Diary of Ivory Black

Chapter 14: Unintended

    Camilla was standing before her favorite mirror, proud. She held her head high as she further examined her appearance. It was almost like the real person. But still, she couldn’t help but feel unsatisfied, like there was something missing.

    She hummed a soft tune as she fixed her freshly dyed hair and straightened her brand new white dress. And that’s when she realized. Her voice.

    Her voice was different. It wasn’t the way she wanted it to be. It was…Off. Incorrect. Imperfect. Flawed.

    “Looks like I need to take a voice acting lesson soon,” She thought to herself, “And then I’ll have to take up plastic surgery once I’m old enough.”

    “I need to look exactly like her.” She thought to herself., for the billionth time in her entire life.

    Suddenly, a loud vibrating sound of the “I’m a Barbie girl” ringtone echoed through the room. Camilla cursed herself for forgetting to change her ringtone. She sighed in annoyance and quickly picked up the call.

    “Yeah, who or whatever it is, it better be important.” She quickly said as she impatiently tapped her right foot.

    “It’s me.” The voice simply said.

    “Oh, well if it isn’t my favorite person ever, how are you doing Violet?” She greeted with glee.

    “I finished reading the whole thing.” Violet quickly stated.

    “Oh, good for us then.” She cheered.

    “Yeah, one problem though.” Violet quickly said. Camilla’s smile quickly dropped into a frown.

    “What?” The noirette jabbed.

    “Mei’s on the hill right now, I saw her passing by my house running like a maniac towards the damn thing.”

    “Will she leave tonight?”

    “Probably not.”

    “Well, you could always go to my place then,” Camilla suggested, “Besides, the meeting point can always be compromised.”

    “Then why’d you insist going there the first two times?” Violet puzzled.

    “Because I want to see the guilt spreading across your face, as you tell me all your friend’s secrets,” Camilla said simply. “Anyway, I’ll be busy now. Toodles!”

    Anna was back on her front porch. It felt like she was going to face death herself. Who knew that she could be so silent.

    The house seemed empty from the outside, but Anna knew that her sister was still in there. Waiting patiently for her to come inside. Anna could feel her sister’s presence looming inside the house, like a ghost in a haunted house.

    She’s already thinking of various scenarios and strategies as she slowly approaches the front door. Her sister will either be right in front of her immediately or wait patiently somewhere hidden. And she’ll likely have her dagger with her, or use her bare hands.

    But thinking of these various scenarios was very much useless for Anna. And if being honest, making things worse. These thoughts had only managed to cower Anna slightly. And handling Adriane was almost always a matter of chance, so, strategies’ thrown out of the window.

    Things would very much be helped if Anna had thought of bringing a weapon with her before she got here. But alas, she did no such thing.

    The door wooden door made an unusually loud creaking noise, as Anna slowly opened it. She stepped inside the house, her eyes slowly adapting to the lack of lights in the house. It appears that Adriane had cut the power out, as the flipping the light switch has done Anna no benefit.

    Anna went down the hall to check on her room. Of course, in a state of a shipwreck.

    She sighed and promptly walked over to her sister’s room. Locked.

    She muttered curses and various profanities as she went upstairs to Ivory’s room. Passing by the empty kitchen and living room. She busted the door open, expecting Adriane to quickly jump at her and pin her to the floor once more. But once again, the room was empty.

    “Oi, Adriane!” Anna shouted on top of her lungs, “I’m here! Come and get me, you coward!”

Once again, silence.

    Mei was relentlessly flipping through the worn out pages of Ivory’s diary, unsure of what she’d read.

She was flipping back and forth through the first and second diary, skimming through the pages as she carefully re-read the entries. Over and over again.

    She was dumbfounded of what she’d read.

    Ivory had feelings for her.

    Ivory liked her.

    Ivory loved her.

    Ivory loved her. That was all she had inside her head. Those three words, repeating endlessly in her mind. Mei’s heart began racing as her face heats up. It was almost as if Ivory had just confessed this to her. Right then and there, on their favorite place ever. She felt that...If she was still alive right now, this was how she would do this. On the hill, as the sun slowly sets, the campfire warm and bright.

    And of course, she’d say yes. And there was a jab of pain in her heart as she realized that.

    She was more than fond of Ivory, she knew that much. And they’ve been friends for years. Very good friends. It wasn’t strange to see the feelings they’ve developed for each other. So besides founding out that Ivory’s Bisexual, this wasn’t much of a surprise.

    But then, what does this mean to her? Ivory’s dead. She knows this very well. So unless someone already found out a way to bring back the dead, this means nothing to her. But of course, it’s never anything.

    Mei laughed, then cried. A lonely and quiet cry, accompanied with only the cold wind and the warm and bright campfire. It felt as if the hill itself was crying silently with her. Making only the slightest of sound, to give Mei the peace she needed. Peace. Not silence.

    Mei quirked her head up, watching the fire before her dance slowly. She remembers her hallucination once more.

     “I didn’t mean it to end up like this.”

    Mei recited those words once more in her head, like a mantra. It gives her a flicker of hope that Ivory was sincere about all of this. That Ivory’s feelings were real, and that this wasn’t just some elaborate prank she was pulling off from beneath the grave.

    Mei slowly grabbed one of the diaries, slowly opening them with the utmost delicacy. Careful as to not stain them with her tears, Mei began reading a random page. It was one of Ivory’s useless rants, one Mei’s gotten used to hearing every day. Yet, she was consumed by each word, she watched her mind slowly withering and sinking into Ivory’s palace of words.

    She traces the dried ink with her index finger. Feeling the slight dent in each word, she finds comfort in them. She recited them inside her mind, hearing Ivory's melodic voice each time she recited the words her friend had written.

    Friend? Were they still friends?

    Mei decided to ignore that thought and instead focuses on her breathing. Finally managing to compose herself, she flips to the next page and started reading it with the help of a flashlight that her father had packed in her bag for her.

    Log 3. 165

    I met an old friend today. Well... “friend” is a very subtle word to describe a new enemy. We used to be friends, that’s all I can say. Too much said, and she’ll be on my tail again.

    Camilla Vorpex. A little warning to you Mei my friends, stay away from her! At all costs. She is a snake in a form of a teenager, do not a believe a word that she says to you. And worst of all, she’ll be staying in the area for a few months before she goes back to her college, out of town.

    I could go on and on about her, but I don’t want to waste my papers again. Let’s just say we have a history together, I won’t go into detail about it. It’s too dangerous. And I know people may get confused and ask me why I don’t ever mention her, there’s a reason for that. Just trust me on this one, she’s killed before and won’t hesitate to do it again.

    I know how curious all of you can get at times. But this time, for your own good, listen to me.

    Ivory. B

    “Camilla, huh?” Mei mumbled to herself. It’s been a while since she’s heard that name. But of course, as Ivory had advised, she shall stay away from that particular person.

    But what interested Mei was how Ivory had written this entry. Her writing was poor, rushed. And the way she’d phrased her words…

     “Just trust me on this one, she’s killed before and won’t hesitate to do it again.”

    “She’s killed before?” Mei thought to herself as she glanced up to the sky. It was getting dark, it was most likely around seven o’clock.

    She glanced back down at the book as she shifted her position. She’s not leaving anytime soon, so she mine aswell get comfortable.

    “She’s killed before?” Mei repeated her thought once more. Yes, Camilla was more than weird around her, but she didn’t think that it would be possible for the blonde girl to kill. It may have just been a hyperbolic accusation or a joke. But Mei couldn’t seem to shake the feeling…

    Ivory has always been very careful with her choice of words, especially with important things like her diary. And now that Mei had thought of it, she did remember Ivory saying something about the girl having some sort of mental illness.

    “Perhaps that’s why she’s not in jail.” Mei thought to herself as she set the red book down, and picks up the other one. Whatever Ivory had meant in her warning entry, it’s more important that Mei actually heeds the actual warning. The questions can come later, as curiosity might result in the thing Ivory had feared. As the entry had stated.

    Mei re-reads the entries, skipping the ones that were about Ivory’s love for her, as she could not bear to read any word of it.

    After a while, she started settling into a routine. She hummed peacefully as she imagined the words in Ivory’s voice, occasionally looking up to rest her eyes and watch the sky turn dark.

    After a long period of time, Ivory’s voice was no longer painful to hear. And Mei finally has the closure she needed. Maybe.

    But she couldn’t help but find some form of discomfort in some of the things Ivory had written. Namely (some) of the entries in her second book.

    It mentioned a lot of things about the financial crisis in Ivory’s family of two. A lot of money problems, unpaid bills, and other things of the sort. Mei recognized this part in Ivory’s life, as this was the time where Ivory would almost always skip lunch to avoid spending money. She’d even sometimes walk home, to avoid taking hours off of her mom’s work and to conserve gasoline.

    “I’ll be fine.” Ivory would always say, as she slowly walked outside the school gate, and onto the road.

    Mei remembered Olive offering to help and lend a few bucks to her friend multiple times, but Ivory would always decline. Either by pride or humility. Most likely the latter, knowing Ivory.

    Mei sighed at the thought as she flipped to another page.

     Log 2. 66

    Despite my constant arguments with my mom, I love her. She holds a very dear place in my heart, and I’d do everything I can to make her proud of me.

    And I know, despite her denial, that we’re not too good on the financial side of life. With her three jobs, she still sometimes has trouble paying for my education.Those late nights of work hour have gotten a toll on her health too. But it’s not like we have the money to take care of that right now.

    I mean, sure, I can convince Adriane to help us every now and then. But that can’t go on forever. And with college coming soon, this problem’s only going to escalate.

    So that’s why I’m applying for a scholarship.

    I mean, no harm in trying. Right? And if I suddenly decide that the money’s better off for my mother, I could still go to college. Except with less money and a free place to stay in.

    And if I fail? I ‘ll just not go to college at all, so I can help my mom with work.

    See? It’s a win-win situation. So there’s no going back now! Afterall, I already applied. And I’m not gonna write about how I got her signature for “parent’s consent”.

    But I want to surprise my mom on this. I’m not gonna tell anyone until the first-day college starts!

    Now, all I have to do is a study like hell.

    Ivory. B

    Mei blinked a few times as she adjusted her glasses. She recited the entry over and over again, just to make sure this wasn’t a hallucination.

    She didn’t know.

    Nobody knew.

    “Ivory…” Mei chuckled, “You should’ve told me.”

    “I’m not sorry.” Was most likely what Ivory would say. And Mei giggled at the thought.

    Mei huffed a deep breath, then flipped over a few pages. Trying to see if there was a continuation of the story. And after a while of searching, she finally found another entry. Granted it was in the other diary, but at least she found it.

     Log 3. 158

    I got accepted to a few scholarships. But I’m having trouble choosing the best one.

    Oh yeah, I applied for more than one scholarship at the same time. Just so I have a backup, in case I didn’t get accepted to a few ones.

    I’m thinking somewhere with an Ivy league, but close to home. Moving to a new city for college would be nice, but I still want to visit my mom every now and again.

    And going to an Ivy league school will probably be a good boost to my future job resume. Plus, my nickname is “Ivy”. So I have to get to an Ivy league school. Right?

    Also, I still don’t think to be a movie director would pay well. But it’s my dream, so…

    Ivory. B

    “Oh,” Mei said quietly. She slowly closed the book and set it down on top of the other one. She stared at the burning campfire, watching intently as it whipped small sparks of flames in the air. The fire’s begining to shrink, little by little.

    “Looks like I need more wood.” Mei thought to herself as she got up, and griped her flashlight in her hand as she took out her axe from the bag. Making sure to shove the two diaries into the bag before slinging it on to her shoulders.

    She kept her guard up as she crept around the dim little hill, with only the half-full moon and her flashlight to light her path. Slowly and carefully searching for fire wood.

    Her poor and dim little sight was of no way helping her in her search. She shivered in her rain coat as she carefully avoided tree branches and pebbles, struggling to keep her hands steady as she tightened the grip on her flashlight.

    Her mind was filled paranoia as she slowly picked up the fire woods. Even the natural rustling of the bushes felt like hell to deal with.

    She has been doing this before. Going down the hill alone. But something made it different tonight. Maybe her eyesight was getting worse, or the bushes were unusually dry tonight. Something seemed to be bothering her.

    But the fear dissipated a bit, once she came back to the campfire. The place serves as a sort of sanctuary for her, as it was the only near place with good lighting and heat. Though, that’s about to change. As the firewood, she’d collected had turned out to be too damp to be burned. So the campfire will go out in about an hour, two hours if she’s lucky.

    She sighed and set down her bag, tossing the damp fire woods beside it. She grabbed a few pages of unused newspaper from her bag and set it on the ground, as to not stain her pants when she sits. She recognized the paper from yesterday’s issue and proceeded to read some of the articles on it out of boredom.

    She finally stopped when she realized that the fire was starting to dim. Dim enough to stop reading the articles even further. Well, it’s not like she was actually interested on the current political conditions of the world. One would say that it’s better for not knowing about such things in these trying times.

    She sighed, then grabbed her bag. Checking to see if her father and Olive had packed a book or something to read for her. It appears that the diary was the only thing they expect her to read tonight.

    So she did just that.

    She grabbed the second diary, then started flipping through the pages. Once again skipping through the entries about Ivory’s feelings for her. But no matter what she does, she always landed back on that one entry.

     Log 2. 66

    She couldn’t get her mind of off it. It’s not the fact that she was upset about it. No, she was actually very happy about Ivory’s scholarship. No. Something felt…Off.

    Ivory said that she’d use the money to either go to college or help her mother. Meaning that if Ivory had decided to use the money to help her mother, she’d still be able to go to college. She could still afford it.

    She closed the book and stared at the cover, trying to concentrate more on her thoughts.

    “So if Ivory could use the scholarship money to help her mother, that means she could use it for something else.” Mei simplified. “Okay that’s not too weird, right?”

    Mei’s thoughts started to wander off.

    “She wrote this on the second diary, which made sense considering that it’ll take a while to study and enter a scholarship.” Mei thought to herself as she fiddled with the red book.

    “But wait, where was this diary found again? Anna found it on Adriane. After Ivory died.” Mei continued, “I wonder if the school Ivory would go to have found out about Ivory’s death? Not like it matters anyway.”

    “But what Adriane did was normal. Adriane must’ve found it somewhere in the house, right?” Mei whispered aloud, “Granted, she’s probably already read all of this already. So it means that she already know about the—Oh no.”

    Anna sighed as she closed the wooden door to her room, only for it to come off of its hinges and fall down. It appears that she’ll be sleeping tonight with the bedroom door and windows open. Well, open wasn’t the right term. The correct term would be broken, but Anna wants to view the lighter side of life every now and then.

    She was about to get on her torn up bed before her phone decided to ring. She silently wonders how that particular thing had managed to survive unscathed, after what had happened.

    “Hello?” Anna said with a yawn, rubbing her eyes from sleep.

    “Anna, it’s me! I found out why Adriane wants the diary!” The voice exclaimed. Anna quickly recognized the voice as Mei.

    “Mei? What are you—Where are you now?” Anna spoke rapidly. All the exhaustion she was feeling was now replaced by anxiety.

    “I’m at the hill. I’m running down as fast as I can!”

    “What? Why!?” Anna blurted in utter panic. Quickly realizing that Mei was alone at the moment.

    “Listen! Ivory was supposed to college on a scholarship! She wanted to surprise all of us by not telling anyone!” Mei quickly said, desperate to get as much information out as she could.

    “What? Where are you getting this from?”

    “The second diary! Listen, you have to tell whatever college Ivory was going to enter, that Ivory’s dead. Or else Adriane’s going to take the scholarship money and—Aagh!” Mei’s words were cut off, and the call had been disconnected.

    “Mei?”