Sarah grumbled as she stared at her reflection. She frowned at the oversized pink sweater and blue jeans in her hands. Her fingers traced over the material as a frown formed on her face. The garments smelt stale and musty, like they had been hanging in a closet for months without being washed.
"What's wrong? It's pink," Emily cackled as she stood at the bathroom door.
Sarah rolled her eyes. "I hate you...I hate all of you," she grumbled as she got dressed. She gazed at herself in the mirror with melancholic eyes. "Can't we just make a detour to my vacation home? I can't perform looking like this."
"Stop your complaining," Alice said as she walked into the bathroom wearing a flannel t-shirt and jeans. "You're lucky I didn't put you in my stripper outfit."
"I honestly would prefer that," Sarah replied as she tugged on the fabric of her sweater.
"You never dressed like a normal person once in your life, have you, Sarah?" Rusev asked, wearing a dingy white t-shirt and blue jeans.
"Oh shut up, mop-top, nobody asked you!" Sarah growled and then looked at herself in the mirror. Her fingers traced over the pink chosen mask on the right side of her face. "Besides, what good is a disguise when we still stick out like a sore thumb with these on our faces?"
"I got it handled," Emily replied as she snapped her fingers.
Sarah's eyes dilated as she saw the pink mask disintegrate on her face. Her hands rubbed her soft, rosy cheeks. She then looked at Alice as her orange mask vanished. Rusev's steel colored mask disappeared next, followed by Emily's white mask.
"There...problem solved. Any more complaints, princess?" Emily mocked as she crossed her arms.
"If you can do that, then why can't you just put me in something more appropriate?" Sarah asked.
Emily shrugged. "Because I think it's funny."
Sarah's nostrils flared as she balled her hands into a fist. She cursed words that only she could invent under her breath, then stormed out of the bathroom.
Alice shook her head, then looked at Emily. "So make our way to the designated location while you fill in Elijah and Rachel, correct?"
Emily nodded.
"If you are already PRIME, then why are we even doing all of this, Emily?" Rusev asked.
A thin-lipped smile formed on Emily's face as she crossed her arms. "I can't tell you that."
"Why is that?" Alice asked.
Emily scratched her face. "To protect you...just be happy you won't die."
Alice's eyes drifted towards the floor as she bit the inside of her lip.
"But?" Rusev retorted.
Emily glared at Rusev with dilated eyes.
Alice's eyes narrowed as she grabbed Rusev's shoulder, then shook her head. Rusev sighed as he looked into Alice's deadpan gaze, then followed her out of the bathroom. Emily rubbed her face, then sighed as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror. Her expression turned somber as she rubbed her hands through her hair.
"₱ⱤØ₮Ɇ₵₮łØ₦? ₥ØⱤɆ Ⱡł₭Ɇ ₳₣Ɽ₳łĐ Ø₣ ₮ⱧɆ₥ ₭₦Ø₩ł₦₲ ɎØɄⱤ ₮ⱤɄɆ ₦₳₮ɄⱤɆ," Emily's reflection judged with an unsettling smirk.
"Shut up....I can't tell them. You know this...it would break them," Emily grumbled as she crossed her arms.
"₥₳Ɏ฿Ɇ....₥₳Ɏ฿Ɇ ₦Ø₮...฿Ʉ₮ ₩Ⱨ₳₮ ₳฿ØɄ₮ Ɽ₳₵ⱧɆⱠ? ₴ⱧɆ ₲Øł₦₲ ₮Ø ₣ł₲ɄⱤɆ ł₮ ØɄ₮ ₴ØØ₦ɆⱤ ØⱤ Ⱡ₳₮ɆⱤ."
"I have a plan for that."
"Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳...ł₥ ₴ɄⱤɆ ₮Ⱨ₳₮ ₩łⱠⱠ ₩ØⱤ₭ ØɄ₮."
Emily sighed and tugged at her hair. "Fuck off. I just wanna be normal, and you are not fucking helping!" She growled as her eyes glowed mulberry.
Her reflection shook its head, then sighed.
"ł'VɆ ₲Ø₮ ₥ɄⱠ฿ɆⱤⱤɎ-₵ØⱠØⱤɆĐ ₴₮₳Ɽ₴ ł₦ ₥Ɏ ɆɎɆⱠłĐ₴," Her reflection sang, its voice distorted and glitchy.
"₴Ɇ₩₦ ₩ł₮Ⱨ ₮ⱧⱤɆ₳Đ₴ ₣ⱤØ₥ ₳ ₱Ɽł₥Ɇ ₴₮₳Ɽ'₴ ĐⱤɆ₴₴."
"ł ₵ⱤɆ₳₮ɆĐ ɎØɄⱤ ₩ØⱤⱠĐ ł₦ ₱ɄⱤ₱Ø₴Ɇ ₳₦Đ ₥Ɇ₳₦ł₦₲,"
"And I'll keep that secret to my chest," Emily sang back, her voice oozing with guilt and melancholy.
"ɎØɄ'ⱤɆ ₣Ⱡł₵₭ɆⱤł₦₲ Ⱡł₲Ⱨ₮₴ Ø₦ ₥Ɏ ₦₳ⱤⱤ₳₮łVɆ ₴₵ⱤɆɆ₦,"
"Dancing in cycles I wrote long ago."
"ł ₣ⱤɆɆⱫɆ ₮ł₥Ɇ, ₳₦Đ ł'VɆ ₳ⱠⱤɆ₳ĐɎ ₴ɆɆ₦—"
"I've already seen."
"ⱧØ₩ ₮Ⱨł₴ ₲ØɆ₴,"
"How this ends."
Time stuttered as Emily sang, then froze like ice as she left the bathroom.
"You say you're chosen, and baby, you are," she sang as she gazed at Alice, Rusev, and Sarah's frozen bodies.
"ł ₩ⱤØ₮Ɇ ɎØɄⱤ ₦₳₥Ɇ₴ ฿Ɇ₣ØⱤɆ ɎØɄ ₭₦Ɇ₩ ₥Ɏ ł₦₭," she sang her voice pitch-shifted and vocodor drenched.
"₮ⱧɆ Ɇ₦₲ł₦Ɇ ⱧɄ₥₴ ₩Ⱨ₳₮ ł ₱Ʉ₮ ł₦ Ɇ₮ⱧɆⱤ."
"And it's humming your faces like a broken-down train."
Emily walked over towards the window, then looked at the frozen citizens and cars below.
"₣ØⱤ ₮ⱧɆ ₳Ʉ₮ⱧØⱤ'₴ ₲Ø₮ ₳ ₱Ɽł₥Ɇ₴₮₳Ɽ₵ⱧØ₴Ɇ₦ⱠɄⱠⱠ₳฿Ɏ."
"ɎØɄ'ⱤɆ ₮ⱧɆ ₵ⱧØ₴Ɇ₦ ł₦ ₮ⱧɆ ĐⱤɆ₳₥, ₳₦Đ ł'₥ ₮ⱧɆ ₩ⱧɎ."
"You bite through darkness, and you always stay—"
"₴Ø ⱠɆ₮ ₥Ɇ ₭ɆɆ₱ ɎØɄ ₴₳₣Ɇ ₣ØⱤ Ø₦Ɇ ₥ØⱤɆ Đ₳Ɏ."
She then walked over towards Sarah, circling her and playing with her curly pink hair.
"₱Ɽł₥Ɇ₴₮₳Ɽ, ₵ⱧØ₴Ɇ₦ ⱠɄⱠⱠ₳฿Ɏ—"
"The ENGINE's got your fingerprints, and I know why."
"ɎØɄ'ⱤɆ ₮ⱧɆ ₴₱₳Ɽ₭ ł₦ ₮ⱧɆ ₴₮ØⱤɎ, ł'₥ ₮ⱧɆ VØł₵Ɇ ₳₦Đ ₮ⱧɆ ł₦₭."
"Sleep now, beloved, while the PRIME destroys the noise."
"₮ⱧɆ ₦Øł₴Ɇ....₮ⱧɆ ₦Øł₴Ɇ."
Emily traced her fingers across Alice's coffee table.
"I stitch you back with borrowed timelines."
"₩ⱧłⱠɆ ł'₥ Ʉ₦Ɽ₳VɆⱠł₦₲ ₳₮ ₮ⱧɆ ₴Ɇ₳₥₴."
"Your faith is a sacred, necessary burden in my dreams."
"ł₦ ₥Ɏ ĐⱤɆ₳₥₴.....ł₦ ₥Ɏ ĐⱤɆ₳₥₴."
Emily put her hands in her hoodie pocket and then left Alice's apartment. She gazed up at the ENGINE observing her as she walked past frozen automobiles and pedestrians.
"You rewrite fate like you're the protagonist."
"฿Ʉ₮ ł'₥ ₮ⱧɆ Ø₦Ɇ ⱧØⱠĐł₦₲ ₮ⱧɆ ₱Ɇ₦."
"I've got a hundred chosen in Primestardresses—"
"₳₦Đ ł'₥ ₮ⱧɆ ฿Ɇ₲ł₦₦ł₦₲, ฿Ʉ₮ Ɽ₳₵ⱧɆⱠ Ⱨ₳₴ ₲Ⱡł₮₵ⱧɆĐ ₮ⱧɆ Ɇ₦Đ."
Emily sighed as she stared up at the PRIME statues.
"ł ⱧɆ₳Ɽ ₮ⱧɆ ⱧɄ₥ ₩ⱧɆⱤɆ ₮ⱧɆ Ɇ₦₲ł₦Ɇ ₩₳ł₮₴."
"I said I would cheat the cosmic fine print."
"฿Ʉ₮ ł ₴ł₲₦ɆĐ ł₮ ₥Ɏ₴ɆⱠ₣ ł₦ ₥Ɏ ₴ⱠɆɆ₱."
Tears trickled down Emily's cheeks.
"I signed it myself."
"ł₦ ₥Ɏ ₴ⱠɆɆ₱, in my sleep."
The mulberry faded from Emily's eyes. The world resumed motion without skipping a beat. She gazed around at everyone going about their lives, unaware of what she had just done. Emily sat down on a wooden bench and gazed up at the skyscrapers. Her eyes drifted towards the ENGINE unbothered by her tantrum.
Emily's eyes drifted towards a small restaurant nestled between a boutique and a clothing store. She got up and walked towards it, waiting for the traffic light to turn green. The scent of maple syrup, fresh-baked bread, and coffee lingered in the air as she walked through the front door. Her eyes drifted to the chalk menu board. Soft baroque music played as she stood in line to order.
"Can I get an order of waffles and a glass of milk, please?" Emily asked the barista once it was her turn to order.
"Sure, is that cash or card?" The barista asked.
"Oh, I am chosen," Emily replied as she rubbed her neck.
The barista blinked, then shook her head. She then walked towards the kitchen and got her manager.
"She was the fifth person who came in talking about being chosen with no mask," the barista explained to her manager as she crossed her arms. "You need to put up a sign or something because I am getting sick and tired of this."
The manager nodded, then sighed.
Emily sighed, then rolled her eyes.
"Ma'am, it's rude to claim chosen status no matter how hungry you are," the manager said.
Emily rubbed her face as her eyes drifted towards the customers who were staring at her and gossiping.
"I am not in the mood for this gatekeeping bullshit," Emily grumbled as she froze time again.
Emily walked into the kitchen and then rubbed her hands through her hair. She dug through the kitchen ingredients, then groaned. Her eyes drifted towards the oven, flour, and waffle maker. A frown formed on her face as she slowly blinked, realizing she didn't even know how to make waffles. Mulberry glowed in her eyes as she materialized a plate of waffles at the waiter's counter.
"It's not the same," she grumbled as she took a bite, then dumped the waffles in the trash.
The white mask materialized back on her face seconds later as she rewound time.
Emily's eyes drifted towards a small restaurant nestled between a boutique and a clothing store. She got up and walked towards it, waiting for the traffic light to turn green. The scent of maple syrup, fresh-baked bread, and coffee lingered in the air as she walked through the front door. Her eyes drifted to the chalk menu board. Soft baroque music played as she stood in line to order.
"Can I get an order of waffles and a glass of milk, please?" Emily asked the barista once it was her turn to order.
The barista smiled. "Of course, chosen...Can I get you anything else?"
Emily shook her head as a frown formed on her face.
"Let me get you a table," the barista said as she gestured for Emily to follow her.
Customers' eyes widened at Emily's white mask as she walked past them.
"Here we are. You sure you don't want anything else chosen?" The barista asked as Emily took a seat at the wooden table.
Emily rubbed her hands through her hair, then smiled. "Syrup, I guess."
"What type? We got blueberry, maple, butterscotch?"
Emily shrugged. "I'm not picky."
"Alright, I will get all three then," the barista replied as she placed utensils on the table. "I will be right back with your milk and waffles chosen."
Emily nodded, then stared out the window. Her eyes drifted towards the ENGINE hovering in the pristine blue sky before pulling out her diary. She tapped her chin with her pen, then began to jot down lyrics.
"Merchant's hopes in every seam,"
"ENGINE's hum beneath the dream,"
"Thread and needle, ooo–ooo–ooo, Thread and needle,"
"Sewn to a Brightstardress."
"Thread and needle, ooo–ooo–ooo, Thread and needle,"
"Sewn to a Bloomstardress."
"Thread and needle, ooo–ooo–ooo, Thread and needle."
"Sewn to a Deadstardress."
"Thread and needle, ooo–ooo–ooo, Thread and needle,"
"Sewn to a Primestardress."
"Thread and needle, Thread and needle, Thread and needle, Thread and needle,"
"The orphan sewn in a Bright, Bloom, Dead, and Primestardress."