//------------------------------//
// Chapter: 5 [Progress: 20%] 
// Story: Appearances 
// by Chapter 13 
//------------------------------//

It had been three weeks since the first time that I had let Vinyl use the DJ equipment at the club. Since then, me and the magical horse had gotten into the habit of sneaking her in every Tuesday and Thursday. It had been a fun experience, honestly. Each night, her eyes would light up like the stars and she would bolt to the DJ booth. Eyes still twinkling, she would take about ten minutes to get all the settings and nobby things back to her liking before she started her ‘set’. During that time, I would take down my now signature chair and wait for her to start. I was an audience of one, but Vinyl didn’t seem to care. At least, not that I could tell. 

Our relationship had gotten a bit better. Vinyl and I had gotten into a routine that worked for us. She had learned her boundaries--basically, what not to touch--and I had tried my best to get the unicorn as comfortable as possible. I had ended up doing a little bit of renovation to my guest room. Well, Vinyls room, now. I had gotten her a TV of her own, and even bought her a cheap laptop that she could use to browse the internet while I was gone. 

This had mixed results.

At first, I thought that it would have been a good way for her to waste some time. Y’know, do those internet-y things that the younger kids were so interested in. It wasn’t a surprise to anyone that I was a complete fool when it came to the internet as a whole. I could use technology fine, but I never could understand the social media and other Face… Insta… whatever the fuck they were. They made no sense. Like, Snapchat was a good example. Why the heck would you take a picture the would just disappear? I mean, doesn’t that get rid of the point of pictures? The whole entire thing seemed weird to me. The other social-media junk was just as bad. It looked to me like they were just willingly throwing away their privacy to anyone who wanted it. It was weird. I didn’t get it.

Regardless of that crap, I was happy. Well, content? Yeah, that works. I had a lot of changes in my life. Not all of them welcome. And it was coming up on that time of year. 

Again.





“It's been a long time since you've come to see me hasn't it, Alex?”

“That it has,” I sighed. “That it has…”

There was a pause. Neither me, nor the other occupant in the room, spoke. The air was filled with the sound of ‘white noise’, which reminded me of the gentle sound of waves on a beach. It was a small room, only large enough for a large couch, which I was currently sat on, and a large armchair, currently occupied by the only other person in the room. Other amenities were scattered around the room; some plants, nick-nacks, and a few framed diplomas on the wall behind the armchair. A single window sat to my left. Beyond, the rocky waves of Boston harbor slowly churned in the less than gentle wind. I stared out the window. 

“So,” the other occupant of the room spoke up, “I didn't expect you to come see me again. Is something on your mind you wish to discuss?”

“Old ghosts.”

“Pardon?”

“Ghosts of my past,” I chuckled softly,  “They seem easier to deal with.”

My therapist looked at me strangely. "Are you alright? Truly, alright?"

"To be honest, I don't even know what 'alright' is anymore." I shrug. "Everyday is filled with more shit that makes me feel lost. Dreams seem more real than when I'm awake. And I've been having…" I pause and choose my words carefully. "Girl trouble."

The room filled with laughter, and I turn to notice my therapist chuckle slightly. I give him a dirty look, but he puts his hands up innocently. 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he began, "but that was just so out of the blue I didn't know how to respond." He shook his head, then took a deep breath. "So, girl trouble?"

I blink. That's what he focuses on? Shrinks are weird. "Kinda…"

He leans forward and puts his clipboard on the ground in front of him. "So, tell me about her. You two dating? Just friends? What's she like."

I roll my eyes. Is he seriously fishing for gossip? I'm the one paying this guy, right? Regardless, what am I supposed to say? Should I say anything? What if I say too much? I bit my lip. 

"If you don't feel comfortable, you don't have to say anything," I hear him say. My gaze had, at some point, went from him to the floor. "We can talk about it later, if you want. Or, we can talk about something else. This is just something new for you and seems to be the real cause of your sudden visit."

I scrunch up my face. He saw right through me, didn't he? Cheeky fucker. I chuckle slightly, then lean back in my chair to meet his awaiting gaze. 

"She's annoying," I began, "a slob and a complete pain in the ass. She doesn't clean up after herself. She eats all my food. And, on top of that, she doesn't know how to keep her… hands off my crap."

"You two living together?" He raises an eyebrow. 

"Yes, we are.” I nod. “But no, we are not dating. You can barely even call us friends. She's just someone who's a little… lost, at the moment, and I felt bad for her."

"Really, now?" he says. I tilt my head. "You just let a stranger into your house? Given your trust issues and general paranoia, I find that hard to believe."

"It's the truth. I've got a housemate that drives me insane."

"And you're sure there is no… romantic angle here?"

"Nooooo," I let out through a loud laugh. "Trust me. There is nothing going on between us." 

"You sure?"

"One-thousand percent."

He pauses, then picks up his clipboard and writes a few things down. After a moment, he looks back up at me. "So, if that's not the case... then your protecting her. Is that right?"

In a cosmic sort of way… I guess? I mentally shrugged, then nodded. 

"Do you feel as if this is…" he searches for a word. His hand twirls in circles. "Some way of satisfying your guilt? Every single time you've visited me in the past, you always talk about it. I know it weighs heavily on your mind. Do you feel that taking this girl in is a way of repaying some of that? A way to cope?"

I think for a sec. In a way, he's not wrong. It's not like I sought this out. She kinda just appeared out of nowhere. But, then again, I did make the decision to protect her. And I've gone more than a little out of the way to keep her happy. So, he's not wrong. I guess?

I shrug.

“Well, regardless, I think this might be good for you. You seem to have been caught in a rut for a while now, and this is change.” He paused, then continued, “Not sure if it is good change, yet, but I have a feeling that it honestly is. Even from our short conversation, now, you seem far less… on edge then you used to.”

“You don’t say…”















I awoke in a land of color. Everything was bright, vibrant, like the world itself glowed. 

My feet rested on solid ground, yet it felt like I was floating. A cool breeze blew over me. I take a proper look around. I was in the middle of a forest. No, an orchard. The trees were too neatly planted to be natural. It was man-made, but something about that seemed off. Each one bore fruit. Apples, I believed. 

I walked over to one of the trees and picked a low hanging fruit. It let go from the branch easily, then sat in my hand. It was bright red. Perfect, almost polished. I took a deep bright. Sweet juice rolled over my tongue. 

It was delicious. 

I made short work of the apple, and considered taking another, but decided against it. As surreal as this… place I found myself in was, it felt fake. A word danced in my mind. I couldn't place it. 

Fantasy?

Yeah, that seemed to work. I felt like I was in a pristine fantasy. Everything was too perfect. Too calm. Too bright. The peace it brought eroded as unease took its place. Everything was perfect, which meant that nothing was.

At a second glance, a new word fell into mind: fragile. This place was fragile. A single black spot would ruin this canvas. A single imperfection would split it in half. 

I wanted to leave.