A slither in the night. Snake like, ruffling along the carpet of Annie’s bedroom. It’s happened again – men. Always men pulling her apart, killing her. In pieces all over again, Tomie flourishes, her body like a string of play doh, salamander like with tiny arms, her head the size of a closed fist – stringy wet hair and small hands drag her along until she grips the covers and climbs on the bed.
The creature stands on its stringy body akin to a cobra, watching her friend sleep peacefully. There’s a part of Tomie, a part remaining after all this time, that is jealous of Annie: she doesn’t die, and if she did, she would stay dead. Tomie has long stopped attempting to understand what hails her, what has made her into what most would consider a monster – but Annie never did see her as something terrible. This isn’t the first time Tomie seeks this comfort from her friend, and it probably won't be the last.
“Anniiiiieee.....”, she calls, cutting the dark silence, eyes gleaming. “Annie wake up.”