The Realms [Watty 2017 Shortlist]

The Party - Part 2

I flop over onto my back in bed and let my mind wander over my possible options. Like Maizie, I need to do something to break out of this high school rut. I need to sever Ryan's hold on the present. I need revenge.

My heart races. My previous attempts to get through to Ryan were pretty lame: standing in his way, calling his name, sitting in his seat. I was too timid, afraid. My newest plan needs to be bold, brave. The altered photos and the cross-country meet must mean something. Maybe with something truly drastic, I can cause the crack to be a break.

I've been out to Ryan's property several times before, but this week, during the middle of the night I ventured there with fresh eyes. My idea is so unbelievably risky that my heart jumps and my stomach rolls each time I consider it. I'm going to smash right through the veil between the realms. I'm going to make Ryan remember.

I glance out the window, letting my mind drift to the time before. It's been a year since we were in the Third Realm, a year of watching him live a life that has nothing to do with me. I long for the feel of his hand clasping mine, the way he looked at me like there was no one else in the room, his defense of me against anyone who dared to challenge him, us.

Tears build behind my eyes and I will myself to concentrate on the task ahead of me. If this doesn't work, at least I will know that I tried everything possible to make him remember, to regain our life.

###

As I emerge out of my ensuite bathroom, Maizie's eyebrows shoot up. I turn in a slow circle before her, showcasing my assets and feeling quite proud of myself, even as my nerves threaten to take over. The dress I found at the mall is tight in all the right places despite my waif-like body from too much running. The stretchy material is a deep, blood red.

"Jesus. I can't believe... I mean, you look amazing. You're really pretty." Maizie fidgets with her hands. "I mean, shockingly pretty. I always knew you were, you know, blending in a bit more than necessary, but this..."

A twinge of my old pride swells within me and I tamp it down. Pride hadn't exactly been my ally in the past.

"You think this looks okay?" I ask, uncertain, nervous.

Maizie drags me over in front of my full-length mirror and cocks her head to the side. My caramel-coloured hair falls in soft waves and the grey in my eyes pop. I never wanted to accentuate my looks before, I took them for granted.

"I think you know exactly how you look. You're sending out the siren call," she whispers, looking at my figure more than my face.

My eyes fly to Maizie's in the mirror, like a flock of birds, fearing the noise. I search her face as I hold my breath. But, if she realizes what she's just said, she gives no indication. Before I can think it through, I say, "Do you ever wonder if there is such a thing as past lives? Like, that maybe this isn't all there is?"

I watch her eyes in the mirror, looking for any sense of recognition. She shrugs, and I relax a little, but my disappointment lingers.

"Sometimes I feel like we've met before. Like tonight when you came out of the bathroom in that outfit I had a twinge, you know, almost like I'd seen you before, but a slightly older or different you. I know that sounds even weirder than your question." She laughs again and her face is coloured by embarrassment. In a smaller voice, she says, "Sometimes I feel like I used to be different." She pauses, looking down at her feet and says quietly, "Wishful thinking, I guess."

I wonder why the ruler's taken her, the person she used to be, hidden her inside this shell of a girl. Part of me selfishly hopes that the twinge of recognition she feels bodes well for when Ryan finally sees me. But I can't bet on that, so I must be prepared.