This Doesn't Make Sense.

Trigger Warning: Violence and swearing.

Note: I was heavily inspired by another prompt related to the contest. Enjoy. :)

The room's unfamiliar. 

Whirr-whirr.

I don't know how I got here. 

Whirr-whirr.

It's cold.

Whirr-whirr.

—Who's making pancakes?

Whirr-whirr.

I stayed awake for a little while. I wanted to know what to do before I got up, like, set up a plan or something so I'm not going all in blind.

Whirr-whirr.

I took a couple minutes to observe the room—all of its four, brown plank walls. Most of the room was vacant far I could see, however, there were picture frames, big and small, short or long or round, hung in a jumble above a creme-colored vanity right against the front wall. Within those pictures? Nobody I knew, but with how many of them this—with the vanity, I'm guessing maybe a lady—had, they were likely people she knew far too well, probably family. Speckled here and there were painted portraits of calendar birds, violets, roses, or orchids, and all of the pictures were dimly lit by the yellow light of the lamp perched on top of the far left of the vanity, with a flared white top, green bottom, and silver pull chain. 

Whirr-whirr.

The more I tilted my head, the more I saw the cleanly wooden floor off to the side and a chair sitting next to the right-hand door. One of the only things I could actually recall from the night before hung against the back of the chair, waiting for me: Delfie's purse and my phone.

Sick, so I wasn't mugged. 

Whirr-whirr.

I glanced up at the ceiling fan doing its thing, making this load of white noise I couldn't stand. Dust clung to the rim of the wings. I'm not a professional, but it could use a Swiffer.

Whirr-whirr.

There was a singular window to my left and the blinds were kept slightly open to let more light in. I figured it was early in the morning. I could hear birds and crickets through the windowpane, then the smell of pancakes finally made sense because a part of me still thought it was 11 P.M. I mean, unless this lady likes pancakes late at night. Sometimes Delfie and I eat cereal for dinner. Who knows?

Wait.

Whirr-whirr.

Hold on.

Is she back home yet?

Did she call the cops?

Whirr-whirr.

I sat up and the first thing I wanted to do was reach up and yoink the ceiling fan off, but something felt missing. I limply fell back onto the mattress I slept on. It was as if I couldn't carry my own weight. 

Vrrrbtt.

Vrrrbtt.

I looked at the chair with my—or Delfie's stuff—and my phone's screen vibrated from black to bright blue. In bold white lettering was my alarm and friendly reminder: School, bus @8:50am, Engl class @10:30am.

Vrrrbtt.

Vrrrbtt.

I must've left it on by accident. Classes aren't until next week.

Whirr-whirr.

I turned to the edge of the bed and pushed the covers off to the side. I seemed to be okay—knock on wood—but that same feeling locked onto me, grabbed ahold of me, and it wouldn't let go.

Vrrrbtt.

Vrrrbtt.

Still, something. was. missing.

Far as I could remember, Delfie left for home, I had everything I needed and everything I brought with me before...

Whirr-whirr.

Vrrrbtt.

Vrrrbtt.

Before...

Whirr-whirr.

Vrrrbtt.

Vrrrbtt.

I lost my train of thought.

Before "what", again?

Whirr-whirr.

I combed a hand through my hair, pulled it out of my face and what strands were stuck to the corners of my lips. I went to go turn the alarm off. 

Vrrrbtt.

Vrrrbtt.

I saw the chair. I saw the purse on top of it. I saw my phone, and the glint of its cracked screen below me when it automatically shut off for another five minutes.

I watched it all rise above me as my body collided with the floor.

Whirr-whirr.

Vrrrbtt.

Vrrb...

Vrr...

Vv...

...

I shut my eyes, clenching my teeth in an attempt to swallow down racket this close from leaving my mouth. I curled over my legs. A sharp pain spread to the shoulder I landed on. I wrapped an arm over my knees, but my hand felt only one and the other was simply— air.

Whirr-whirr.

Oh.

Whirr-whirr.

I squinted. Maybe if I did it hard enough, I could laugh it off as my sluggish brain playing tricks on me. Maybe I'd blink my eyes twice-to-three-times, and everything would be back to normal, but the realization sunk like a stone in my stomach, and I felt like holding more than a cry of pain in my throat. My right thigh was a bandaged stub. There was nothing else below it.

Ohh..

Whirr-whirr.

I heard fossette water run from behind the door. The fresh little clink of dishes and cups hitting the kitchen sink and some laughter echoed down the hall. 

Suddenly pancakes made me nauseous.

Whirr-whirr.

Whirr-whirr.

Whirr-whirr.

Whirr-whirr.

Where'd my fucking leg go?

___________________________________________

"Home is where I want to be,

Pick me up and turn me around."

You know puzzles? I already know you do. There's a board right in front of you, but it takes time to fill it in with the pieces. There's a back side. There's a front side, too, and one's colored in with art and the other's bland and blanked-slated. Empty. 

My mind's empty.

"I feel numb,

Born with a weak heart."

"I guess I must be having fun."

My mind's empty, and I'm trying to fill in whatever I can, but my pieces aren't colorful and filled with art. They're bland. Blank-slated. Empty. None of my memories make sense.

The loud music drowned out the other voices in between commercial breaks and "K-ROQ... Ray-dee-yoh!" I found an umbrella underneath the bed, next to an old shoe box, a toolbox, and a stack of books. It was good enough to get me hobbling around.

"The less we say about it the better."

"Make it up as we go along."

I didn't put too much of my weight against the umbrella. I wrapped my hand around the curled handle and leaned against it when I couldn't use the hallway wall for support.

"Feet on the ground,

Head in the sky."

It took a lot of courage for me to open door, because I had no way of knowing whether or not it'd be a bad idea. Then I thought: Well, if they wanted to hurt me more, they would've done it already. And if they wanted to wait to hurt me, I'm royally screwed either way. I'm not exactly built to "make a break for it."

In comparison to the Lady's room, the rest of the house looked to be filled. From down the hall, there were more pictures in frames lined down the walls, and the pictures were filled with landscape art rather than calendar birds and floral. There were three other rooms. Two were to my right; one room was to my left; they were all closed. The floor had this long, rectangular carpet and it felt comforting walking down it with my sock on— I couldn't find my shoes anywhere. 

"It's okay, I know nothing's wrong, nothing."

"You sure she should be eating that right now?" A girl, who seemed to be around my age, asked over the radio and what I made out to be the TV set in the room next door.

"Hi yo, I got plenty of time."

"I don't think that matters with concussions?" This person sounded like a girl too, but her voice was deeper and more mature than the first. "Chill. Just don't shake her around and she'll be fine."

"Hi yo, you got light in your eyes."

"That's not funny," The younger girl retorted.

They were all kind of hard to hear from up the stairway, but I clanged to the edge and listened around the corner. I slowly advanced down the steps and the group of three-or-four came into view. There was "touch down!" and cheering coming from the other room again. Someone had to be there.

"And you're standing here beside me."

"I love passing the time."

The counter was white and framed the open kitchen. The floor was tan tile.

"Didn't say it was, did I? If she needed anything at all, Daphne would've told us right from the start." The older girl leaned against the counter. Her hair was dark, curly, and fell over her tan shoulders.

"Never for money,

always for love."

"I don't think you're taking this as seriously though. She could've died. Then what?"

"Cover us and say goodnight."

"Well, last I checked, she didn't. She's right up there, stu-pid! That should matter more."

"Say goodnight."

The younger girl stood on the opposite end of the counter, beside a guy washing a bowl. He fixed some cereal into it. They both looked similar.

The younger girl let out a cackle, "Woah. Try saying that to her family. I dare you. Last I checked, people don't regrow limbs like starfish, bo-zo!" Her light brown hair framed her small face. She sounded like a mouse. High-pitched. Squeaky. A little annoying-

"Hey. Hey. Hey." The guy poked the younger girl's shoulder thrice.

Her head snapped over. She swatted his hand away, "What?"

The older girl smirked.

"Here." He gently slid the bowl of cereal over to her and jutted a thumb toward the stairs, "Just take this up to her before it gets soggy and see if she's awake yet." He ran a hand over the running fossette and flicked droplets the younger girl's way. His voice was hushed yet demanding, "Go."

The younger girl flinched at the water like a cat, "You're just like mom."

"Awe, thanks." He held his hands in the shape of a heart. His lips pulled into a mocking, little grin.

"Home is where I want to be."

"I could check instead?" The older girl offered before glancing up, past the guy's shoulder and she paused. "Never mind."

"But I guess I'm already there."

We both locked eyes, her and I. The other two followed her gaze and saw me there, sitting down and gawking at them from the steps.

The guy noticed the umbrella on my lap and looked at me pitifully, "If you called us, you could've gotten help downstairs instead."

"I come home; she lifted up her wings."

"Uh, yeah." The younger girl awkwardly nodded. She exchanged a glance with the guy before asking, "Are you hungry?" She held up the cereal bowl for me to see.

"I guess this must be the place."

"We were told you weren't a big fan of pancakes, so..." The older girl behind the two shrugged her shoulders. "Unless you want some?"

"I can't tell one from another."

"There's room here if you wanna come and sit down. I don't mind making more pancakes if you do-" The guy had offered, but he was cut off by a scruffy older man peaking by the kitchen's entrance.

"Did I find you,

or you find me?"

"-Looky here. Somebody's finally up!" The older man had short, blonde hair and wore a salmon button-up shirt tucked into a pair of gray slacks. He reminded me of my science professor. One of his hands was tucked behind his back and it made me uneasy. He grinned ear-to-wrinkled-ear at me and turned his attention to the guy in back of the sink, "You should text her. Tell her she's up."

"There was a time before we were born."

"I will if you give me a second," The guy cleaned his hands off with a rag and slapped it against the counter. He felt his back pocket for his phone.

"What time is it?" Older-scruffy-man asked over.

The guy checked the time on his phone and responded back with, "Barely one o' clock now." He started pecking away at his screen.

"Perfect. We'll talk things out soon."

"Yup."

"If someone asks,

this is where I'll be,

where I'll be."

The older girl pulled up a stool tucked underneath the countertop for me and strolled around the counter to assist me, "Let me help you up, girl."

"Hi yo, we drift in and out."

For a minute, I didn't say anything, and I sat there wondering who 'she' was.

"Hi yo, sing into my mouth."

"Hold on." The younger girl stared at me and said over to the older girl, gesturing with a lifted hand. "I think I'd give her a minute, Piper. She looks confused."

"Out of all those kinds of people."

"You got a face with a view."

"I'd be." The older man's face contorted into a frown. He caught my eye. Not like that, but at the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of sleek, black metal. He motioned with a gun in the hand he hid and loosely shrugged a shoulder, "Who's wanting to take watch this time around? 'Cause I'm sleepy."

"I'm just an animal looking for a home,

and share the same space for a minute or two."

My heart sank.

"... I'm good." I grasped onto the stairway railing and pulled myself up. "I don't know... I'm not hungry."

"And you love me 'til my heart stops."

They stared at me like they saw a teacher outside of school.

"Love me 'til I'm dead."

"Are you sure?" 'Older girl', Piper, asked. Her face displayed some sort of concern. "It's been a while, so maybe it's better you eat something. You might feel better."

I'd feel better if I weren't here.

"Eyes that light up, eyes look through you."

"Cover up the blank spots."

"Hit me on the head."

"I'm not hungry." I repeated, this time, impatiently as I began to hike back upstairs with the Lady's umbrella.

"And ah-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh."

A pair of footsteps shadowed me up the second flight and down the hallway.

"Ah-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh."

"Hey."

"Ah-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh."

"Ah-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh."

I quickened my pace, weaved behind the door and closed it shut behind me. Locked it on the other end. The footsteps ceased on the other side, and I felt a presence.

I sat on the edge of the bed and watched the doorknob twist, rattle and twist again.

Whirr-Whirr.

Whirr-Whirr.

There were a couple light taps on the door. "You really should eat something," One out of the four said. They sounded like the younger dude. "I'm sorry if we scared you. This must be a lot to handle."

Whirr-Whirr.

Whirr-Whirr.

He twisted the knob again. Silence. He tapped on the door again. Silence.

Whirr-Whirr.

And then he was gone, and I was left alone with the world's creakiest ceiling fan.