She concentrated deeply, forcing herself to reach for the memories buried beneath layers of resistance. It was difficult painfully so but not nearly as impossible as the ancient book she was still trying to crack open.
Closing her eyes, her breathing slowed.
Then her hands began to shift.
At first it was subtle a twitch of her fingers, a tightening of the veins beneath her skin. But slowly, horrifically, her once fair skin darkened, turning an unnatural shade as though rot spread beneath the surface. The flesh thinned. Her knuckles protruded sharply. The skin clung too tightly to bone, almost skeletal. Her nails lengthened into jagged, dirty crescents, cracked and claw-like. The skin itself looked rooted as if something had grown inside it and claimed it.
It was not a pleasant sight.
Vanessa grimaced, swallowing hard as she stared at Dana's hand. Or rather, what it was becoming.
Then—
The memories came rushing in.
They didn't flow.
They slammed.
A girl with brunette hair appeared in fragments laughter first, then her eyes, then her entire form. She bore a striking resemblance to June. Same cheeks. Same height. Same build. But younger. Softer. Lacking the hardened edges June now carried. Lacking the hate.
It was June. A few years back.
She was walking behind the dorm building, her steps light, cautious. She moved like someone trespassing in her own life. Her eyes darted left and right before proceeding, scanning for witnesses.
The scene snapped abruptly.
Another girl stood there now.
Exactly the same features.
Same hair. Same face. Same build.
Like staring into a mirror that had stepped out of its frame.
Gabriella Jenkins.
And June were twins!.
"You're not supposed to be here," the other girl said, panic evident in her voice probably Gabriella.
"And why can't I?" June retorted. Her voice was calm,btoo calm, but laced with something venomous beneath it.
"You're the one who said you were noticing strange things in your school. That it's creepy. That something is off. Didn't you say you wanted to leave?" June tilted her head slightly, eyes narrowing. "So what are you still doing here?"
Her tone shifted suddenly, light. Almost affectionate.
"Come with me. Let's go."
Gabriella's breathing quickened. "How did you even get in here, June?"
A small smile curved June's lips. "It wasn't so hard. You know how your school is during registration. They barely check faces."
She stepped closer.
"Now let's go." now her voice was somewhat desperate.
She grabbed Gabriella's hand roughly, fingers digging into skin, and pulled.
"Leave me!" Gabriella cried, shoving her away with surprising force.
June crashed to the ground.
And something changed.
The warmth that once lived in her eyes vanished completely. What replaced it burned. Pure. Blazing. Ancient.
It made one wonder what Gabriella had done, what invisible betrayal existed between them, to make June look at her own twin like that.
"You want to stay?" June whispered as she rose slowly. "Sure. I knew you would."
Her voice trembled, not with fear. With fury.
"You've always been like that. Always wanting the good things for yourself. Always pretending you care."
"What are you talking about?" Gabriella stepped back, fear creeping in. June wasn't herself. Not anymore.
"For the last time," June said, reaching out again, "we are not supposed to be here."
She lunged.
But Gabriella turned and sprinted.
Her footsteps echoed against the concrete walls of the dorm building. Panic made her sloppy. She didn't make it far.
June was faster.
She caught Gabriella by the hair, yanking her backward violently. Gabriella screamed, the sound cut short as June slammed her head against the wall.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
Again.
The sound became sickening. Dull. Wet.
Blood splattered against brick.
"You want to stay?" June screamed, her voice spiraling into something unrecognizable. "Fine! Stay! Stay, stay, stay!"
She slammed her head again.
"And don't ever come back again! Stay here!"
Gabriella's body went limp.
But then—
A voice.
Faint.
"Gabriella… stop…"
The words were weak. Barely audible.
"Gabriella...p–please stop".
The world seemed to glitch.
The scene shattered like glass dropped from a height.
Now Gwen appeared, dragging an unconscious, bloodied body across the ground. Her hands were shaking. Tears streamed freely down her face.
"June… hey. Wake up. June!" Gwen's voice cracked, desperate.
June lay on the floor, her head bleeding. Her breathing shallow. Too shallow.
Gwen dropped beside her, cradling her face.
"Don't do this. Don't leave me."
Her eyes darted around frantically before settling on something ahead, she sighed, almost in defeat, she stared at June's body, watching as her breathing became more lighter and lighter. More tears streamed down her face before her expression hardened, looking ahead,
A clocktower, she looked at it, at that moment it was obvious she had made up her mind, it was looming, silent, watching.
Determination replaced panic in Gwen's expression. She dragged June again, struggling beneath the weight, heading toward the direction of the tower.
The scene dissolved once more.
This time, it went blank.
Then Dana appeared, crouched low, her expression clouded with confusion as if she had just been dropped into a dream she didn't belong in.
She slowly rose to her feet, turning in slow circles.
"What…happened" Vanessa whispered.
Dana stood nearby, her transformed hand slowly returning to normal, though her face remained pale.
"What?" she asked quietly, sensing the shift in Dana's tone.
Dana swallowed, her eyes still distant.
"I'm quite confused too."