Chapter 116 - Mask on, Mask off

  Jenna sat alone in the cramped office, arms crossed tightly over her chest, and her foot tapping an erratic rhythm. The clock ticked audibly, each second pounding at her already frazzled nerves. Her nails dug into her sleeves.

  What the hell is Morrigan?

  No matter how much she tried to push it down, the thought kept resurfacing. The glowing red eyes, the pale, almost translucent skin, the way she had pulled that knife out of her stomach like it was nothing—it was impossible. People didn’t do that.

  And that smile. Like she was enjoying it. Like she wanted us to see what she was capable of.

  A shiver ran through her.

  No one’s going to believe us.

  The thought hit her like a cold slap. If she tried to explain what really happened, the glowing eyes, the monstrous transformation, she’d either be laughed at, or worse, people would think she’d completely lost her mind.

  Her thoughts shifted to Livy and Tyler, and her scowl deepened. Idiots. Tyler had screamed and run off like a scared rabbit, and Livy hadn’t been much better. She had no faith in their ability to keep their stupid mouths shut. Hopefully they at least would understand nobody is going to believe them about Morrigan. As for Pepper… Jenna knew Livy and Tyler would throw her under the bus. Livy would cry and say, “Jenna made me do it!” and Tyler wouldn’t be much better.

  Her foot tapped faster as she thought about the knife.

  I wasn’t going to use it, she thought defensively. She hadn’t meant for any of this to happen. Things had just... spiraled. And now here she was, sitting in Sarah’s office, waiting to find out if her entire life was about to implode. Though, if it involved her getting kicked out of the shelter, that wouldn’t be so bad. She would be okay with getting as far away from the freak as possible.

  The door clicked as if it had been opened and closed, and Jenna’s head snapped up, her heart lurching in her chest. But there was nobody here. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. It was just the wind or something.

  She tried to distract herself by going over the day's events. She thought of Livy screwing up and not noticing Morrigan hiding, Tyler standing there like the useless lump she was, and Pepper, of all people, actually standing up to her. Pepper. The same girl who could barely get through a sentence without stammering. This was all Morrigan’s fault. Everything was fine until that fucking freak showed up here at the shelter!

  Her fists clenched tighter.

  She’d had control. She deserved to have control after all the shit she’d been through. Abusive foster parents and getting thrown around the system her entire life. Being hungry, being hit, being touched by that social worker who was supposed to be there to help her—that one stuck out clearly in her mind and made her stomach twist with disgust every time she remembered it.

  But she’d finally found somewhere she was safe and in control. Tiffany’s Youth Shelter had been a reprieve from all the crap she’d been through. But now? Now, it felt like everything was slipping through her fingers, and she could do nothing to stop it.

  Footsteps in the hallway made her sit up straighter, her heart pounding again. The door swung open, and Sarah stepped inside, her expression unreadable as she closed the door behind herself.

  Jenna swallowed hard, her defiance faltering for just a moment. Here we go, she thought grimly.

  Sarah sighed deeply and sat down at her desk across from Jenna. “Well, Jenna, Pepper is on her way to the hospital.”

  Jenna's eyes widened. Why would Pepper be the one going to the hospital? She hadn’t punched her that hard.

  Sarah stared her down. “Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

  Jenna didn't really know what to say. But she tried anyway. “It's… not how it may seem. It all started with Morrigan. She had been sneaking out at night and forcing Pepper to cover for her. I was worried about the influence she was having on Pep—”

  “Jenna, enough,” Sarah said sternly. “Don’t even try it. They showed me the video, and I saw everything. You were not thinking about Pepper’s well-being when you punched her in the stomach, and you certainly weren’t when you cut her arm!”

  Cut her arm? That wasn’t right. “What are you talking about?” she asked, her voice sharper than she intended.

  “Pepper is being rushed to the hospital to get stitches in her arm,” Sarah said, her tone unwavering. “Now, I’m sure you didn’t mean to actually cut her, but that doesn’t change the fact that you did. You know having a weapon like that is against house rules, and to make it worse, you used it to threaten someone.” Sarah shook her head, disappointment evident in her eyes. “I’ve also heard you’ve been bullying Pepper for quite a while, and honestly, I can’t express how disappointed I am in you.”

  Sarah continued speaking, but Jenna had stopped listening. She leaned back in her chair, her jaw tight. Well, you’re the one who’s supposed to be running things around here, she thought bitterly. It’s not my fault you’re terrible at your job. But her mind was already drifting to Morrigan and Pepper.

  They must have cut Pepper’s arm themselves to explain the blood on the floor, she reasoned. Of course. Morrigan—whatever the hell she is—she’s still pretending to be a normal girl. If it came out that she was stabbed, that would probably complicate things for her.

  “Jenna! Are you even listening to me?” Sarah snapped, her voice cutting through Jenna’s thoughts.

  “Yeah. I’m listening…” Jenna said slowly, her brow twitching. “I’m listening to you blame everything on me! Livy was the one really bullying Pepper! And Tyler egged her on! I—I know I should have done more to stop them, but—”

  “Jenna!”

  “And Morrigan!” Jenna blurted, her voice rising. “She’s been sneaking out, and I’ve got proof! Don’t tell me you’re just going to ignore that!”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  Honestly, she had no idea why she was saying all of this. It was pointless, and she knew that, but she had to say something.

  “Jenna… The other three will be dealt with, but I’m talking to you right now,” Sarah said firmly. “Do you not realize how serious this is? The police are going to have to get involved, and frankly, you’re not going to be able to stay here anymore.”

  “What about Livy and Tyler?” Jenna snapped.

  “I don’t know yet…” Sarah sighed heavily. “Jenna… You’ve been a model resident here. Please help me understand what you were thinking and why you would treat Pepper so cruelly. I really can’t tell you how disappointed I am.”

  Jenna’s eyes narrowed, her gaze locking on Sarah with a sharpness that could cut through glass. Then, she leaned forward, her voice low and biting. “Disappointed? Really, Sarah? That’s rich coming from someone who runs this place like it’s on autopilot. You have no idea what actually goes on here, do you? You’re so busy patting yourself on the back for being this savior to kids like us that you don’t even notice when someone like Pepper is getting stomped on every day.”

  Sarah blinked, taken aback by Jenna’s sudden venom, but she didn’t interrupt. Jenna pressed on, her voice growing louder with each word.

  “You think you’re in charge here? You’re not. I just made things easy for you. I smiled when you wanted me to smile and nodded along during your little speeches about ‘community’ and ‘support.’ If I hadn’t been around, Livy would’ve torn Pepper apart months ago.”

  “Jenna—” Sarah tried to interject, but Jenna cut her off with a sharp, bitter laugh.

  “Oh, don’t act surprised. I’ve been pulling your strings since the day I got here. I’ve just been using you. You don’t actually know what goes on here. You’ve got no clue who Morrigan really is, do you? Or what she’s capable of. But go ahead—keep blaming me for everything. That’s easier, isn’t it? I’m used to it—it’s fine.”

  Jenna leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. Her scowl deepened as she stared at Sarah, daring her to respond.

  “Are you finished?” Sarah asked.

  Jenna’s jaw tightened, but she said nothing. Sarah continued with a firm tone. “I feel so sorry for you, Jenna. It's like you're patting yourself on the back for manipulating people and hurting them, like it is some huge achievement. But you know what? Look at your situation now. Where did it get you?” Sarah stood, her gaze steady and unwavering. “The police will be here soon, Jenna. You’ll have a chance to explain your story to them. But as far as this shelter is concerned, your time here is over.”

  Jenna didn’t flinch, but her nails dug into her arms again, her anger barely contained. She wanted to lash out and scream at Sarah. But deep down, the small, uncomfortable truth gnawed at her that she had no control.

  Sarah stepped toward the door, her hand on the knob. “I’ll be back when the police arrive. Until then, stay here.”

  The door clicked shut behind her, leaving Jenna alone with her thoughts. She stared at the closed door, her fists clenching and unclenching as her mind raced. She hated Sarah. She hated Livy and Tyler. She hated Pepper, but she hated Morrigan most of all.

  Then she felt a slight chill and caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Her heart dropped, and she instantly stood as Morrigan stepped out of the corner. Jenna nearly kicked the chair over as she backed away. “Y-you!” she hissed.

  “It's alright,” Morrigan said, holding up a hand. “I’m not here to hurt you.”

  Jenna’s eyes narrowed into slits, taking in her unassuming appearance. Her blonde hair was slightly mussed, her blue eyes calm, and her expression neutral. Morrigan looked so… normal. Well, as normal as any edgy goth girl. But she was nothing like she had before—nothing like the creature that hid beneath this fa?ade. This was someone who could appear out of thin air, hide her true appearence, and shrug off being stabbed like it was nothing. Morrigan was a monster.

  “Not going to hurt me?” Jenna spat. “You can drop the act.”

  Morrigan tilted her head, her lips quirking in a small, almost amused smile. “What act?”

  Jenna would be against the wall if she tried to back away any further. “Whatever the hell you are, it’s not normal. People don’t get stabbed and just… walk it off like you did.”

  “It's ironic. You’re so used to being in control, but now you’re shaking like a leaf because you’ve seen something you can’t explain. Something you can’t control.” She took a slow step forward, her gaze steady.

  Jenna stiffened, her breath catching in her throat. “Stay back,” she warned, though her voice lacked its usual confidence.

  “Relax. I told you I’m not here to hurt you. I just wanted to talk. But you…” Something shifted in Morrigan’s expression. She took another step forward, her voice low, her eyes boring into Jenna’s. “You’re right. I’m not human.”

  Before Jenna could respond, Morrigan’s appearance began to change. Her blonde hair faded to an unnatural white, and her once-blue eyes glowed a deep, blood-red as her skin took on a ghostly pallor.

  Jenna’s breath hitched, her heart pounding in her chest. She stared wide-eyed at the transformation and found herself pressed against the wall despite herself.

  “What… what the hell are you then?”

  “Sorry, but I’m not answering that.”

  “Well, if you’re not here for revenge, then what? Just to taunt me? Scare me? Rub it in that you’ve ruined my life? Mock me for how pathetic I am!?”

  “Honestly, I wasn’t planning on saying anything. I just snuck in to get an idea of where everything was going. I appreciate you not mentioning my real appearance or getting stabbed. That could have complicated things for me.”

  “I didn’t do it for you. People would think I’m crazy if I tried to explain. And you… you would play dumb. You would let them think I was crazy, wouldn’t you?”

  “Well, obviously. But, look, I guess… I’m trying to say I understand you. I know what wearing a mask is like, and while I never tried to hurt anyone the way you do, I understand where you're coming from.” Morrigan turned away, walked back to the desk, and perched on the corner of it. Jenna finally peeled herself off the wall but didn’t dare take a step forward. “I’ve been wearing a mask all my life, even before I died. But I figured out too late that the mask wasn’t keeping me safe in the first place. All I did was isolate myself. I guess I just wanted to say that to you.”

  Jenna felt the familiar fire burning in her chest. She gravitated towards it, stepping forward. Maybe because it felt safer than this unfamiliar fear. “You think you get it? I’m a survivor! You don’t know what it’s like to be stuck in a system that tosses you around like garbage, and whenever you think someone is on your side, they are really just using you. You have no idea what I’ve been through!”

  “Maybe I don’t. But… I was murdered. I died scared and alone, and as I choked on my last natural breaths, I wondered if anyone would even miss me. I did get to come back, but even as… this…” Morrigan gestured to herself, “it's too late. I’m still here because I think I can fix a few things from my old life, but really, it's too late for me to ever fully take my mask off. I missed my chance just to be me. And… it’s not just my own life; I’ve seen other people at their ends when there are no more second chances and die with nothing but bitter regret. That’ll be you one day if you don’t change. Maybe I’ll even be there to see you off when you die. But while you're alive, you should try to be better. Even if it's hard and life kicks you around, you’re going about things the wrong way.”

  “You were… murdered?” Jenna asked.

  Morrigan nodded slowly, then stood from the desk and walked towards the door. “Sorry, but I’ve probably said and shown you too much already. But try to learn to live without wearing a mask. Just think about that. Instead of pretending to be some kind, caring person, you could have actually been that person.” She pulled a key out of her pocket and stuck it into the door. “Bye Jenna. I don’t think we’ll ever meet again, but I do hope you find yourself in a good place eventually. I really mean that.” Then she left, walking out of Jenna’s life for good. The last thing she heard of the ghostly girl is the click of the door locking behind her.

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