The ear-piercing strum penetrated the air.

With a pick between Stella’s fingertips, Florence sat on the round table stacked with pizza packaging boxes. Somehow, she remained stuck inside Stella’s body going through this nightmare. Well… not literally, but stuck as in a possessed way. With Stella’s arms around the guitar, Florence brushed Stella’s fingers over the strings.

The thrashing and rolling in the pocket of Stella’s blouse vanished.

On Florence’s left, Chloe crossed her arms.

On the opposite side, Mai gripped her upper arm. Her facial features rested in a neutral position. Then she blinked.

Lucy cheered. She pumped her hands, facing the glass room with a drum set and the guitar with Stella’s name carved on it. The cup of bubbling water and an empty bottle of giggle juice in her grasp glistened under the light.

“I… don’t know where I should even begin,” Mai said. She slid her palm down her arm.

“It’s normal,” Chloe said. “Sometimes a concussion could do that. But… I have never seen it this bad before.”

Florence pushed Stella’s bangs aside, rubbing the scab formed on the gash.

Mai shook her head. “Like I’m just… never mind.”

“I can tell,” Chloe said. She turned towards Lucy, who stumbled across the floor.

“I’m not talking about her.”

“I know.”

Lucy spun around. The redness glowed from her cheeks.

“Pardon me… I am sorry,” Florence said. “I just… I can not do it.”

Mai held her palms out, waving them around. “Please don’t go back and hide in a cardboard box. I’m begging you.”

Florence raised Stella’s eyebrows.

Mai clasped her hands together. “Like pretty please,” she said.

“Stop it,” Chloe said. “What’s the point of this? We still have to find our musical composition.”

“Should we split up?” Florence asked.

“This sounds a lot like the plot of a horror movie.” Lucy burped. She gulped down the cup of water as it gurgled. “So, don’t do it.”

Chloe tapped her foot on the floor, wrinkling her nose. She jerked her head back, staring at Lucy.

“What?” Lucy sniffed, cupping her nose. “I seriously don’t want to.”

“Come on, Lucy,” Chloe said. “You’re not twelve years old. You’re an old hag at this point.”

“I’m not an old hag.”

“If you’re not one, then give me that bottle of alcohol.”

“No.”

“It’s literally empty.”

“Do you want to drink it? So that you can experience the cycle of happiness.”

“That’s called alcoholism.”

Mai yelped.

“Pardon me, what is the problem?” Florence asked.

“Where did Sam go?” Mai clasped her hand, scanning over the floor. “Like, I swear, he was here a moment ago.”

“Probably ran away,” Chloe said. She glared at Florence. “I wonder why?”

Florence raised Stella’s hands up.

“What?” Mai pressed her palm on her head, kneeling down, rustling her hair. “We’re so screwed.”

“Yeah, sure. You finally realized that,” Chloe said.

Mai screamed, burying her face between her knees.

“I… am not certain where I should even begin,” Florence said. She rubbed the back of Stella’s neck.

Lucy laughed. “He is probably our secret stash of catnip.”

“We don’t have one,” Chloe said. “The last time I saw him, he was in Stella’s pocket.”

Florence tilted her head down. But the pocket of Stella’s no longer held Sam… only a wisps of catnip and balls of fur.

Florence gulped down air into Stella’s lungs. Where did he go? Was her guitar skills that bad to the point he had to run away? Florence shook Stella’s head, biting her lip.

“Okay, it’s decided,” Mai said. She slammed her hand on the round table. “I’m going to look for our musical composition. And Chloe is going to look for Sam.”

Chloe pointed at herself. “Why me? And why not… never mind.”

“Are you going or not?”

“You’re not my mom. So, why should I?”

“Listen to me; I have always been your mommy.”

An eerie silence floated through the room.

Chloe coughed, breaking the silence. “Step on me mommy… I mean, fine, I’m going to look for Sam.”

“Why do you want to get stepped on by her?” Florence asked.

“Thank goodness,” Mai said. “Chloe, you’re this down bad? Isn’t that right?”

“Pardon me, what do you mean by that?” Florence asked. She raised Stella’s eyebrow.

Chloe untangled her arms, placing her hand on her hip. “I’m not… just… never mind that,” she said. She pointed at Florence and Lucy. “The last thing I need is having those two getting lost. And Sam… getting peacefully harvested.”

“Come on, I know my direction.” Lucy turned around, facing away from all of them. “So don’t worry about it.”

“Hey, we’re actually behind you,” Mai said.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Lucy burped, looking over her shoulder at Florence, Mai, and Chloe.

“By the way, Stella, you must remember how to play the guitar again,” Mai said.

“I think it will be better for you to find a new guitarist,” Florence said. “I know that I certainly look somewhat like Stella. But I promise you that I am not her.”

Chloe kicked the round table, its legs scraping across the floor. She stomped her way out through the exit, entering the corridor outside.

“Don’t worry about her.” Mai tilted her head sideways with a smile. “Like… she is… well, you know.”

Florence nodded. “Absolutely, I can see it.”

“Anyways, Lucy should be able to help you relearn the guitar.”

“I have to explain—”

“Okay, see you later.”

Mai spun around. Her feet flew across the door.

Florence stretched Stella’s arm out. But Mai rushed through the doorway, leaving Florence and Lucy behind.

“Well… it’s just you and me now,” Lucy said. She leaned onto Florence with her arms folded around her. “Where do you want to begin?”

“I am not certain about that,” Florence said.

An alcoholic odor wafted from Lucy’s body, reminding Florence of her own sister. Her sister… How long would it take to return back to her? It would be a miracle if she stayed alive. But… did she care for herself properly, like eating or showering. Or changed the bloodied bandages wrapped around her forearm. Florence sank Stella’s heart. Then Florence exhaled, thinning Stella’s lips.

Lucy grinned, handing over the empty bottle of giggle juice to Florence.

“Want a sip? It helps a lot,” Lucy said.

“Thank you… But it is empty. Pardon me, perhaps I could get a new one,” Florence asked.

Lucy laughed, slapping her thighs.

Florence widened Stella’s eyes, sweeping Stella’s fingertips over the body of a guitar.

Lucy yanked the empty bottle of giggle juice away from Florence. “I’m just kidding… But, honestly, I’ve never seen a concussion this bad.”

“Why? I do not get it,” Florence said.

“Well… you’re actually underage to drink alcohol.”

“Pardon?”

Lucy coughed, cupping her mouth.

“I want to inform you of something,” Florence said. “Is that… I am not Stella. Well… at least the one you know.”

“I see.” Lucy giggled, hugging her stomach. “You must be really nervous. Really typical of you.”

“For what?”

“Our band performance.”

“Did I not tell you already? I am not Stella.”

Lucy gripped onto Stella’s shoulder, shaking Florence. Lucy jittered her head back and forth. Her nail sank into Stella’s skin.

“Pardon me, what is the matter?” Florence asked.

“I’m just checking.” Luck chuckled with her cheeks red. “You definitely look a lot like Stella. But… whatever, I guess.”

“I know. But I am not her.”

“Seriously? I didn’t expect you to change this drastically. Or… maybe you are an evil spirit that possessed Stella like those tropes in horror movies.”

Florence nodded as Stella’s stomach twisted.

Lucy shrugged. “I’m just joking… I’ll just let your imagination decide which one I’m talking about,” she said. She placed the empty bottle of giggle juice on the round table. “Well… I actually remember something you told me a long time ago.”

“But I am not her,” Florence said. “Finding a new guitarist now will be better for you.”

“You, as in Stella. The one whose body is being possessed by you right now.”

“I did not possess her body. Well… maybe to a certain degree. Wait a minute… you are actually being serious?”

“Yeah. But I’m not sure where I should start with it.”

Lucy waved the cup, stumbling away from Florence. Lucy’s body swayed from side to side. The droplets splashed onto the floor.

“Come back,” Florence said. “You are going to hurt yourself.”

Lucy waved her finger, opening the door with a creak. She entered the other glass room, picking up the guitar with Stella’s name carved on it from a rack.

A muffled gurgle echoed. But submerged under the spilled water, those bodies with olive helmets and blood-soaked coats stared at Florence. Bubbles of air escaped from the bodies’ noses and mouths, popping up on the surface.

Florence froze. Her mind raced along with her heart. Stella’s muscles stiffened, unable to move under Florence’s command.

“I know,” Lucy said. She wobbled out of the other glass room, carrying Stella’s name etched on the guitar. “But you still have to learn it.”

An eerie silence followed.

Lucy hopped onto the round table, sitting next to Florence. A thud vibrated beneath them. The pizza packaging boxes teetered. Lucy reached into her pocket, pulling out a pick. She twisted the tuning pegs, tightening the strings. In a swift strike, the string rang in a high pitch. She stared at the guitar with Stella’s name engraved on it. Then Lucy turned the pegs, loosening the strings and lowering the pitch.

Those bodies climbed out, stretching their arms to Florence and grabbing her. A shiver ran up Stella’s spine, sending goosebumps across her skin.

“So what’s your name?” Lucy shrugged. “I know you’re not Stella. Actually, scratch that… I’m Lucy, by the way… even though you already know that.”

Florence could not speak as the words got stuck in Stella’s throat.

Lucy burped. A sharp stench flowed out of her mouth. She sipped bubbling water from the cup.

Florence whimpered as those bodies’ nails dug into Stella’s legs. Stella’s heart pounded. Then Florence clenched the side of the round table, sinking Stella’s nails into its surface.

“Hey, is everything okay?” Lucy hiccuped, plucking a string of the guitar with Stella’s name carved on it resting on her lap. “Is this some sort of ritual you do to unpossess her body?”

Florence shook Stella’s head.

“I guess you’re stuck here with us now,” Lucy said. “By the way, do you know how to tune your guitar?”

“Help me,” one of the bodies said. It pulled at Stella’s skirt.

Florence remained in an eerie silence as the groans from the bodies rang within her ear canals.

Lucy sighed. She slapped the guitar with Stella’s name engraved on it, resting on her lap, hiding her face behind her braids. “It’s fine… I guess. I just don’t want to make any more regrets… that’s all.” She turned her head around, grinning towards Florence. “Honestly, I’m not sure when I started to change my mindset… Maybe it was when I first met Stella.”

The bodies gaped at Florence, breathing on Stella’s neck. The tip of Stella’s tongue dried, creeping deeper into her mouth. Florence flinched as the beads of sweat formed on Stella’s forehead, trailing down her face.

“Whatever,” Lucy said. “Just spit it out. Bottling it up is not going to help.”

“Why did you leave me behind?” one of the bodies asked. It brushed aside Stella’s pale hair.

A cold wave settled on Florence, twisting Stella’s stomach. The bile rose up, burning Stella’s throat. But Florence gulped those bitter fluids back down.

Lucy grabbed onto the guitar on Florence, taking it off from her.

Lucy burped, twisting the tuning pegs. “So, have you played a guitar before?”

But… again, Florence could not utter a single word.

Lucy swept the strings with a pick, vibrating a high pitch. “Yeah… this should be okay for now,” she said. She gave a guitar back to Florence.

With those bodies tugging at Florence, she breathed in and out irregularly. She forced herself to take the guitar. But only Stella’s eyes and fingers twitched as the rest of her body never followed Florence’s order.

“Hey, if you don’t want to do it… it’s fine,” Lucy said. “Just take your time.”

Florence tapped on the round table.

Lucy chuckled, cupping her mouth. She placed the guitar that she took from Florence down on the floor. “When I first started… it’s embarrassing, to say the least.”

An eerie silence wafted through the room. Florence nodded, closing Stella’s eyes.

A strumming of guitar strings played. Florence’s breathing steadied, slowing down Stella’s heart rate. Then Florence opened Stella’s eyes wide, turning towards Lucy.

Lucy hummed, rocking her head side to side in the rhythm of her music. This song… where did Florence hear this one before? A warm embrace engulfed her, pushing away that cold weight on her. The laughter and clapping rang in her mind just like whenever her brother played the guitar for her and her sister.

One by one, those bodies moved a step back, releasing their grip on Florence.

Lucy yawned, gaping her mouth wide. She smacked her lips, twirling the pick between her fingers.

“Maybe this is the key to it,” Florence said. She picked up the guitar on the ground.

“Are you feeling better now?” Lucy grinned with her cheeks still red. “It helps a lot. Isn’t that right? And also a bit of alcohol like beer or vodka would help too.”

“Lucy, could you teach me how to play guitar?”

“Wait… what?”

“I think… maybe… that will help. And it may be the key to unpossessing Stella’s body. So, may you please teach me the guitar?”

Lucy stopped twirling the pick, staring at Florence.

“Pardon me, did I say something offensive?” Florence asked.

“Sure.” Lucy grinned, pressing her fingertips against the fret on the neck of the guitar. “I’m ready whenever you’re ready.”