Unicorn

Alex stood in front of the bathroom mirror. Her blue eyes shot lasers into the small, red dot in the middle of her forehead, willing the pimple to explode and disappear. She reached a long fingernail out and began scratching at the spot. It hurt. She bit her bottom lip and scratched harder, drawing blood to the surface. “What are you doing?” came a small voice. Alex jumped. 

“Don’t do that!” she shouted at Annie. Her little sister’s big eyes filled with tears. “No! No! No! Don’t do that!” shushed Alex. She wrapped her arms around Annie’s shuddering shoulders. “Shhh! Mom will hear you! I’m sorry! You just scared me!” Alex justified. Annie began sniffling which settled her breathing. Annie scooted her princess step stool to the second sink and began squeezing out a large chunk of tooth paste. “That’s too much,” scolded Alex. Annie crossed her arms defiantly which caused the green goop to paint across her princess pajamas. The water works began again. This time, Alex sighed and rolled her eyes. She returned to investigating the spot. She began to push on it as her mother came sweeping into the bathroom. Brooke swept her youngest daughter into her arms and carried her to the girls’ bedroom. She helped her reach for the sky so she could pull the dirty pajama top off and pop a fresh one on. Brooke and Annie returned, chatting quietly. Brooke wetted the toothbrush and placed a small, pea sized bit of toothpaste onto the sparkling pink brush. “What are you doing?” she asked Alex who let out a slight yelp while popping her pimple. “Don’t do that,” Brooke brushed her daughter’s fingers from her forehead. “It’ll just make it worse,” she said while reaching for some cream. She squired a dollop onto a bandaid and put it on Alex’s head. Alex grimaced as the cream stung her slightly. Brooke and the girls walked to the bedroom. Brooke read her daughter two bed time stories while Alex listened to some music. Brooke flicked the lights off.

The next morning, Alex stood in front of the bathroom mirror. The pimple seemed to double in size overnight. It also seemed redder. Alex let out an anguished cry. Brooke rushed to her daughter’s side. “Look!” Alex jabbed at her reflection which elicited a sigh from her mother. Annie tugged at Brooke’s purple shirt which left a smear of green toothpaste. “Sweetheart,” Brooke started, trying not to allow the exhaustion permeate her voice, “It always gets worse before it gets better. You’re a teenager. These things happen. Wash your face and apply more cream. Do not pick at it,” her blue eyes bore into Alex’s. Alex grumbled and turned on the warm tap water. She angrily washed her face, paying special attention to the spot. “Softer,” chastised her mother as she blotted the toothpaste from her blouse. Alex dramatically began scrubbing her face softly, rolling her eyes in her mind. Then, she squirted a large amount of cream onto her left index finger. She shoved it onto the spot. Brooke conducted the girls out to the car where Alex slumped angrily in the passenger seat. Annie yammered happily in the back, kicking at Alex’s seat as she went. As the blue minivan pulled up to the curb of the high school, Alex began unbuckling and placed her hand on the door handle, ready. “Do not pick at your spot,” reminded Brooke. Alex did not answer her mother as she threw her body out as fast as it could. She scanned the crowd of teens entering the school and began to jog to catch up to Melanie and Patricia. 

The girls embraced quickly and then chattered all the way to the locker. “Is it that noticeable?” inquired Alex nervously. Her friends nodded silently and Alex grimaced. 

Patricia placed a warm hand on Alex’s shoulder, “Don’t worry. It’ll clear up before Alexis’ end of year bash.” Alex’s heart began to pump loudly. She had forgotten about Alexis Clearwater’s end of year bash. Her cheeks flushed a bright red and she leaned against her green locker. “Oh, God! I completely forgot!” her hand flew to her forehead, hitting the spot. This caused her to grimace in pain. Patricia laughed, gently teasing Alex. “How could you forget?” asked Melanie. She tossed a long, chestnut curl over her shoulder and swung her pink oversized purse over her shoulder. Alex shoved her French textbook and binder into her boring, blue backpack angrily. “I don’t know!” lamented Alex. The bell rang and the girls embraced goodbye. Alex walked quickly to her French class, her tennis shoes squeaking on the white tiles. She mumbled a quick “Bonjour,” to her teacher and sat at her usual desk. She rested her face in her hands, feeling more color rise to her cheeks. 

“Bonjour!” came a dramatic voice. Alex turned to see Other Alex, AKA Boy Alex. His perfectly styled dark curls made all the girls of the school swoon. But he was just Boy Alex to Alex. They had grown up as neighbors. Their mothers were delighted that they had the same idea to name their children the same name. “Alex, leave me alone!” scolded Alex. Boy Alex slumped in his plastic chair. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled. She stared down at the cream colored desk. Madame entered the room and began conducting the class. The final bell rang and dismissed the teens. Alex stood quickly as she did her best to rush past Boy Alex. “Hey!” Boy Alex reached a hand out to her. “What’s wrong?” he asked. Alex’s hands left her forehead and Boy Alex began to laugh. Alex stomped her feet loudly. “I’m sorry!” he said, waving his hands in surrender at her. 

“I knew it!” Alex hissed. She defiantely turned her back and began to head out the door. Boy Alex jogged to do his best to catch up to her. In the busy hallway, he pulled her to the side. A few tears pricked her eyes. “Hey, I’m sorry. It’s not that bad. I shouldn’t have laughed,” he said. Alex smiled up at him. The first bell rang so she squeezed his arm and headed to her next class. Alex couldn’t help but check her spot each passing period. It seemed to have grown even more. The cream was not helping, she thought. When she caught the bus home, she began picking at the spot. The bumpy road made her lose her focus every so often. However, she felt a massive pop after a few minutes. Alex was relieved. She rushed to the bathroom to investigate her handiwork. The spot had shrunk! She yelled out in victory. Annie’s little voice chimed in, “What’s wrong?” Alex took her little sister’s grimy hands in her clean ones and began to dance with her. Alex was laughing, Annie was laughing. “Nothing, nothing is wrong! The pimple is gooonneee!” she sang out. She lifted her sister and twirled her in the bathroom. Alex set her sister down, roaring with laughter. She turned on the tap water and gently washed her face. The spot was now a miniscule red dot. Alex dabbed, dramatically, at her face with a clean towel. 

Over dinner her mother noticed the change, “The cream worked, huh?” Her mother shoved a spoonful of spinach onto Annie’s princess plate. Alex rolled her eyes, but just nodded in agreement. Her mother would just yell at her when she found out that popping the zit made it disappear. Alex set out glasses and plates on the table. Dinner was surprisingly easy. Annie ate two bites of spinach without being asked. Work had gone well for her father which put him in a cheery mood. Brooke sipped a small glass of wine which put her in the sweet spot of tipsy enough to be happy, but not drunk enough to bring up everyone’s flaws. And, most importantly, the pimple was gone. Alex even offered to read Annie’s stories to her. She went to bed with a smile, dancing on her lips. Alex awoke, startled that her forehead hurt; a glance to her alarm clark indicated 2am. She stumbled to the bathroom and let out a scream at her reflection. The pimple had returned with a vengeance. Her fingers flew to her face and she began popping as hard as she could. A cry escaped her lips as the pimple exploded sending white goop flying at the mirror; shrapnel from another skin war. She washed her face and applied a layer of her mother’s cream. 

Alex’s alarm rang out much more quickly than she thought was deserved. She rubbed the layers of sand left from the sandman from her eyes. Her forehead still ached, but it was less prominent than before. This gave her a shot of hope. Alex stared at her feet, willing them to walk to the bathroom and turned on the shower . She shampooed and conditioned her blonde hair, frowning at the way it clumped together. Alex washed her body and reached for her face wash. She began to scrub her cheeks and cried out in pain as she hit the large spot. It was hot and wet. Alex rinsed her face off and stepped out of the shower. She quickly wrapped herself in a towel and stared at the reflection. A large bump had replaced the once small spot. It oozed slightly, too. She was humiliated. When she examined her hands, Alex found they had become covered in small zits as well. She found spots covering her arms, her fingers, and a few one each cheek. Alex fell to the ground, shuddering sob leaving her heart. Brooke rushed into the bathroom and wrapped her arms around her daughter. She placed a call to work saying her daughter was ill. “I’m going to drop your sister off, then we’re going to the doctor, ok?” offered Brooke. She quickly stopped by Annie’s school and called Alex’s on the way saying that Alex would be absent. Then, she called the pediatrician who referred her to a dermatologist. Alex had one a grey, oversized T shirt and a pair of black leggings. Her mother scooped her up and placed her in the car. 

Tears covered the seat and ran down Alex’s cheeks like a leaky faucet. The doctor could barely convince her to show her face. Shame, guilt, and embarrassment flooded Alex’s cheeks, dying them a seemingly permanent red. “Well, we’re going to have to cut the big one. I can provide medicine for the smaller ones,” assessed the doctor as he turned her arms over in his gloved hands. He removed his gloves and called for the nurse. She entered, her short red ponytail swinging gently as she walked. She washed her hands as Alex reached for her mother. Brooke held on tight, uttering a prayer underneath her breath. The nurse applied an antiseptic followed by a numbing gentle. The doctor returned and washed his hands while Alex’s flew to her forehead. The numbing gel felt mysterious on her skin. “Don’t touch,” scolded the doctor. “That’s how we got into this mess.” Brooke and Alex sat in silent shame. He stepped closer to her and examined her spot. He squinted at her and the creases are his dark eyes wrinkled. The doctor whispered something to the nurse who stepped close to Alex. She began to feel like an exhibit unwillingly on display. The masks were the only thing keeping the providers’ hot coffee breath at bay. She shivered under their watchful gaze. The doctor reached for his scalpel. He slowly began to cut the spot open. Alex’s eyes squeezed shut tightly.

It began to ooze, slightly at first. Then, it burst like it had for Alex. Once again, the goop shot out like rockets in a war zone. The doctor, nurse, and Brooke let out a gasp while desperately wiping the goop from their scrubs and bare arms. Alex let out a sigh, “Don’t. They’ll spread.” The nurse looked horrified as she rushed to the sink. Sure enough, this time, within minutes, spots began to spread on the doctor and the nurse. From the landline in the examination room, the doctor phoned the front desk who phoned the CDC. Alex was rushed from her mother’s side to a quarantine room. The doctor and the nurse recieved their own rooms. Alex discovered that room 202 became as busy as a beehive. Nurses brought it breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, and supper. They brought tests and shared results. Brooke pressed her face up to the glass and offered a gloves hand a few hours a day, reaching through the clear plastic. Weeks past and no answer was brought. One evening, in the dark of the hospital, Alex was releasing her pent up rage and sadness. She was surprised to see her mother’s flushed face, brow knit it worry, standing at the window pane.

Next to Brooke was a woman that Alex did not recognize. She stood tall next to her mother and she could tell her long, grey hair was once blonde and slightly curled. She did not stand with a hunch, nor did her face have too many wrinkles. However, she maintained a dignified stance, her head held aloft slightly, like an invisible angel was holding her chin up slightly in the palm of their hand. She had piercing blue eyes, just like Brooke and Alex. Annie had inherited her father’s deep, brown eyes. The elderly woman was looking directly at Alex, their eyes locked in a blue stare. Very slowly, the woman reached a wrinkled hand up to the window and placed it, palm down, against the glass. Alex found herself in a trance, drawn to the hand. She threw back her blankets, slowly. Her spots pained her slightly with each movement. She stood and raced to the hand. Her mother looked at her and nodded silently. Alex raised her hand to match the woman’s. 

In an instant, Alex was transported. She stood in the center of a warm meadow. Tall, rich grass reached up to her waist. Her hospital gown had been replaced by a sheer, cream colored sheath. She was no longer covered in spots! She was clean! And relieved. Butterflies danced softly in the air, their wings reflecting sunlight like dresses at a disco. The meadow was quiet, all but a gentle breeze was at peace. In front of her stood the older woman, but she was no longer old. She was a tall, blonde goddess. Her curls cascaded down her back like a waterfall and she wore a dazzling white dress. She extended out a soft hand to Alex saying in a melodic voice, “Come with me.” She led Alex through the meadow and to a large lake. Each step Alex took caused the grass to part like the sea. Thousands of blades rushed into where she once stood and erased her steps. The lake was larger than anything she had seen before. She attempted to glance at the other side, but only saw hints of a distant white sand beach. The woman entered the lake, but motioned that Alex should remain where she stood. 

The woman was engulfed in a brilliant flash of water as it engulfed her body. Alex wasn’t frightened. There was something in her soul telling her to remain still. Her toes squished the sand gently. She smiled down at the imprints in the sand. When she raised her gaze back to the woman, she was gone, replaced by a large unicorn. She screamed. But it was silent. She tried to scream louder, but no sound would exit; despite her pushing air out as fast and hard as she could. The unicorn stood tall, proud, and majestic. Her coat gleamed; water droplets caught the sun’s rays and projected hundreds of miniature rainbows. Alex remained in her place. Stunned. The waves of the lake began crashing onto the beach. Alex began running along the edge of the lake as the water rose above the creature’s shoulders. She wanted to catch the creature’s gaze. In the center of its forehead protruded a large, white horn. It didn’t sparkle with magic, but glinted with power akin to a sword. Alex felt for the first time since entering this world, a shiver of fear down her spine. Each wave crashing on the beach pulled the unicorn further from Alex. She shut her eyes to prevent  cold lake water entering them. 

When she opened them, the woman had returned. She beamed at Alex. “You have a choice, my darling,” she extended her hand back out to Alex. They stepped together to the water’s edge. “You can be her,” the water began to ripple. Alex saw a new unicorn standing in the lake. It wasn’t as large as the creature she had seen, but it was still majestic. Her coat didn’t shine as brightly, but the sun still caught the water droplets and caused smaller rainbows. She also noted that this unicorn didn’t have a horn. Where the horn may grow one day was a small, red spot. Annie’s fingers flew to her spot, now gone. “You can be you,” reminded the melodic woman. The clear water rippled and was replaced by an image of Alex and Boy Alex. They stood in her front yard. She had on a sleek, red dress. Her hair was in an updo with tendrils of curled hair framing her soft face. Her lips were covered in a sweet, berry lipstick. Her neck was adorned with a pearl necklace. It was the one she envied. The one that once belonged to her mother. Boy Alex stood tall in a classic tux. He embraced her in the scene, kissing her neck. Alex took a step back. She closed her eyes, entranced by the rhythm of the waves. She breathed in the muggy air. Her heart beat fast in her chest. Alex made her choice.