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Ivy and ferns grew through the crevices of the old winding stone path, which led directly to the colossal structure. The mansion loomed proudly behind creaky iron gates, flanked by rows of skeletal trees crowned in crimson, swaying gently to the chilly autumn wind. At its threshold stood the delicate marble fountain, the soft gurgling of the clear water melodic as it resonated in the surrounding silence. A man in a iron pressed suit strode through the mansions overgrown garden, stepping over dead flowers and overgrown bushes. In his hands he clutched his cane, twisting it once every few seconds. His brown eyes wavered over to the fountain and brushed his black hair out of his face. Unwanted memories sprouted in his mind, making his feet stumble on the cracked bricks. He cleared his throat and held his hands behind his back, advancing to the fountain. “Who needs a dream? Who needs ambition?” He brushed his hand over the slick faded, marble. He peered into the water, gazing at his reflection. “Who’d be the fool, in my position?”
A mirage of a woman in a cocktail dress appeared in his reflection. She was a shadow of the woman that Dark, the man in the pressed suit despised. The woman touched Dark’s shoulders, guiding him to dance. The duo danced in the mirror like reflection. Dark’s hands held onto the woman’s hips, soon taking the lead from the viper-like woman. “I once had dreams, now they’re obsessions. Hopes became needs, lovers possessions,” Dark clenched his hands and threw them into the water (along with his cane), making the illusion splash and ripple away into nothingness and some water splashed on the floor. He then treaded over to the mansion’s front door, which was almost in shambles. He opened the door, making the door groan in protest. He walked onto the foyer of the house, stairs to his left traveling to the upper floor.
In front of him was a mirror, cracked and broken. The glass shattered upon the floor. He deliberately walked past it and went up the stairs, holding onto the railing delicately for it was falling apart in the middle and around the screws, wood dust and rotten pieces on the stairs. At the top of the stairs the was a slew of rooms and hallways twisting and turning into an unsolvable maze if you didn’t know where everything was. Fortunately, Dark knew the house like the back of his hand. As a boy, his friend, Mark, would ask him to come over to his house and fraternize with him and his plethora of other friends. They would go into the parent’s bedroom and steal their cards and poker chips so they could play a round or two for themselves. In between the card games and going outside, the rowdy group of boys would sneak their way into the kitchen, stealing sweets and little candies that the chef, Antonio made. Antonio hated anyone coming into his kitchen for reasons unbeknownst to anyone. They were sometimes caught by him and the chef would be charging at them, swinging around something in his hand. It consisted of spoons, forks or knives with the occasional occurrence of floury hands that spewed flour into the air. One summer eve, a girl showed up with one of his friends. She was in a small, yellow pastel dress with her brown hair in a bob cut and had eyes as green as the forest (which surrounded the house at the time). William, the boy who brought her, apologized profusely saying that his mom and dad wanted her to get out of the house for a while. Mark was not okay with it and neither were the other boys but, they felt bad so they just let her stay. We quickly figured out that she was victorious among any type of card games and they accepted her into the group quickly. She robbed Dark of his sweets (that’s what they would gamble away) and was smiling brightly at the astounded faces of the boys.
Her name was (y/n).
Dark snapped out of his thoughts when he instinctively went into the kitchen, his hands reaching out towards the rundown fridge. He quickly drew back his hand and stared at the refrigerator. It was rusted over, the handles were on the floor. (It has been said that this mansion is haunted. Teenagers and curious adults explored the place, their faces were always pale whenever they left). He spun his cane and then moved onwards to a second balcony which viewed the foyer. “Then they move in, oh so discreetly,” Another memory popped up from his past. A much older Mark held onto the railing, welcoming his party with his charming smile as he descended down the stairs. On the last step, the mirage of Mark was wisped away into nothingness. “Slowly At first, smiling too sweetly.” Dark gripped the railing, his red and blue auras acting out of order, “I opened doors, they walked right through them,” Dark immediately felt Mark’s hand on his shoulder. He gripped his shoulder where the illusion hand laid and his face contorted into a sour frown. Called me their friend,” He chuckled dejectedly, “I hardly knew them.”
He waved his cane angrily in the air, his auras basically pulling each other apart. Dark gritted his teeth and out of anger he jumped off of the banister and appeared in front of the broken mirror. “Now I’m where I want to be and who I want to be and doing what I always said I would and yet I feel I haven’t won at all!” He chucked his cane, his face contorting into anger. The mirror reflected his sorrow and fury, the entity on the other side watching silently. Dark feverishly ran his fingers through his hair and then slammed his hands onto the table that was beneath the mirror. “Running for my life and never looking back in case there’s someone right behind me to shoot me down and say he’d always knew I’d fall,” Dark gripped the sides of the tables and then looked into the mirror. His hair was disheveled and his pupils were dilated. The entity on the other side watched him, their face expressionless but they still didn’t make themselves visible to Dark (Damien, Celine… does it really matter anymore?).
“When the crazy wheel slows down, Where will I be?” Dark asked to the mirror. As expected, he got no answer. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a soiled, tattered black pin. He set down his cane on the ledge of the table and walked over to the pin. He picked it up and saw that it was Damien’s… No. His pin left on the ground, forgotten along with whatever’s left in the broken down house. “Back where I started,” He held onto the pin, his blue side glowing stronger than his red side and he felt comforted. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining,” Dark unclipped the hook from the backside of the pin and pinned it on his left side. He stood back up and brushed the dirt off of his suit, his fond memories from his younger self flashing in his eyes.
“Damien, we’re going to be late!” (y/n) said as she tugged on his hand. Damien let himself be pulled, (y/n) basically dragging them to their classes. He looked fondly atherlips turning into a smile and his eyes softening at his friend. The two are running to their arithmetic class, trying to beat the clock.
“The class was cancelled,” Damien mumbled, hoping that the distracted female would continue towing him to class so he could hold her hand a little longer. He then looked at her flowing, brown hair. She looked like an angel, perfect and wholesome.
A week later, the duo went to a party and (y/n) let out her ‘beast’. She was a real party animal and Damien loved it. He then dubbed the young woman with the nickname, “Little Monster.” Mark and William found them at the party, shortly after it started and went to talk about how life was going for them. William, during the party, gushed at Mark, Damien and (y/n) that he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps by being in the military. The group approved of his plans for the future but told him to be careful for, they didn’t want to lose him. “Hey, I’m going to go and get another drink. See you guys in a second,” (y/n) stated as she walked over to the champagne.
As soon as she left, William started nudging Damien’s shoulder. “You’ve got it bad for her, Dames.” The future Mayor held in his breath and glared at William. Mark laughed at Damien’s face and slapped his back, earning another glare. The other two men bemusedly chuckled, clinking their glasses together in agreement.
Dark’s head started to hurt, pulling him out of his trance like state. He looked at his Mayor pin, tears forming in his eyes. “Times have been good, fast, entertaining. What’s the point if I’m concealing not only love but, all other feelings?” He paced around the floor, his auras clustered and tangled together. Dark clasped hands behind his back and walked back to the mirror, gazing hopefully into it. Just like the mirror, his hopes were shattered. He snatched his cane from the ground and stalked to the living room, gripping the cane tightly. He looked at the couch and ripped off the Pin from his suit, hurling it onto the cushions. “ Now I’m Where I want to be and who I want to be and doing what I always said I would,” The two colored and trapped the souls went insane, going all over the place and making Dark crumble down to the floor on his knees. The red was angry and frustrated but the blue was weeping and hurting. Dark glanced up and saw a portrait of Mark smiling cruelly and viciously. His eyes were narrowed into malicious slits, taunting Dark. “And yet I feel I haven't won at all. I'm running for my life and never looking back. In case there's someone right behind to shoot me down and say he always knew I'd fall!” Dark restrained his anger, his breath bursting into shortened, suppressed air. He gently grabbed the Mayor’s pin, cradling it in the palms of his monochromatic hands. Dark unclipped the hook again and tenderly put it on. His counterparts calmed down in a matter of seconds, making Dark sigh in relief. He carefully stood up, cracked his neck and gained self control back. Dark walked over to the cane and pulled it from the couch. “When the crazy wheel slows down, where would I be?” He Walked back over to the mirror and sat down his cane on the side table.
“Back where I started.”