but the pressure of her emotions let it slip. My words felt hollow and heavy, as if they weren't my own.
"You're sad? Sad about me being great? Wonderful. I'm glad we talked, Clara," she said as she walked off. I could still sense the uncertainty in her voice. But her threads seemed very woven when she spoke how she wanted to. Maybe me saying that triggered the true synergy within her.
I remained paused to reflect on everything. The emotional burden it took on me was high, but it was something I needed to further understand how she truly felt. No matter how bad it hurt, I wanted to help in ways I couldn't help myself.
I stepped into the coffee shop for a fresh change of pace. Something I had refused to do due to the emotional rollercoaster I went through. As soon as I stepped in, I felt an overwhelming sense of distraught energy. Except for the coffee shop owner, who seemed distressed by the unease in the air.
"Why would she do that to Amelia?" "She seems rude for a new townsperson." "She's only here to cause trouble." These were just a few of the voices I overheard as I walked by, causing me to emotionally snap. The whispers hit me all at once, pushing the tightness in my chest further into overdrive. I slammed my hand on the counter. The coffee shop owner looked at me with a bit of fear.
"Are you doing okay? I need you to breathe for a moment; you're making them afraid," she said as I looked around, noticing the shocked expressions, the broken threads, the sudden silence.
"Listen, I was just trying to help her. That's all I wanted to do," I said with an assuring tone. "That's all I want to do, is help."
"Amelia doesn't need help." "Why does she think people are suddenly broken?" "She must have lost it." These whispers came from numerous townspeople sitting in their booths. My breathing grew heavier, and I rushed out of the shop as fast as I could. Running from everyone I passed; I tried to hold in my emotions until I got home.
Visions of people staring, judging, and throwing me out filled my mind, just like they did before. I looked at them as if they were real, shouting at each of them that I was doing a good thing, as actual townspeople watched. I felt like this was my lowest peak in life. Disrupting an already peaceful vibe. Then, they disappeared into thin air. I felt the many threads of sadness, fear, and concern vibrating inside my head, leaving me emotionally broken. My threads were nothing more than frayed at this point.
"I'm sorry I came here," I said as I looked at each of their faces with tears running down mine. "I said I'm sorry!" I shouted, slowly sobbing to myself before rushing off. But before I did, I saw Amelia in the crowd, arms crossed, grinning like she usually does. Then it faded to a frown. It was like I saw a ghost because, before I realized it, she disappeared.
"Amelia?" I said as I walked closer. People stared at me, walking up to nothing but air.
"You really need a mental check," a townsperson said before I ran to the bus stop again. This time I was firm on leaving things behind before I embarrassed myself even more. I felt yet another presence nearby. But this couldn't be, nobody would stop to care about me right now.
Leaving things ruined when they were perfect just the way they were.
"Clara," I heard Amelia say as she sat next to me. "You're a terrible person," she said as she laughed. She laughed even more. I looked away, trying to contain myself from doing anything emotionally or physically. But very quickly, as I saw her, she shifted into my mom, who always showed doubt in me.
"Mom?" I said as I was left looking at the air. Hot flashes of sadness filled my heart. The emotional wreck I had become was who I always was.
Everything faded around me slowly, one by one, until it got to me. I saw the people who deeply hated me appear to judge. Things that emotionally left me unchecked started to check me, like I was a therapy patient, some kind of twisted experiment. It got colder and colder, and the only thing I could think about was how I wanted to leave, wanted to die, wanted to leave this world. So maybe this time could be my final goodbye, to life and everything in-between.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOeuC4NChO
