//------------------------------// // Crossroads // Story: Life Is Strange. Episode. 1. : Ȑ̵̞̹̗͒̑̆̈́̾̆ë̶̹̳̬̫́̌̈́͐m̵̜̣̫̲͕̄̅̿ĕ̵̖͕̞͙ḿ̶̧̺͈̫͕͊̾̓̌͠b̸̠̫̲̓̀̽̚e̷̗͒̐̊̀̕r̶̨̻̀͛͝ ̸̼̤̳̝̖̙̽̋̒̒͜M̷͙̫̐͛̚e̴̪͙̹̳̻̞̪͊̊͋̾́͒́ // by Forgetful //------------------------------// Sunset took a deep drag from a cigarette held between her thin fingers. The girl's bathroom was completely empty as a small cloud of smoke wafted high towards the ceiling indifferently. A dull flicker of fluorescent lights danced over the saddened girl below, her bright teal colored eyes a vibrant contrast to the growing darkness around her. She felt as if her welcome in this world had been entirely spent. Everywhere she looked were faux smiles and mocking whispers. They knew she didn't belong here, deep down inside she knew they were correct. It was fear that anchored her to this place, it was that same fear that also isolated her from everything in life. She couldn't form relationships nor build a foundation for a better tomorrow. Everything she touched would decay into dust, leaving behind the fleeting memories of nobody. She wished to use that fear for something else, anything besides creating a void in her own soul. Perhaps to finally gain a bit of respect from her lonely existence. Sunset took a deep breath in dismay, a slender frame turned to face the reflection of a stranger she couldn't recognize in the bathroom mirror. Eyes stained with confusion, a broken smile that could no longer be pieced together with lies. A beam of light soon exploded from the restroom door, as a green-haired girl made her way inside full of anxiety. Those nervous chocolate hues locked onto Sunset in stunned silence, she thought to turn around yet couldn't find the courage. “That biology test today, huh?” Wallflower Blush stammered with fear, as those words fell off her rose-colored lips. “...” Sunset gazed away from the mockery of her reflection. “I can study for something, but still always fail.” Wallflower forced a laugh from her throat. Sunset flicked the rusted knob of the sink on. Water cascaded down the drain in a vortex of uncertainty, both hands lowered under the flow to collect a small puddle inside her grasp. In a swift silent motion, the redhead splashed her face with the icy reality of her situation. “Ignoring me, it's ok… everybody does.” Wallflower turned to walk away, only to feel firm long nails dig into her shoulder. With a soft yelp, the shy young woman was spun around to face Sunset. A sense of pain echoed from her eyes, Sunset slammed the girl up against the nearby wall with a thunderous thud. Wallflower wanted to scream for help but found a rough golden hand pressed over her lips. “Do you know who I am?” Sunset whispered to the frightened girl in a serious tone. Wallflower nodded a no in reply, tears swelled around the edges of her eyes. Body shivered in anticipation of pain or harm within the next few moments, unsure what this strange girl could be capable of. “See? ~ You're not the only invisible one.” Sunset gently used her spare hand to caress the cheek of the young girl. “Nobody knows who I am!” Sunset could feel her prey squirm against the wall in a feeble attempt to escape. Sunset clutched her hand into a tight fist to land a hard slug into the stomach of Wallflower, who gasped in pain, unable to move or beg for mercy. Streams of tears rolled down each cheek, Sunset gently pressed her forehead against her victim's. “They won't care, not unless they fear you.” Sunset winced to fight back a flood of pain from within. “Fear is their weapon, it's ours too.” Sunset locked eyes with her frightened victim. She couldn't see a faceless stranger in the dark, she could only see her reflection. Releasing Wallflower who slid down the wall sobbing, Sunset took a few wobbly steps backward in a confused state of mind. Her heart thudded in her chest wildly, mind ablaze with thoughts of what she had done. “I don't want to hurt people…” Sunset kneeled to apologize. Wallflower quickly covered her face in terror, the soft echo of her cries filled the claustrophobic room in a sickening melody of Sunset’s failures. “I'm sorry!” Sunset began to sob in dismay. Her tiny hand ran through the hair of her frightened victim. “Please, forget me.” Sunset pleaded in genuine sorrow. In a dash, she fled from the room in tears. Left was only a lit cigarette on the floor far in the corner, the sound of water drowning out the sound of tears. Wallflower remembered those words, words etched into her soul. Forget me. Sunset flung the double doors of the school open in a panic, the fresh air of the late afternoon helped her regain some composure. The once blue sky painted a fiery orange, the crowded schoolyard no longer full of anonymous chatter. The grounds near empty, save for a few who stayed behind to work on after school activities. Sunset could feel her lungs burn from a lack of oxygen. The action of inflicting pain on another had always brought happiness to her within a fantasy, yet finally acting upon those hidden urges filled her only with disgust. The fiery redhead stumbled down the front steps of her school, off-balance she plummeted to the cement ground with a loud crash. She wanted to be anywhere but here, even at Tartarus, no matter how she despised it so. Helpless under a massive statue of a horse, she could feel the skin of her knees torn open. A streak of crimson stained the ground below, her broken gaze lifted to stare into the reflection of a marble base. She couldn't recognize the demon, she had become. A single hand lifted to touch the flawless surface, she wished only to sink within the stone. To fade away and never be seen again, to somehow leave this empty life behind. “Who are you!?” Wallflower stepped out into the open world with caution. Sunset could feel a gaze burn into her backside from the staircase. “I don't know.” She would reply in honesty. At this moment she was lost in a sea of emotions, drowned in her own apathetic thoughts that edged her towards insanity. Delicate sounds of footsteps grew closer.  They were calm, collected, and full of confidence. The gentle touch of a green hand touched Sunset's shoulder with compassion. “I'm Wallflower Blush.” The girl kneeled down behind the broken redhead. “...” Sunset began to sob slumped over in a puddle of tears. “Shhh, it's ok.” Wallflower embraced the lonely girl in a tight hug. The world might not notice them. But for the moment, she would. She'd notice this lost young woman. Tartarus Storage Units. Sunset kneeled to the tiny silver lock near the floor. A delicate key was removed from her jacket, with a click she unlocked her little slice of nothing. The metallic door lifted in a loud swoosh, dim fluorescent light poured into a cramped claustrophobic space. “Oh, you live here?” Wallflower poked her head inside with a thin arched brow. Sunset nodded as she walked deeper within, her hand snatching a pack of cigarettes off a nearby stack of brown boxes. She gave the pack a few gentle taps on the bottom, polite enough to offer her odd visitor a tiny taste of death, who refused promptly. “Mom hit the road a while ago.” Sunset flicked her lighter in one swift motion. “So you're alone?” Wallflower walked inside as Sunset passed her by, the metallic door slammed shut with a loud crash. The darkness quickly faded as clapper lights sprung to life, the tiny space encased in a cozy orange glow. Multiple posters of metal bands hung on the wall, a few old pizza boxes were stacked in the corner, and two large bean bag chairs were squished dead center. “Well if I let those nosey principals know, I can kiss my freedom goodbye!” Sunset plopped onto a beige chair with a thud. “So you just keep to yourself?” Wallflower gently lowered herself onto the second chair, in visible pain as her handheld to her waist in discomfort. “It's easier that way.” Sunset was quick to snuff out her cigarette on the dirty cement floor, after a few drags. Sunset's teal eyes locked onto the girl’s waist with a hint of worry.  Wallflower swift to turn away and negate an awkward moment. “Did I hurt you?” Sunset quirked her brow. “Phst, no!” Wallflower scoffed with a forced giggle. Sunset could tell when somebody was lying, she'd been around the foul custom for longer than she'd like to admit. She lifted off her seat as she scooted over to her new acquaintance, thin fingers intertwined under the striped brown sweater. “I'm fine really.” Wallflower thought she should pull away. “Seriously, I won't be rough.” Sunset lifted the fabric to reveal a dark purple bruise on soft green skin. Sunset frowned as she crawled over to a nearby stack of boxes. “What about you? Don't you have a place?” She asked curiously as she swayed her hips side to side, eyes locked on her dwindled supplies in search of a certain something. “So-so.” Wallflower shrugged sheepishly. “How bad could it be!? I'm living out of a god-damned box!?” Sunset laughed wholeheartedly. The green-haired girl nearly laughed herself, if not for a sharp pain that shot up her side. Sunset suddenly squealed triumphantly, a bottle of icy hot lifted above her head in a tiny sense of delight. “Well, my parents aren't really around much.” Wallflower caught the bottle as the redhead tossed it over with a playful smirk. With a dollop of the medication squirted onto her hand, Wallflower began to rub the chilly substance over her bruise in a slight shiver. “When they are, I'm not really the number one priority.” She spoke freely with a weakened smile over her lips. “You just let the days drift by?” Sunset turned with a huff, her back pressed against a few boxes. “You could say that.” Wallflower placed the bottle at her feet. “About today.” Sunset let her eyes fall to the floor in shame. “Totally fine.” The girl was beyond quick to reply. “Hmm?” Sunset lifted a narrowed gaze. “You wanted somebody to hurt, to feel what you feel daily.” Wallflower bit her lower lip hard. “Do you?” Sunset questioned in a calm voice. “Could never act on it.” Wallflower felt ashamed with such a weak reply. “Don't.” Sunset huffed. “...” Wallflower batted long dark lashes full of innocence. “You'll just feel empty afterward.” Sunset arched her head to the ceiling as silence gripped the room. Before the shy green-haired girl could reply. A thunderous knock echoed from the metallic door aggressively, a tiny yelp given from the pure shock of such a noise. Sunset quirked a brow with uncertainty, walking over to the entrance in silence. "Don't open it…" Wallflower swallowed a massive lump growing in her throat. "Open up, I know you're in there!!" An angry voice of a woman hissed from behind the frame. Sunset rolled her eyes from the empty threat, ready to face whoever thought they could push her into a corner. With a loud swoosh of the door, the golden-skinned girl came face to face with a horrible sight. The gleam of a silvery pistol pushed out of the darkness into her face with a swift motion, the silent attacker hidden behind cold unfeeling shadows. Time almost seemed to slow to a halt as Wallflower tried to scream, but was only met with silence. Followed by a loud pop.