Chapter 4: Deeper down

Author's note: It's the beginning of the end... give me another 2-3 chapters after this, unless I get another way to end this...

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Deeper and deeper,The spiral grows.I watch the other try steal my face.I watch the other try steal my place.

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Elster's POV

I opened my eyes beside the bathtub and looked over to the marble face resting beside me.

"Good morning, sweetie," I greeted her. I pushed myself off the ground and got up, "Now that you're doing better, I have to go to work. I'll be back around 7..." I bent over her and kissed her on the forehead and got ready to go.

Before I left, I went to the main window in my house which faced west. I'd always loved watching the sunset with Ariane...

I missed doing that with her...

I picked up a ration bar from the pile where the stove should be and rushed out of the door. I couldn't be late again.

I made my way to my desk and the cubicle was as cosy as it always was... a garrote wire around my neck painted pink and covered in glitter.

I looked up to the poster on my table.

Ariane looked pretty as ever.

I went back to work, eventually getting up for a break.

That same damn person got up at the same time as me again. I walked in the opposite direction as her and watched as she went into the lounge.

This was my chance...

I snuck over to her cubicle and...

I paused.

It was a copy of my cubicle.

Everything was exactly the same and at the center, the poster of Ariane I had made.

I stared at the wall, blinking as if it would change what I saw and I would finally realise that it was just paranoia, but nothing changed...

The cubicle remained an identical, albeit a more tidy, version of my cubicle.

I looked up.

She... it... whatever was at my cubicle...

It was trying to find out anything it could about me. But why?

As I walked back to my cubicle, the other one got up and walked to her's...

Her face... she had my face, but it was all wrong, I was sure of it.

I watched her.

She'd slip up about her intentions eventually... and I'd be able to find out why she's doing this.

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Marble resting in it's grave,Marble walking on the other side.I watch the other try steal my life.I watch the other try steal my life.

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I got up to walk home, watching as the other from a distance.

I followed her down to the ground floor, hiding amongst the crowd.

A figure in white stood out... Ariane?

No, first my face and now her's? I had to find out what was going on... these people... they were taking out place, or at least planning to.

The others were walking casually along to their home. A small home, just like mine, just beside mine, but with an east facing window, facing directly to the west facing window of my house...

My breath quickened. What was she doing here? Was she just here to observe me?

I rushed into my house and locked myself in, rushing over to Ariane's new room, shutting the door behind me.

"Hello, Ariane, I'm home," I said, trying to calm down, looking at the half dead corpse in the tub, "How's your day been?"

The silence in the air hung around us.

Her eyes fluttered open, slightly glazed over, looking to where I would be, focusing around my location, "Elster?"

Her voice was hoarse. 

"I'm here, sweetie..."

Her half open mouth broke into a smile as my hand touched her's. She reached out her hand and touched my face and then drew her hands back, "I'm tired Elster... I think I'll go back to sleep now," she dragged her hands back into the red pool, "I'll get up and help you out soon... just... five more... minutes..."

"I'll take you up on that," I replied, walking out the door.

I shut the door behind me and went to the window, watching...

What are the others up to? What are they doing? What do they want from us?

I sat there... watching...

Watching till I fell asleep...

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P.S.: Hope the spiral down is to your enjoyment, sirs and ma'ams... 

I'll be back...

P.S.S.: Do you guys like the short poems? Do I keep doing it or do I get the chapters out ASAP?