Catty Prologue
beginning of the first day, spend the weekend away with her
Start at school.
Entire class, *slurp*
The rest of the week
Willing or unwilling?- Unwilling = Rapish :/
Willing = Cruel
Accidental = Bad plot
HA! Tricked into it, like drunk strange that turns out to be, you know who.
Hilary- Catty
Dona- Demon (or whatever)
Clary - Friend or stranger
Dona + Hilary = purposeful accident
Clare + Hilary = Oops
(Clare) + Hilary = Gotcha!
Hilary wasn't a normal High Schooler for obvious reasons and a few a little less obvious. While everyone was spending the weekend with friends listening to the loud thumping of music from the bonnets of cars or trying a new and wonderful drunk, she was reading a book or discussing poetry over the internet. Her entire life she'd been isolated from those she'd grown up with; both friends and family. She'd shared a classroom with the same people since she was in kindergarten and the entire time she was ignored or been the focus of a prank's attention. Even her family seemed to ignore the fact that she was alive.
Hilary was leaning against the fence and looking down on the valley, watching the river's ripples as it ran through the property to the blue mountains in the distance. There was a soft wind that flowed through the grass and her long black hair, tucked beneath her wide-brim hat. Hilary could feel those sinister set of eyes staring at her from the side, watching her every move and waiting for her to make a decision.
Hilary sighed. "Alright, I'll do it". Her friend gave a wide smile at her choice before disappearing from sight, leaving Hilary alone and wondering if she'd made the right decision.
The school halls were all empty except for the sounds of running, each step echoing off of the lockers and concrete that surrounded her. Her eyes were so tearful she could barely see where she was running to; though she only needed to escape from the laughter that was haunting her from behind. It wasn't a cheerful laugh but a hollow and piercing laughter that tore through her heart and made her wish she was out of existence.
Hilary ran across the field through the rain, uncaring that her hair was getting drenched or that her clothes were soaking up the water like a sponge. She just needed to get away. The football field bleachers didn't provide any protection from the weather as she sat beneath them on the grass with her knees tucked up into her chest, crying loudly. She wore glasses which had become so wet that Hilary could no longer see through them. Through the water running down her face she could still taste the salt water from her eyes.
"Bad day, huh?" Hilary looked up, sniffing a few times and seeing the silhouette of a person standing before her, walking under the bleacher's and kneeling before her tucked up form. Hilary squeezed her legs tighter as the stranger came closer. "Aren't you cold?"
"A little", she admitted softly. The silhouette took her jacket off and wrapped it around Hilary, warming her up almost instantly. "Thanks" she remarked with a small smile, though not lifting her head up to meet the gaze of the blur standing before her.
"Do you mind?" she asked sitting down beside Hilary and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. With the stranger's other hand she removed Hilary's glasses before cleaning them and giving them back, resting the cold steel back on her nose. Hilary didn't dare look over to the person giving her this warmth, fearing it might shatter the comfort she'd been longing for. Hilary continued to sigh and sob softly, leaning in to her new found friend. The jacket over her back only seemed to get warmer over her back as though it were heated.
"I saw what they did". Hilary's eyes clenched shut as she remembered the feeling of falling backwards, her broken chair purposefully being set at her desk so she would fall and a container of glue would tip down on top of her. Hilary's hair still smelt of the aroma of the thick white goo.
"Y-you were in the class?" Hilary asked through sobs, trying to catch her breath. The lump in her throat felt as though it were trying to choke her.
"Well... I guess you could say that I was". The stranger's hand began to stroke through Hilary's hair lovingly. "What they did was really mean. I guess it wasn't the first time that they've done something like this to you".
Hilary hiccuped. "Every time they do, even the teacher laughs".
"She sounds like a bitch". Hilary let out a quick laugh. "Thought so".
They sat together for an hour, ignoring the rain as it dripped down from the bleachers. It was beginning to blow in sideways now, getting stronger but despite it all they remained warm. Hilary refused to move, unable to face the world outside of their embrace and a general unwillingness to face it. Though she knew that sooner or later the small world she'd built for herself underneath the field's stadium would have to end.
"S-So do you have a name?" Hilary asked, that difficult lump still in her throat making it hard to speak. "Or a facebook?" She let out a small hiccup that started as a laugh.
"Call me Donna. I always liked that name".
Hilary frowned. "It's not your real name?" She took herself out of the hug and looked to her saviour. She was stunning and beautiful, having long black hair like hers but washed with streams of purple through it. She wore a green singlet which revealed her firm bust and tattoos that ran up her arm from just above her elbow to the shoulder. The ink wasn't laced with things like barbed wire or blood but other things like lilies and a smiling girl's face with a ERICKA written under it in a lace fabric. They weren't written in blue or black ink but colours of pink and purple.
Beneath her shirt were black cargo trousers tied up with a bulky belt and combat boots to cover her feet. Through her tough clothing and tattoos Donna had a wonderful smile that revealed all of her bright white teeth and plump lips, revealing a sweet and loving side.
"You'll understand later, I assure you". Donna gave Hilary's chin a small push up, as though to say 'chin up' with only body language. "I'll see you soon".
Donna was gone. How she'd disappeared or if she was even there to begin with was unclear. Hilary didn't see her disappear nor was there a 'pop' to signal it. She was just gone. The cold seemed to hit Hilary instantly, forcing her to stand up and walk back to the school. The bell had rung a while ago to signal that every student and teacher could give up on learning and teaching until the weekend was over. Almost everyone was already outside, waiting for their buses to come save for a few that remained. Everyone's head turned to look at the girl dripping wet and leaving puddles of water through the school.
"... leave a fish in there or something. She smells so bad herself she wouldn't notice it until it was about three weeks old". Hilary entered the classroom to see Paris and Tyra going through her backpack. They had unpacked some of her books and inspecting every detail, even her wallet which was left open on the desk with all of the notes taken out and split into two piles for the both of them to steal.
Hilary couldn't lift her head up to look them, only walk forward and reach for her pack. "Hold on a minute, freak". Paris interrupted taking her hand and throwing it aside. Paris had the look of disgust on her face as she eyed Hilary up, looking over her soaking wet clothes with a slight smirk as she knew it was her own handy work, hers and Tyra's.
"I want my bag" she claimed softly, still looking at the ground.
"That's funny cos that's what we want as well". Tyra laughed, taking the backpack off of the table and stuffing the books inside, then throwing it at Hilary before picking up the wallet and sticking it in her back pocket. "But it smells so I'm just going to take your wallet".
"Oh you are suck a bitch!" Hilary spun around. Donna was standing behind her looking at Paris and Tyra with the same disgust that they shared when looking to her.
"What are you looking at Freak?" Donna was standing behind Paris and Tyra now, leaning against the two of them but they clearly didn't see or feel her. Hilary moved forward and snatched her backpack away from them, heading out of the classroom quickly.
"Soo... Curious yet?" Hilary tried to concentrate on the road as she drove through the night, rain falling before her headlights and the road wet and slippery. The distraction sitting in her passenger seat wasn't helping her driving, she just tried to block it out. "We've got a long trip home. Might as well chat to each other on the way".
"I'm not insane!" she declared forcefully to herself, slapping her hands against the wheel.
"Who said you were?"
"I'm talking to myself!"
"You're talking to me aren't you?"
"Exactly! Talking to myself!" Donna reached over and grabbed the wheel from Hilary, causing her to scream in horror while Donna let out a joyful scream like she was on a rollercoaster. She slammed the brakes on and the car skidded to a stop in the middle of the road, no other cars around to see or share in it. "What the hell!?" she screamed to Donna, her hair fallen over her face and her glasses.
"Seems like I'm pretty real, doesn't it?"
"But you're not! I saw you there and you weren't there. They couldn't see you!"
"Doesn't mean that I wasn't really there. They just couldn't see or hear or feel me... huh, maybe I am imaginary". Donna pretended to contemplate her existence before poking her tongue out and giving Hilary's shoulder a poke. "Nah! I'm real. Want more proof".
"You nearly killed us!" Hilary's face was red and flustered, her hands still gripped on the steering wheel with white knuckles. Hilary and Donna stared at each other for a long while; Hilary was unmoving while Donna constantly shifted in her seat to get comfortable. The fabric of the seat shifting as she moved to show that she was at least solid. Thankfully there were very few other cars on the road at this time of the night.
"Sooo..."
"Who are you?" Hilary asked taking her hands from the wheel and facing Donna, taking her feet from the brake and accelerator.
"Donna. Some people would call me a demon but I prefer the title 'Succubus'. It sounds sexier". Donna smiled warmly, folding her legs on the seat. "Don't think of me as some kind of devil spawn or creature with horns with a pointy tail. I'm not evil I'm just quirky". Donna shrugged playfully.
"W-Why are you here?"
"Well it's not like I was sent to you on a mission or anything, I just saw you today and thought you needed a friend. If you don't want me around freaking you out I could leave you alone? No hard feelings I'll just leave". Donna looked outside of the car as though appearing slightly nervous. "I'm kind of new at this".
"New at what?"
"The whole 'dead walking the Earth' thing. I haven't been up here since I was alive... and that was a fair while ago".
"Why are you here? Do you 'have' a mission?"
"I don't know yet. I think I'll find out now that I'm here. Like a shining light coming down from the sky or in my case probably a bush bursting into flames and spelling out something with the ashes like 'kill all hermit crabs'". Hilary raised an eyebrow. "I hope that's not it though, I love hermit crabs, they're gorgeous".
A pair of headlights shun from around the corner, quickly gaining on Hilary's car before slowing down and parking alongside. Inside were an elderly couple looking curiously into the dark car sitting in the middle of the road.
"Everything alright?"
"Yeah we're fine. My friend and I just had to refill the tank before we hit empty. We were just about to start up again". Donna announced before Hilary could respond.
"Ok. Well be careful in this rain".
"We will, thanks". With that the couple drove off leaving Hilary slightly stunned. "Believe me now?"
Hilary's home sat in the middle of a farmer's field, of which no one took too much care. It wasn't much to look at until you were actually inside where the massive television and surround sound speakers caught everyone off guard. So much money had been spent on bringing the city life to the farmhouse while the barn had become dilapidated and all the fences collapsed.
The moment Hilary and Donna entered they were hit with the sound of the television blaring and a familiar voice yelling into a phone in the kitchen.
"Ow, my ears!"
"Mum! Hilary's home!" her sister screamed from the couch. Hilary tried to walk straight past to the staircase but a firm hand grabbed her arm before she could disappear.
Fleur was Hilary's mother, her hair was constantly being dyed on a weekly or daily basis. She was rather tall and despite living in the country for the majority of her lifetime she still spoke with a French accent.
"Hilary!" she announced angrily, putting extra pronunciation on the 'y'. "Where have you been?"
"I just got back from school Mum. I'm going to go for a sleep, it's late". Hilary went to move up to her room but Fleur yanked her back before flicking her hair.
"Maggie and I are going to compete in Fairfront on Sunday. We're going to leave in a few hours and drive all night, we need you to drive us there. Your sister needs all the rest she can get so you're going to have to drive us there". Maggie stood up from the couch, already wearing her gymnastic's tight suit. Maggie was Fleur's pride and joy in that she competed at a professional gymnastic's level around the country; she dropped out of school in her tenth year while Hilary stayed which separated her from her sister quite significantly.
"God, if she were any more French she'd be cast on that Pink Panther movie". Hilary gave a small laugh but quickly hid it.
"I can't tonight Mum. I've got a project due on Monday and need to work through the weekend and be back before it's over".
Fleur scoffed. "I think this is a 'little' more important than your project". Hilary shook her arm from her mother's grip and trudged up the stairs. "You're a real brat!" If Fleur wanted to take Maggie to another gymnastic's event she'd have to take her herself, she only wanted Hilary to chauffeur them around so they could sleep the entire way.
Hilary shut and locked her door swiftly before collapsing on the bed. Her clothes were still damp but she'd gotten used to it on the way long trip home. At the nights Hilary kept thinking about how unfair her lifestyle was. She spent the week living in a dingy motel while trying her best to study and on the weekends coming back to this hell hole; she tried to console herself with the thoughts that there were others doing it worse than her but it didn't cheer her up.
Her bedroom was pretty small with barely room for the bed let alone the desk and wardrobe. On her desk was a picture of a tiny Hilary and Maggie with two hands on either of their shoulders from a man standing between them. They all shared a few features like their blue eyes and that freckle above the left eyebrow. Hilary's dad had died when she was small but his memory was still in her mind. She loved her dad and knew if he was around things would be so much simpler.
"Dad?" Donna asked leaning against the window. Hilary nodded slowly laying face first on the bed. "I'm sorry. You must miss him, huh?" Hilary nodded again, beginning to shiver from the chill running through her body. Outside her window a car was brought to life and the headlight shun into the room before disappearing and leaving only the sounds of the rain on the tin roof and the television downstairs still blaring. Maggie clearly hadn't cared that she'd left it on downstairs.
Donna remained quiet though still in the room watching Hilary as she laid down on the bed. She knew she needed a bit of peace and quiet right now. But after a while Hilary's shivering was getting more frequent and her breathing seemed to skip up and down. "Feeling alright?"
"No" she stated getting up from the bed and immediately walking out of her bedroom and to the bathroom. Her head was spinning and she felt dizzy. Inside she turned the shower on and stepped inside, feeling the warm water running over her clothes and slowly soaking through to her skin, washing away all of the damp rain and replace it with the embrace of fresh heated water. "God, that feels good" Hilary whispered barely audible even to her.
"Feels even better when you're drunk and woke up in the rain... then a few hours later in the shower". Hilary shot Donna a dirty look folding her arms over her chest to try and keep the heat within her chest. "Do you want me to leave?"
"It is a little awkward that you're standing here watching me".
"You don't need to be embarrassed". Hilary still stared at Donna. "I know your secret so you don't have to cover yourself up".
"What!?" Hilary asked feeling immediately nervous and flustered.
"Oh come on don't be coy. Sex Ed must have been really confusing for you, huh?"
"Get out!" Hilary screamed loudly. Donna didn't stay around long after that, she knew she'd stepped over the line.
