Angel Food Cake -Part 2

Sally baked an Angel Food Cake. She put on a hideous green apron with creepy smiling tomatoes dotted all over it, refusing to let either of them help as she measured out the ingredients and beat the egg whites till they were frothy. When the mix was done, she added a strange herb that Barasuene didn’t recognize.

“What’s that?” She asked.

“Oh this?” Sally answered as she emptied a small packet of it into the pan and stirred. “Just some medicinal herbs I got from my doctor. They’re supposed to help us relax.”

Senami snickered at that, though Barasuene did not understand what was so funny. Maybe it was another one of their inside jokes. While the cake baked Barasuene insisted on doing the washing up, listening as Sally and Senami talked about men and sex and celebrities and girls they did not like.

The air in the kitchen grew warm and heavy with the smell of vanilla and something else, a pungent, musky smell that she could not place. She heard the unnerving scratching-clicking-squelching noise again but every time she worked up the nerve to ask Sally about it she remembered Senami’s claws digging into her arm, her words like jagged pieces of broken glass. “That’s Sally’s room. We don’t go in there.”

Sally served the cake with whipped cream and strawberries. She gave Barasuene only a thin slice to begin with, topped with a generous amount of cream and three strawberries.

“Let’s see how you do with this one,” She said with a conspiratorial wink. Barasuene was not sure what that meant, or why she had been given such a tiny slice, but she said nothing.

They ate in the conversation pit with an old Julia Roberts movie-she could not remember which one-playing in the background. The cake was fluffy and airy and a little too sweet, like a piece of cloud drenched in sugar water. Barasuene polished it off in seconds. She ate the strawberries and the cream while she worked up the courage to ask for a second slice.

When she had tucked away the last strawberry on her plate she whispered, “May I have a second slice?”

Sally fluttered her hand in permission like a fairy godmother waving her wand. “Of course, darling.” Her smile was brilliant and indulgent. It made Barasuene feel like a hibiscus flower at dawn, the petals that sequestered her slowly opening in response to Sally’s light.

Senami snorted as she beheaded a strawberry, crushing its crimson skull between her teeth. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” She said in a singsong voice.

Barasuene ignored her, cutting herself a much thicker slice than the first one. Afterwards she lay back in the pit with the empty bowl on her stomach, feeling sated and drowsy. The chandelier above her twinkled in the evening sun, the intricate pieces like suspended crystal raindrops threatening to fall at any moment. Barasuene imagined being small enough to fit into one of those tiny prisms, how weightless and full of light she would feel. Soon she really did start to feel weightless. Each and every hair on her body felt like it was wrapped in static. Her eyes grew heavy but the rest of her felt light and feathery, as though she was made of something that could break apart at the slightest stimulation, like candy floss or spider webs or kinetic sand.

The constant knot of worry and anxiety in her stomach unfurled and loosened, moving out of her in gentle waves. She welcomed this strange peristalsis, forgetting all about the squelching, clicking noises and nauseating smells from earlier.

“Wakey, wakey,” Sally’s hands felt like cushions against her cheeks. How long had she been lying down? She couldn’t remember.

“Come, sweet thing. It’s time to get ready for the party.”

“Party? What party?” Her mouth felt thick and dry, drier than a slab of cement. She needed a glass of water. Sally pulled her up by her arms and she almost begged her not to because she was scared they would slide off their sockets like tender chicken skin. Chicken skin. The thought made her giggle. Her phone vibrated in her pocket as Sally led her up the stairs. She reached for it with her kinetic sand hands, the screen lighting up at her touch. 15 missed calls from Mummy. Ordinarily she would be panicking but the part of her brain that usually did that felt numb, unreachable. Sorry mummy, Barasuene’s anxiety can’t come to the phone right now.

Sally pulled her into the master bedroom, where Senami was making duvet angels on the king sized bed. She burst into raucous laughter when she saw Barasuene.

“Oh girl, you are so gone.” Barasuene laughed too, though she was unsure what they were laughing about. Her loud, brassy laughter sounded foreign to her, like it belonged to another Barasuene. A Barasuene that could have friends and go to parties and let the night meet her outside, its silky indigo arms embracing her like a lover.

Sally steered her towards the vanity. A bunch of makeup products were already scattered all over the table. “Are you sure your father won’t mind us getting ready here?”

“No, he never stays here. His wife doesn’t like it. I don’t think he likes it either,” Sally answered ruefully. “I guess I remind him too much of her.”

“Of who? Your mother?” Sally’s charm bracelets dangled in Barasuene’s face as she gently removed her glasses and placed them on the table.

“Yes. What’s funny is that if he ever looked at me for longer than two seconds he would see his own eyes staring back at him.” She held some bottles of concealer near Barasuene’s face. “What about you? Do you look like your mum or your dad?”

“My mum, most times. Sometimes I look like my dad, but only when I have my glasses on I think.” Barasuene couldn’t remember ever saying so many words to Sayali Nnadi in one sitting. She laughed at the absurdity of it all and Sally joined her, like she could read her mind.

“Either way you’re very beautiful. Perfect, supple skin. There’s not much I can add to a face like yours,”

Barasuene basked in the glow of her sunshine smile, soaking up her compliments like a hungry flower. Sally worked on her face for a few more minutes, adorning her with rosy blush and graphic liner and shimmering lip gloss. Afterwards they dressed her up like a baby doll, lacing her into a pale pink corset and working a tiny white mini skirt around her hips.

Her reflection in the mirror stunned her. Gone was her dull caterpillar skin. She looked fully fledged, ready to sprout wings and fly away.

“I knew you were a diamond,” Sally said, her voice wrapping around Barasuene like silk.

“I didn’t,” Senami said dryly. But she too looked at Barasuene like she was a new creature, her words lacking their usual bite.

“Omg it’s 7:00 already! Our guests will be here soon. I need to pop by the store and get some drinks.” Sally declared. “I hope you girls will be okay without me, don’t worry I’ll be quick.” She blew them both kisses as she dashed out of the room.

Senami promptly climbed into bed and closed her eyes, leaving Barasuene still standing in front of the mirror admiring her brand new butterfly body. She was about to open her phone camera when she heard it again, the incessant scratching, the clicking purr that was not a purr, the squelching wet towels being squashed over and over. It grated, tickling the part of her brain that ached to know what dwelled behind the door to Sally’s room. She looked over at Senami, who was still fast asleep, and decided that it was time.

The corridor was dark and formless. The sound was like the White Rabbit and Barasuene was Alice, following it down the hole and into Wonderland-though she highly doubted that she would find Red Queens and grinning Cheshire cats on the other side of Sally’s door. She placed a sweaty, chicken skin hand on the doorknob and turned it without making a sound, looking over her shoulder every millisecond to make sure Senami was not looming behind her like some shrewish spectre. Her heart was in her throat as she pushed the door open ever so slowly.

There was a dim, green glow beaming through the crack, followed by the same acidic, vinegary smell from earlier. The noise was louder now, more frantic. Barasuene felt like she might vomit her heart out any second. She gulped her fear down and stepped into the room with the last of her courage, feeling as though her legs were made of slimy slippery gelatin.

If she had thought the living room to be a shrine to Sally, then this was a temple. The green glow touched everything, illuminating a four poster bed with gauzy curtains, walls plastered with old photographs and a dresser cluttered with pieces of Sally; a stuffed unicorn, a half empty tube of Dior lipgloss, a pair of sunglasses and other things Barasuene couldn’t place. The floor was littered with so much random crap it was like wading through a sea of junk. The tart, rubbery smell was overpowering and although the squelching-clicking sound was so loud that she could no longer hear anything else, she still didn’t know where it was coming from. Or what. Her skin broke out in goose pimples at the thought. It had never occurred to her that it could be a what.

She did a full 360, her eyes automatically going to the part of the room where the light seemed brightest, and there it was. Her heart thrashed in her chest as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing; this huge, multi-coloured mass held together by what seemed to be glowing green gunk. She moved closer for a better look, her jelly legs trembling. She spotted a life-size doll’s leg first, sprouting from the mass like an arm. And then the severed head of a teddy bear, a set of training wheels, the top half of a mini christmas tree still laden with ornaments, the remains of a dollhouse, tattered colouring books-it was made entirely of what looked to be old items from a lost childhood.

She closed her eyes and tried to steady herself, to convince herself that this was just a really, really bad trip. But it was still there when she opened them again, moving and breathing, absorbing the rest of the junk on the floor little by little. Barasuene watched with horror as it sucked up a hula hoop, making that sickening squelching noise as it crushed it and swallowed. She tried to make her legs move but they did not obey. She could feel the strength of its gravitational pull from here, like sea current-

“What the fuck are you doing in here?” Senami’s voice in her ear almost made her jump out of her skin. She moved to stand in front of Barasuene, shoving her so hard she fell to the ground.

“You dumb bitch. I told you, we don’t. fucking. come. in here.” She snarled, baring her teeth like a wild animal. Barasuene scrambled back, suddenly more afraid of Senami than she was of the toy eating monster behind her. She braced herself for the blow she knew was coming but before it even had a chance to land the most horrifying, unthinkable thing happened.

The monster inhaled deeply, the force of its breath pulling Senami back. The bigger girl fell to the ground with a resounding thump, screaming as it yanked her into its glowing green belly. She tried to grab Barasuene’s legs as it sucked her in but to no avail. Sally’s monster chopped her up like a meat grinder, splattering bits of blood and flesh everywhere until Senami was completely absorbed, bones and all.

Barasuene shook uncontrollably as Senami’s remains trickled down her face. She was covered in blood. A severed middle finger with a red tipped acrylic nail still attached to it lay in her lap. Her terror overwhelmed her and she burst into uncontrollable sobs that wracked her whole body.

Just then, she heard the front door open. Sally’s voice floated through the house. “Babies, I’m home! Can you believe they only had chocolate vodka?” Silence. “Hello?”

She fell quiet, and Barasuene knew she had noticed the open door. There was the sound of frantic footsteps and then Sally appeared. “My goodness. What on earth happened here?”

Barasuene began to cry harder. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I know I wasn’t supposed to come in here but I did and now Senami-“ She couldn’t finish. She covered her face with her bloodstained hands.

“Oh, no.” Sally sounded only mildly disappointed and maybe a little irritated as she knelt beside her. “That’s too bad. I wanted to keep her for at least two more weeks.”

Barasuene could scarcely believe the words coming out of her mouth but she let Sally pull her into her arms anyway, breathing in the smell of jasmine. Sally stroked her hair, cooing softly. “You poor thing, you must have been so scared.”

She tsked at the monster, which was still happily sucking things up and devouring them. “I cannot believe you ate her. She was a friend, not a toy. You don’t eat friends.”

“Wh-what will you tell her parents? Shouldn’t we call the police?” Barasuene said, choking down a sob.

“No, no that won’t be necessary.” Sally replied quietly. “Senami wasn’t exactly real, you see. I was so lonely and desperate on Orientation day that I manifested her into being. But she wasn’t real. And I so badly wanted a real girl best friend. Like you,” She beamed down at Barasuene, tilting her chin up so she could look into her face.

“Will you? Be my friend?”

Her smile was like the sun, and Barasuene was still a hungry flower. There was no way she could say no.