Paralyzed

[malapropism]

Title: Paralyzed
Canon: The Lethean Glamour (DW index coming forthwith)
Colors: Alice Blue 20 (it sounds uncommon nonsense), Mouse Grey 28 (part of your world)
Supplies: Canvas (ten years or so before the main story)
Characters: Holly Asher, Helene Mossing
Rating: PG
Word Count: 311
Summary: This isn't a dream. Helene keeps herself amused.

Holly is sauntering down the Black Aisles of Arethusa Library, her fingers trailing across the dusty covers as she passes them, and she laughs as the terrible things inside brush their fingertips back against hers. She's looking for something, perhaps, or showing off for the shadows. There are worse crowds to play to, and she's dreamed stupider dreams. The Library is cold and still as a corpse, but Holly doesn't mind. She doesn't even shiver.

"What are you doing here?" Sofia's voice demands from behind. Holly turns around to face the woman and a smile cracks open on her face. It doesn't feel right. Holly wants to open her mouth to speak, but she only smiles wider, a giddiness bubbling up in her chest that isn't hers, and suddenly Holly is acutely aware that she isn't dreaming and hasn't been in control of her body since she opened her eyes.

"I live here, too," Helene says with Holly's mouth. She isn't talking to Sofia. "If I'm going to share space with you, I'm going to enjoy it."

And Holly is suddenly in control of herself again, breathing heavily, and poor Sofia has never looked so confused and scared since Holly's known her, but she's breathing under her own power now and everything else is just a little less important right now. Which of course means that just then several of the sealed tomes whose dust still coats her fingertips start gushing old, twisted up dark curses. The air glitters gold for a moment, and Holly tries to calm herself down long enough to help Sofia stop the world from ripping in twain and melting into the Cimmerian planes. She spends the rest of the day looking over her shoulder and seeing colors that don't exist drifting through the shadows of the library.

From the corner of Holly's mind that isn't hers, Helene says, slyly, "Tag."

Comments

[isana]

Man, I remember reading this over Gchat. Still so wonderfully creepy, how Helene's takeover is so complete, even only for a moment, and how that's because Helene only wants it as a moment and nothing more for now.

[malapropism]

Thanks! Really glad I seem to have written this right. I feel like I'm still a little rusty with my Helene voice.

[shipwreck_light]

That is some seriously creepy body assumption and I totally commend you for it.

[malapropism]

Thank you! I'm very glad you liked it.

[bookblather]

JESUS, HELENE. This is wonderfully creepy, especially since Holly doesn't even realize she's been possessed until the very end. Wonderfully done.

[malapropism]

Thank you very much! Good to know you liked this.

This is wonderfully creepy, especially since Holly doesn't even realize she's been possessed until the very end.

I'm relieved and glad all this came across as creepy. There's really nothing sillier than a poorly-executed possession. *SIDE-EYING SO MANY MOVIES RIGHT NOW*

[kay_brooke]

Oh, so creepy and so good. The details are amazing, and I love how subtly Helene just kind of creeps in and Holly's awareness that she's not the one who's been in control.

[malapropism]

Thanks! I'm glad you like it.

[clare_dragonfly]

Oh my, very intriguing.

[malapropism]

Thank you! Glad you think so.

[subluxate]

Ooh boy. Wow, Helene. That was just creepy, the way she had so much control that Holly didn't even notice she was out of control.

[malapropism]

Thank you! That's always good to hear.