Ploy

Talk

It's that feeling again. The feeling that something is staring at you. I'm not sure how long it had been but I just kept having that feeling. It felt suffocating.

I groggily opened my eyes expecting to see the same scene I had always woken up to. Books all over the place, lights that never seemed to have been extinguished, and me being the only person in my room. Right, that's how it should have been... But.

"Don't you have any shame?" Can't he just respect someone's privacy and leave them and their room alone?

"Says the person who walked around with poo in their pants."

"One, it wasn't poo and two, how did you get in?" I have always locked my room's door ever since I was little. Habits were a little too hard to change, you know. I knitted my brows and asked, "You're not some killer on the loose, right?"

He chortled at my words, looking like he had heard the funniest joke in the world. He abruptly stopped when he saw me looking at him with unkind intentions and explained, "I learned a bit of lock picking when I was a little bit younger."

I raised my brows at his words and let out an understanding expression, "Ah~ so you're not a killer but a thief. I'm sorry I misunderstood you."

"Not a thief either."

"Uh-huh, right~ So mister thief, May I know the reason as to why you are in my room?"

"I'm not a thief." He seemed awfully pissed off at my words. As expected of a miserable, bad-tempered man, just one word and they'd be as fighty as a goose.

"And?"

He paused and looked at me with slight apprehension, then replied, "I just thought you looked a little familiar, so."

"So?"

He squinted his eyes and scrutinized me for a moment before continuing his words, "I just wanted to find out what exactly I found familiar in you."

I was taken aback by his words and suddenly felt the familiar feeling that I had learned to ignore. A bit like déjà vu, and the feeling of someone watching me. I let out a light laugh to mask what I was feeling and ruffled his hair, "Just say that you fell for me and I'll understand, I, after all, am quite a person."

He took off my hand from his hair and looked at me with annoyance. "I would never like a child."

I tilted my head in confusion at not only his words but also the slight pang of anger and pain that I felt. I was never one who minded what people said to me, but I could hardly control myself when I am with Vhilde. I'm pretty sure that it didn't stem from the feeling people call love, nor did it come from me. I have always felt that a part of me wasn't me but I'm not too sure on how it could be so.

"I'm already near my thirties." I rolled my eyes and continued, "I'm not exactly what you would call a child."

He looked at me as if looking at a child, then shook his head and stated, "Still a child."

I looked at him as if looking at someone stupid and inquired, "Your age?" If he ever says a ridiculous number or word, I would really start to think that the creator somehow forgot to give him even a tiny bit of intelligence. Seriously, he may be the type of person that thinks they're some sort of hero or villain. Talk about mental deficiency.

"Just over a year or two older than you..." He gave me a small smile and let out a chuckle, "Time difference," he paused for a second and two and continued, "Maybe a thousand or two, I haven't really paid attention to it that much."

Although he looked like he was telling the truth, I wanted to do nothing more than hit this guy's face and let him wander about the streets for all I cared. I did so much for him and that's what I get, huh. So much for being a good guy.

I sat up and gave him a wry smile and asked, "So, a demon?"

I could see his baffled gaze directed at me. I would also look confused if I were him. Although it was just a guess, I am pretty sure that my face is currently contorted to the point that even I would have trouble recognizing myself.

I didn't let my mind wander off as suppressing the turmoil that kept on rampaging inside me was my outmost priority. I was already acquainted with how the process would work since I had years of prior experience and, although it felt like sh-t, it was also my biggest "inspiration". The reason why I moved out and even bought this cliff for myself was also because of the images I saw during those turmoils.

How long has it been exactly since it started? Was it during the outbreak of demons 15 years ago? Maybe even earlier, around 20 years ago, when they hadn't even been named demons yet but had already started influencing and k-dnapping children. Or much earlier, when I was not even five yet but had woken up finding myself on this cliff overlooking the seemingly endless chasm of darkness.

I took a deep breath and assured myself that everything would end up fine. I then went to the room beside mine and stood in front of a blank canvas. Whatever Vhilde thought of was the least of my concern. For now, I just want to let out the emotions that seemed to overwhelm me and the best way I have always done so was by mixing colors and shapes that would eventually form into a singular scene.

I picked up a '4 wall brush and started to paint the canvas gray. I then used a flat brush and added a few crooked black lines while avoiding the middle part, and added leaves to the trees using a taklon brush before using a natural fan brush, covering them with a light mixture of light blue and a little bit of gray. I continued doing so for around four times while completely avoiding the middle and making them a bit spaced out and random and also taking note of the perspective.

I stopped for a second and looked back at the only other person in the room and asked, "What do you think?"

"A toddler could do better."

My lips twitched at his words and felt utterly hopeless at his prospects. He doesn't really give his good looks justice.