Mind Games (FIRST DRAFT)
Chapter 8

Mei put a hand to her mouth. No. She had been eating.. Lily? The sweet, round faced girl who was innocent as could anyone every be?

“You’re lying.” Mei retorted. “You must be.” But the look on his face said it all.

Mei rushed out the room, past Florence and Mike who had been talking, past Ray with a bad case of bed-head, past Mother. Oh, how she loathed Mother. How dare she make Mei eat Lily. Well, she didn’t make Mei eat Lily. But how dare she serve it to her. Didn’t she know that it was cannibalism, that Mei was..

Oh shit. Mei was a cannibal now. She.. she had eaten a human being. Vile filled the back of her throat, and she vomited by a door in the long, long hall. She now stood up straight, clutching her stomach. She wiped her mouth with the bandages covering her burnt hand. Panting, she tried to walk to the end of the hall. Where she had come in. She limped. She speed walked. She ran. She ran and ran and ran. But there was no end. Just doors. It was a a game of cat-and-mouse. She wanted to go home. Back to her family. She leaned against the wall, and slid down to the floor.

“I wanna go home,” she sobbed. Sniffling into her well worn GAP sweater, she hoisted herself up and slowly staggered like a drunk man down the hall, still trying to replace her way out.

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After what seemed like an eternity of walking, Mei was no closer to the exit then she was before. Hours, she thought. It must’ve been hours since breakfast. Her stomach rumbled, emptied of the last of Lily and probably Luca too, earlier before. She clutched her stomach, wishing she had some of her birth mother’s homemade kimchi. Her mouth watered, and her feet caught on each other as they dragged on the red carpet. She stumbled like a puppy with too big feet, and suddenly the ground came closer, and closer, and...

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“Mei.” A voice said.

Mei ignored it. She grunted and rolled over, like when she used to go to school and was too tired in the morning.

“Mei,” repeated the voice. “Get up.”

“Go awayy,” she groaned, flipping her arm over her head.

“Mei, if you don’t get up and see Mother, you’ll get punished.”

“Fuck her,” Mei snapped back, aggravated. She wouldn’t deal with this bullshit. Mother this, Mother that. Well you know what, she can suck my-

“Ahem.” Mei jumped up, eyes practically snapping open. Shit. Had she said that out loud?

“Yes you did, Mei-Mei.” Mother responded, sweet and calm. Mei gulped, hands clammy. “Follow me, dear.” Ray looked out after them as they left, eyes saying it all.

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“Mother, really, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean what I said- it was an accident-!” She pleaded. And still Mother refused to listen. “Mother, I’m sorry!” She begged. She cried. Yet Mother showed no pity. She dragged Mei by the hand, and pulled her down the hall, toward the kitchen.

Mei’s face was full of mucus and tears as she passed Mason, Mike, and Flo. She silently begged them to help her. Sorrow filled the eyes of Flo, and the boys held back tears.

“Mother, can I talk to Mei for a sec before you take her away?” Flo asked. Mother looked down haughtily, then nodded.

Flo pulled Mei out the kitchen. “Flo, she’s gonna kill me! I don’t wanna die yet-” Mei sobbed. Flo calmed her, petting down Mei’s now frazzled dark chocolate hair.

“Shh, shh..” Flo whispered. They hugged, then for a second back away from each other. In this pause, they stared at each other. Mei blinked, then leapt into Flo arms. They kissed, and goddamn, it was one helluva kiss. Mei pulled in Flo by her neck, and Flo’s arms grasped around Mei’s petite waist. They kissed for what felt like days, until pulling away from each other.

Mei stared at Flo. She was gonna leave this all behind. And she was ok with it. She smiled.

“Sorry, Flo. Good luck.” She said sorrowfully. She pushed away and grabbed Mother’s hand, following her into the pantry. She ignored Flo’s sobs, and turned to meet her fate.

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“Do you love her, Mei?” Mother asked once inside the pantry. The pantry was a deathly place, and it’s walls were made of metal. A steel table stood in the middle of the small room, and it reminded her of the room in dog pounds where they put the dog to sleep.

“Well, yes, I suppose I do.” Mei answered. She tried her best to hide the overpowered feat that seemed to enjoy crushing her heart.

“I had someone I loved once. Do you know what he did?” Mother asked sweetly, caressing Mei’s hand and a butchers knife. Mei shook her head so fast she saw stars. “HE LEFT ME.” Mother yelled, slamming the knife on the table. Mei jumped.

“I had one thing going for me. I was the prettiest girl in my village. We had gotten married when I was 13 and he was 19. I had a son from him, but once he was born Marquine left! He didn’t want to deal with his son. I lived alone for years, until he came back. I thought he wanted me back, and he did, until he got bored of course. We remarried, yet he had so many affairs. ‘It’s ok,’ I said, ’He still loves me.’” Mother was now pacing. “But no, he didn’t. I figured it out when he had an affair with my SISTER.” Mother had a crazy grin on her face, and it scared Mei.

“I couldn’t take it, Mei. I killed my sister, stabbed her, then went on a walk with my son. He couldn’t live, I told myself, with a father so horrible. I thought I was doing good. I- I drowned him. Only after he was dead is when I realized what I had done. I killed myself, I wanted to replace his soul.” Mother looked at her. “But you’re not him. Which means you have to die.” Mother then threw the knife, hitting Mei square on the forehead.

And suddenly, all went black.

End of Chapter Eight.

Word Count: 1076

Character Count: 5