Mannequin (Part 1)

"Emily!" a sudden voice that was coming from behind me woke me from my daze; Peter was running towards me looking as nerdy as he can be.

"Peter?" He was holding a bunch of books in one hand and his schoolbag in the other while struggling to keep his balance as he was running.

"What's with the hurry?" He finally stops in front of me as gasping for air; he waves his hands in front of me before reaching for his drink at the back of his sling bag.

"Didn't I tell you to wait up for me at the usual place; why didn't you do that?"

"Ah… sorry, it was my bad… I did wait up for you but I've arrive earlier than expected; so, I thought about killing time with a short stroll while I was waiting for you. Seems like it turns out to be a long walk after all, sorry…"

"Ah… that explains it." I just give him a smile as feeling bad for making him run like that.

"I'm sorry…"

"It's okay, you didn't really mean it. Besides, Sandra told me before that I really looked like I can use some exercise." The boy who is usually being shy around other students at school looked more relax as he stands tall with a smile on his face.

"So, should we get going now? I bet Sandra's already waiting for us at the clothes store by now…" I tried to sound as usual as I can as we continue to walk side by side along the shops towards our meeting place.

"Emily! I though you wouldn't make it! I'm so…so…so… excited about my mom's newest collection!" Sandra caught me off guard as she suddenly gave me a surprised hug with excitement in her eyes. Sandra's mom; Mrs. Whitney Grey is a fashion designer who designs woman's and kids clothes; in fact, we were invited to her shop just for that main reason.

"How could we miss it when we knew how much it actually means to you?" Paula suddenly pops from behind me with a wide smile.

"Paula!" again, Paula was greet with an excited hug from Sandra as being watched by the both of us.

"Awh… thank you, guys! You're soooo sweet! That's why I love you guys!" finally the hugging sessions ended as she looked towards us with a grateful expression on her face.

"Enough with the chit-chat, Sandra! We still need things to be done here… let's get back to work!" Mrs. Grey suddenly intrudes us with a loud voice from behind the counter as she was struggling to carry some clothes in both of her hands.

"Ah, yes… I'm sorry, but I have a lot of work to do for now in helping mom with this collection. Thanks for coming; you guys should help yourself with some refreshments over there while you wait for the event to start later." Sandra said before sprints to her mom and helped her with the clothes that she was struggling with earlier.

"What about if we give you guys a hand? It might speed up things…"

"Are you sure about that, Paula? Didn't you guys come here on your off days to have a great time? Is it really fine if you spend your holidays helping us instead?"

"Guys?" Paula turns to both me and Peter for a reply.

"Yeah, why not? What's are friends for anyway?" Peter answers as I nod in agreement.

"Well… mom?" Sandra finally turns to face her mom with face full of expectations.

"Sure… we could use some extra hands…"

"Yes!"

"Thanks Mrs. Grey; we'll help in any way we can."

"I'm glad you guys were here for us…" Again, Sandra smile as brightly as she could be.

"Yes, thank you very much… for being Sandra's friend; and helping me today…"

"So… where should we start?"

"Ah… right… Then, you may start by helping me sorting these clothes over here." Mrs. Grey looked all over the tiny shop as she starts dividing jobs for us; Paula helps Mrs. Grey and Sandra sorting some of the clothes for her new collections, while me and Peter were responsible in bringing some of the mannequins from her back store into the shop.

"Mannequins?!?!?" Peter stood silently in front of the store we're supposed to get the mannequins from; a fear look creeps on his face.

"Peter? Are you okay; why didn't you open the door? We're supposed to take the mannequins back to the shop, right?"

"Er… why don't you go first? I'll stay here…"

"…Okay… but are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah… sure I will…" Even though he didn't said it directly to me at that time, I can clearly see how scared he was when I was about to push the wooden door open.

"Creeekkkk!!!!"

"Ah! What was that?!?!?"

"It was just the door, Peter…" I answer him as taking a peek through the open door; the light was too dim to let me see the whole room.

"Can't you be more careful, Emily? It sounds pretty fragile…"

"The store IS old; what did you expect?" I step in as my hand starts to wander on the room's wall; searching for a light switch.

"Even if that's the case… you could have been a little bit more careful…"

"Ok… I'll be more careful next time; let's just get these mannequins out from here as soon as possible."

"Ah, found it!" Finally my hand reaches the switch panel; but as expected coming from an old store room, the light was not working.

"What? Don't tell me it's not working?"

"Yeah… I guess we have to use the torchlight." I pull out the torchlight I've got from Mrs. Grey as she said that the light might not be working in the old store.

"Guess… Mrs. Grey was right after all."

"Let's go…" I lead the way as Peter was still hesitates to move from where he was standing earlier.

"Er… o…kay…"

"Watch your step, the place is quite messy for an old store…"

"Ah!?!?!?" I tried to be careful with my own step before stumble and falls into a stack of mannequins that was put right beside an old locker.

"Emily! Are you okay?" Peter rushes to me with a concern look on his face as he helps me lift up some of the mannequins that had fallen on top of me.

"Yeah, I'm okay… thanks; Peter. I should've been more careful earlier."

"…and there you were telling me to watch my steps…" He looks at me with a mocking expression on his face.

"Okay… it was my bad; sorry about it. I'll be more careful next time….Ah!" a sting sensation coming from my left leg as I tried to get back on my feet.

"Emily? What's wrong?"

"I think I sprain my ankle…"

"Could you walk?"

"I'll try…Ah!"

"Be careful!"

"Thanks…" I manage to walk a bit before Peter told me to take a seat outside the store room while he takes out some of the mannequins for Mrs. Grey.

As I was watching him, my eyes were caught by a female mannequin that was put outside the store room just beside me. It had a pale complexion with a long straight black hair attach to its head; seems like the wig was glued to since long ago. Her eyes were shiny as I wipe off the dust that has been covering it with my hands; it was hazel as a long eye lashes been attach to her. My focus was fix to her hazel shiny eyes; somehow it seems so beautiful to me that I can't help myself to stare at it.

"Hey, don't stare at it for far too long; or it might sucks your soul out of you…" I chuckle at Peter's words as he was still busy carrying out the mannequins.

"Haha… very funny, Peter…" I turn my gaze towards the female mannequin again as an idea approaches me; a lifeless mannequin who gets its first feels of life through people's hatred.