Mia's world tilted around her as her eyes opened, the fog of sleep hindering her ability to react to the situation she found herself in. Hitting the ground with a dull thud that sent a small prick of pain through her skull, her ears picked up the sounds of laughter from the class. Letting out a soft growl of anger which was distorted by her breathing mask, she picked herself up and adjusted her chair, her hand crushing the metal in a vicelike grip as a spiderweb of black veins slowly spread out across her arm, her confusion slowly gave way to rage. Someone was going to pay for this, and they would pay dearly.
Just as she was about to lash out at the snickering students, the mask that covered the lower half of her face emitted a puff of compressed air which she automatically inhaled deeply, her eyes rolling to the back of her head and body shuddering as the cocktail of sedatives, antidepressants and opioids robbed her of her anger, returning her to the euphoric haze that constantly accompanied her and clouded her mind. With the sedation complete, the black veins that had been spreading unseen over her body now retreated back underneath her skin.
Returning to her seat, she took several deep breaths in order to calm her nerves just like her father taught her, each breath slowing her rapidly beating heart and working in tandem with the drugs in her body to calm down her violent thoughts, the laughter and mockery of her peers no longer irritating her as much as it did previously. Her meditation was interrupted by a low frequency beeping coming from her mask, an indication that the current cannister in her mask was running empty. Rummaging through her backpack for a minute, she pulled out a small canister half as thick as her pinkie finger and just as long. Grasping a knob at the side of her mask, she twisted it and pulled, the action causing the spent cannister to be ejected onto the floor while she slid the new one into the compartment and closed it, locking it into place with a twist.
Inhaling the spray of drugs, she shuddered in pleasure as she achieved euphoric bliss once more, the spent cannister now returned to her backpack. Laying her head on the table to catch some sleep before the bell rang, she was interrupted by a disgusting snickering coming from her left. Opening her eyes, she sent a glare towards the source of the disturbance; Jason.
"How was your trip?" he snickered, his meager joke and subpar wordplay gaining the nervous laughs of the class who were torn between their juvenile fear of him and the very real, very present threat Mia presented. Jason was the stereotypical jock; the golden child of the chief of police, captain of the football team, local heartthrob, one of the smartest students in the school and all-round golden boy that was used to everyone worshipping the ground he walked on, something that he had come to expect from everyone.
"It was amusing," she responded dryly as she faced him, the mask distorting her voice as brown eyes swept over the nervously laughing students who were now silent and looking anywhere but at her as a wave of dread washed over them, the fear choking out their laughter, leaving the class silent. Getting up from her seat, she slowly made her way over to him, the students parting around her like the red sea, some of them falling over their chairs in a bid to get away from Mia, their hearts in their throats and pupils wide in fear. Reaching out to the trembling golden boy, she gripped his hair tightly, taking in the defiant look on his face that belied the pure terror underneath, the rapid beating of his heart only serving to deepen the thrill she felt.
"That's what I like about you Jason," her voice was calm and cold, giving away nothing as her grip on his hair tightened with each word, "You're a funny guy, and each joke you tell," with a sharp pull she slammed his face into the desk, the sound of his nose breaking as it collided with the table a sweet balm on her soul, "Is a smashing hit," she chuckled dryly, letting go of his hair and turning her attention to the rest of her classmates who were all watching the scene unfold with fear and disgust etched on their faces, the agonizing cries of Jason only adding to their mounting terror.
"We really need to pay more attention to the wet floor signs," she sighed as she placed her head on the table, allowing sleep to slowly overtake her. "We don't want to end up like Jason now do we?" she asked the entire class, her tone carrying a subtle warning to everyone, watching lazily as each of the students muttered in agreement. Satisfied that she had gotten her point across, she let out an exhausted yawn and closed her eyes as she tried to let sleep claim her. Tried being the operative word.
Just as she was about to fully lose herself to the realm of dreams, a hand slammed down on her table, the noise jostling her awake and robbing her of her hard-earned sleep. Raising her head slightly, she glared daggers at the fool who had dared to interrupt her sleep; her fraternal twin sister Alex. "What do you want?" she yawned dismissively as she adjusted her body, trying to make herself more comfortable on the wooden table, wishing that the end of school would roll about sooner.
Grimacing at Mia's tone, Alex grit her teeth and tried to calm her nerves before she continued, "Mom's picking us up early today, so no sleeping in," she told her in a commanding tone while looking down on Mia who was in the middle of yawning, her mask distorting the noise.
"Understood," came the tired response, "Mayor Susan, early pick-up, sleep in the car," she muttered an abridged version of what Alex had told her as her eyes grew heavy and slowly closing, her words irritating Alex even more. Letting out a frustrated groan at the way Mia responded to her, she turned round and with a huff, walked out of the class.
Whatever Mia was about to say or do was tossed to the back of her mind as the bell finally rang, dismissing her and the others from school. Letting out another tired yawn as she picked up her bag, she made her way out of the class and down the massive gothic halls of her school, the students parting to make room for her, their terror and awe amusing her to no end. Waiting for her at the massive doors of the school were a group of seniors, their bodies stiffening as Mia walked past them, her hand depositing a piece of paper into one of their pockets as she made her way to her mom's car; a light blue Toyota.
Tossing her bag into the open back door, she climbed inside and did her best to make herself comfortable, ignoring the incessant prattling of her mother who was trying to initiate some sort of small talk. Pulling her mask down to reveal her nose, she inhaled deeply, taking in her mother's scent and frowning as she picked up the overwhelming scent of perfume which had been freshly applied in some futile attempt to hide something from her sensitive nose. Unfortunately for Susan, Mia had never let them know exactly how powerful her nose was. Inhaling once more, she focused on the scents that lay underneath the perfume; alcohol, smoke and the clammy scent of sex.
'It seems that her latest fling was a drinker and enjoyed the occasional smoke' she thought as she closed her eyes, blocking off whatever drivel her mom was spewing as her mask hit her with another concentrated spray of her medication, the mixture dulling the physical pain and surges of anger and disgust that were running rampant within her.
Seeing that her daughter wasn't answering any of her questions or responding to her prompts, the smile on Susan's face vanishing and being replaced by a pained expression as she wondered how to bridge the gap between them. Just as she opened her mouth to say something, the front passenger door opened and Alex stepped in. Starting the car, Susan started the drive home in silence as she thought back to how things had deteriorated between her and her daughter.
In an attempt to dissolve the awkward silence, she finally spoke, this time addressing Alex; the one daughter who still liked her. "How was today?" she asked as the car slowly picked up speed.
"Excellent," came the response as Alex tucked the loose strands of her blonde hair back into the bun that adorned the top of her head. "I got everything on the last test as expected and still retain the position of top student," she boasted, an air of superiority clinging to her as she watched her mother beam with pride.
"I'm so proud of you," Susan praised as she ran her fingers through Alex's hair, her eyes still fixed on the road ahead. "What of your sister? How's she doing?" she asked, eager to know how her other daughter was doing. Although the school gave her continuous updates on both her daughters, the information was severely lacking when it came to anything outside of Mia's academics.
Frowning at her mother's question, Alex cast a disdainful look at the backseat where Mia was sprawled languidly, her light snores distorted by her mask which hissed at the intervals it dispensed the aerosolized drugs into her face.
"She's mediocre as usual," Alex scoffed, her attention focused on the passing houses and trees, not caring about the frown that was surely on her mom's face.
"Alex," Susan started, only to be interrupted by Alex whose voice was now dripping with disdain.
"She's a bully who has the entire school running scared and spends more time sleeping than anything," Alex ranted, her voice dripping with disgust. "She's a crude, lazy oaf with no future in sight who idolizes that cheating bastard," as soon as the words left her mouth, she was sent lurching forward by a kick to the back of her chair.
"It's not nice to badmouth your sister," Mia's drowsy voice came from the back as she slowly sat up, black eyes focused on the back of Alex's chair. "I mean, think of how much it breaks my heart hearing you call me an oaf and a bully," her hand slowly reached forward and grabbed Alex by the shoulder, black eyes drinking in the terrified expression that slowly crawled onto her sister's face as her hand made its way to Alex's neck, her sister's racing pulse a wonderful high.
"If I'm mediocre, then what does that say about you?" she asked, her grip tightening slightly on Alex's neck. "You've never once been able to beat me academically," her voice was teasing, mocking. "Always tied with a lazy oaf," she chuckled dryly as she watched the fear mix with shame and indignation, "How does it feel knowing that your excellence and brilliant genius puts you on par with my mediocrity?" she asked, her cruel smile hidden by her mask, "All those all-nighters, countless hours of studying. All that effort just to be on par with a lazy oaf. It's sad really, pathetic. All that effort and its not enough to beat me. You're not enough," each barbed word hit Alex where it hurt, targeting her feelings of inadequacy.
"Mia that's enough!" Susan barked, finally putting an end to the confrontation between sisters, her hand forced by the tears running down Alex's face.
"Whatever you say Susan," Mia let go of Alex's neck and leaned forward, placing her mouth near her sister's ear. "Talk about dad like that ever again, and I'll give you scars just like mine," she hissed softly before pulling away and laying back on the chair, closing her eyes and letting the cocktail of drugs pull her under, leaving behind a tense silence in the car that was occasionally broken by Alex's sobs while Susan focused on the road ahead, a look of helplessness and confusion on her face as she wondered if this was penance for her sins. Pulling into the driveway of their duplex home, Susan gripped the steering wheel tightly as she wondered how to address the issue, but before she could speak, Mia had already exited the car and slammed the door close, leaving her sister and mother in the vehicle.
Taking her own set of keys from her pocket, Mia unlocked the front door and made her way into the kitchen in search of food, ignoring the pot on the stove after giving it a few cursory sniffs, her features curling in disgust as the smell of something clearly vegan hit her sensitive nose. Seeing that she would have prepare something for herself once again, she pulled out another key from her pocket and headed out of the kitchen and towards a thick steel door; the gates to her room, her fortress of solitude.
Pushing the door open, she descended the stairs and came to a stop at the foot of the stairs, ebony eyes taking in the scattered state of her room. Pulling down her mask, she inhaled deeply and after a few moments let out the breath she was holding, satisfied that nobody had been in her room. Throwing her bag at a random direction, she began to shed her uniform, her clothes falling off to reveal a patchwork of scars and raw flesh that pulsated softly, the discolored flesh seemingly connected to healthy flesh by a network of pitch-black veins that stood out even more thanks to her dark skin.
Standing in front of a full-length mirror in a sports bra and a pair of boxers, she examined her reflection. Her hair was done up in cornrows just like her dad's had been when he was her age, the hairstyle complementing her tomboyish features. Her body was toned, developed by years of working on her dad's family farm and countless fights between her cousins, aunts, uncles and on more than one occasion, her dad. Gripping the mask that hid half of her face from view, she pulled it off her face, the mask disengaging with a hiss of pressurized gas. The lower half of her face was dominated by raw pulsating flesh and pitch-black veins that writhed and shifted each time she looked at them. A medical mishap her dad had told her. A lie. One of the few he had ever told her.
Touching one of the patches of pulsating flesh that adorned her torso, she pulled back her finger quickly as she felt it wriggle under her touch. Almost like it had a mind of its own. Fishing her phone from her discarded bag, she opened the camera and zoomed in on one of the patches and began to record its movements. Once she had sufficient footage, she saved it and after a few moments of scrolling through her contacts list, she dialed her dad's number, mind racing as she rehearsed how she would get him to tell her exactly what was wrong with her. Her father picked up after the third ring.
"Dad," she began, her defiant personality deserting her as she addressed him. "Sorry for calling out of the blue, but we need to talk," she hated how timid she sounded, how weak she must appear to an incarnation of strength.
"About?" her dad's voice was cold and even, indicating that he was busy and that she get straight to the point.
"It's about my condition," she took a deep breath, steeling her nerves before continuing, "I know that it's not a medical condition and whatever it is," she paused and looked herself over in the mirror once more, her fingers trailing over a patch of discolored flesh that shifted under her light touches, "It's getting worse," she closed her eyes, hating how her voice carried traces of panic in it. She should be stronger, or at least be more capable of hiding her worries beneath a calm façade like her dad taught her.
The line was silent few minutes as her father pondered her words. Just as she was about to speak, her father's voice came through the line. "I'll see you this evening," he said with finality, his words leaving no room for argument and even if they did, she was never one to argue with him.
"Yes sir," she responded, and with her confirmation, he cut the call. Tossing the phone on the bed, she rummaged through her drawers and pulled out a pair of baggy trousers and a long-sleeved red shirt. Looking at herself in the mirror, she nodded in satisfaction before taking a seat at the workbench which was littered with outdated disassembled masks, salvaged parts and scattered papers covered with her handwriting, each one detailing years of research on her condition. Her laptop sat in the corner, its black lifeless screen reflecting her image across the surface. Picking up a screwdriver, she began to disassemble her mask, her movements swift and fluid from years of repeated action. Pulling open the front to reveal a series of delivery vents and circuitry which she gave a cursory glance, a satisfied expression on her face as everything was as it should be. Reassembling the mask, she slid it over her face and it secured itself in place with a satisfying click.
Getting off her chair, she picked up her phone from where she discarded it and after making sure her earbuds were fully charged, headed up the stairs, pausing to take one last cursory glance over the stack of papers that contained years worth of research which had culminated in this moment. Taking her bike keys from the nail on the wall she exited her basement room, the thick bolts lockking the door behind her, keeping her secrets safe from the undesirables in her life. As she tried to make her way to the garage, she was met by Susan and Alex who were just coming into the house.
"Where are you going?" Susan asked as she took off her jacket and hung it on the rack while Alex took off her bag and hung it on the same rack, her eyes looking anywhere but her sister.
"Going to see dad," Mia replied while trying to navigate past her mom and sister, her irritation growing the longer she breathed in the scent of her mom's recent fling.
"I see," Susan muttered softly before taking a deep breath. "Make sure you're back early. I've booked an appointment at the saloon for us tomorrow and I don't want us to be late,"
"Saloon? What for?"
"There's a small gathering on Sunday and I'd like both you and your sister to attend," the tone of her voice and the way she emphasized "both" made it clear that she wasn't simply requesting Mia's presence, she was demanding it.
"It depends on my schedule," Mia retorted, her lips curling in a cruel smile as she knew her mom would rise to the bait.
"It depends on nothing Maria," Susan's anger felt like a balm on Mia's soul, especially now that she was using her full name. "You WILL come to the gathering. You WILL wear the dress I pick out for you and you WILL behave. I am your mother and you WILL do as I say!" she raged, finally fed up with Mia's disrespect.
"You were my mother," Mia countered while grabbing her mask and pulling it off to reveal the scarred and discolored flesh, the patches of pulsating meat and web of black veins that disfigured her. "Until you let this happen," she bared her teeth at Susan, her eyes flickering with delight as she watched her mother shift with discomfort, her anger giving way to shame.
"Mia that's not fair to her," Alex finally interrupted, her mother's discomfort giving her the strength to stand up to her sister. "She made one mistake. One mistake that you've lorded over her head for eight years despite her trying so hard to fix it!" as soon as the words left her mouth, Alex flinched as Mia glared at her.
"You'd know all about fixing mistakes, wouldn't you?" Mia hissed as she ignored her mom and focused a predatory gaze on Alex who had a fearful expression on her face, her anger deserting her in the face of Mia.
"I wonder which one your favorite to erase?" she asked, placing her jaw in her hand as she thought, her smile growing as she recollected her sister's sins. "Was it the one that put you in rehab?" she asked mockingly, "Or the one where you ran over that poor dog? One minute it was barking and the next its being crushed by a ton of metal."
"So many mistakes, all swept under the rug by dear Susan. But my favorite has to be the one that led you upstate to a quaint orphanage," she gave a knowing smile, watching as Alex's eyes widened in shock before she burst into tears and ran to her room, her pained cries resounding through the house.