The Last Virgin - Episode 7

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**** Valerie strolls tiredly into the living room, dropping her bag into the couch in the process as she made her way towards the dining table.

Pulling back a chair, she takes a seat pushing one mug towards her as she reaches for the jug of hot water.

"Good morning mom, dad"

she grumbles sleepily.

"Morning love"

her mother chirps as she fixes a cup of tea for her husband..

"How was your night?"

She adds

"As worse as always"

she mutters.

James turns to stare at Valerie from where he sat, noticing the dark lines underneath her eyes.

"Are you alright love?"

He questions.

Valerie shakes her head slowly, applying jam to her bread.

"No dad. I have a hard time sleeping these days"

she sighs

"Why? You need to see a doctor? We could take you to a clinic"

"I..."

She begins but then pauses.. How was she to explain that her lack of sleep had nothing to do with insomnia or any kind of sickness.. It was just dreams.. Stupid strange dreams that kept her awake all night.

Dreams that felt so real yet unnatural at the same time.

She'd even lost track of reality now.. She couldn't differentiate between reality and illusion now. Her dreams felt real.

And her reality felt like a dream.

She couldn't even tell if she was still having a nightmare or not.

That's how bad it had gotten.. Valerie sighs again.. Rubbing her temple as restlessness sets in. Hades.

That writing on the mirror.

Was it real?.

What did it mean? Was it the name of a person, place or thing? Oh damn it, how was she to know the answers to all these questions? How was she even to know it still wasn't another dream? Because she remember completely freaking out this morning when she woke up only to realise the broken pieces of mirror were no longer on the floor. In fact, her dressing mirror was intact and hanging in it's rightful place against the wall.

There was no sign of anything broken.. Did this mean her hair hadn't turned red last night? Oh shoot!

"Mom?"

Valerie calls out touching her hair

"How's my hair mother?"

Maria stares at her daughter in confusion for a while and then as if dismissing whatever thoughts were coursing through her mind, she smiles

"It looks fine honey."

"You.. You sure? You..you like the color of my hair?"

Maria frowns

"What do you mean Val, I've always had no problem with the color of your hair."

"Are you planning on dying it from black?"

James adds with a raised eyebrow.

Oh,so her hair was still black.

But.. But how the heck was that even impossible? She was certain she wasn't dreaming about her hair or the broken mirror.

She remembered waking up and then drinking some water.

She was sure.. So sure she hadn't been dreaming when her hair turned red or when the mirror shattered.. But... How come?.

blinks.. What was happening to her? Where from all these hallucinations? Was she going crazy? She blinks again, her hand involuntarily going to the mark beneath her ear and caressing it,rubbing her thumb over it.

***

"Valerie!"

The loud shriek of her her name causes her to look up.

Her eyes meet with those of her parents worried ones.

"Y..yes dad?"

"I've been asking you the same question for the last five minutes yet you seem to have spaced out. Where's your mind young lady?"

James scolds her

"Uhh. S..sorry dad.. Just feeling under the weather today"

she mumbles. James eyes softens

"Go to bed then. Take off your school uniform and rest. I'll call a doctor"

he tells her.

Without hesitation, she pushes her chair and gets up.

"Aren't you going to have your breakfast?"

Maria asks

"No mother. I'm not quite hungry. I'll just go to bed"

she turns and heads towards her room, leaving her parents staring at her retreating back.

"I'll go call the doctor"

James cleared his throat getting up. Maria follows.

****

Valerie sat in bed,her back leaning against the headboard while her legs lay spread evenly on the bed.

She chews on her lips, rubbing small circles over the moon shape underneath her ear. It gave her comfort anytime she did that.

She shuts her eyes, letting her head fall back gently to rest against the wall.

The calming effect of her thumb working on the mark taking over her entire system. Gradually, Valerie feels herself relaxing completely.

Why it relaxed her, she had no idea.

But it didn't matter so long as it was working.

She'd done enough thinking for the past few days.

With her eye still shut,Valerie begins to hum the tune of an unknown song.

A song to which she found herself smiling and bobbing her head side by side.

***

Valerie wasn't In control of her body anymore as she continues to hum to the song.

Without so much as a realisation, she slid her foot off the bed until it rests on the carpeted floor as she lifts herself completely from the bed.

Letting her hand fall from the mark underneath her ear, Valerie with her eyes still shut begins to move her feet, tapping slightly and shifting her wait from one foot to the other as her arms swayed in the air, her hips moving along.

Valerie tips her head backwards,standing on tiptoes and then twirles around multiple times with her arms still suspended in the air above her head... She continues to hum until her lips begins to move on their own accord.. Strangely, surprise didn't fill her when she began to sing the lyrics of the song that seemed traditional.

She had no idea what she was singing.. She had no idea of what she was dancing.. Because she wasn't in control of her mind or body at that moment.

Soon, Valerie begins to quicken her dancing steps,thumping her foot loudly on the floor,as her head swayed to and fro, her dark hair beginning to glow and changing to the color bright red.

The half moon shape underneath her ear begins to glow against her pale skin as well.

Valerie continues dancing,her eyes still closed and her lips singing songs that held no meaning yet her body understood perfectly as it moved to the rhythm and lyrics.. Faces begin to flash in her mind.

One,two,three and then four.

The last face lingering for more than a few seconds.

EUGENE.

The name suddenly flashes in her mind as if her brain recognized the face.. Anger swells in her at the thought of that name.

Whoever that Eugene was... She hated him for sure.. Whether he existed or not. She continues to dance wildly, her feet moving without any thought.

Her arms moving gracefully.

Her hips swaying seductively like a temptress.

****

Maria makes her way towards her daughters room, holding a glass of water and aspirins.

She'd thought it'll help with her daughters headache until the doctor arrived.

A strange thumping sound and music fills her ears suddenly as she got closer.. It was coming from Valerie's room.

But she'd said she was sick.

Where from the thumping sound then? Her eyes widen,panic filling her.

What if her child was in trouble.

Quickening her steps, Maria rushes towards her door and pushes it open.

Her mouth hangs open in shock as her eyes take in the sight of Valerie dancing like a stripper and singing.

The sight that made her scream was Valerie herself.

Her hair color was red and flying in all directions.

A certain spot beneath her ear was glowing brightly.

It was that same birthmark she and her husband had admired.

Maria gasps at the sight, staggering backwards as a scream escapes her.. She screams loudly.

****

The scream fills Valerie ears.

Who the hell had the audacity to interrupt her? Fuming, Valerie turns sharply flipping her hair in the same manner she did the night before and this time, the action sends Maria flying.

Maria was lifted off the floor by the force with which Valerie flipped her hair.. Maria's entire body slams into the wall as the glass of water she held fell and shattered.. Valerie flips her hair again.

The force sending Maria hitting the hard floor and with full force.

Her head making contact with the hard floor. There was a loud cracking sound as Maria hit her head.

Blood follows, pooling around her head as she lays on the floor unmoving.