Restless

She sat in the room, lights off and listened to the sounds outside. She could hear them; snuffling, rutting, squealing. The hogs. Wild creatures taking over Kiara's property and the surrounding countryside. Free from the constraints of morality, responsibility and personal relationships. How she longed for that freedom. To do as she pleased and when she wanted. She felt electrified. The touch of cloth, wood, mattress, each sparking a jolt of energy that coursed from her nerves, through her body and ultimately to her brain. Barely contained energy she wanted to release, like the lightening that just cracked through the night, but was fighting to control. Not yet, she felt. Not yet. She has to see that woman. Ms. Ida. Something about that name pushed at the edge of memory. As she lay back on the bed and closed her eyes, she smiled and thought, "At least I don't have to watch her flitting around my head." Her weakness had gone to attempt contact with Kiara. Rihanna smiled. "Good luck!"

I cruised back and forth over Kiara's head. "Kiara! Kiara! KIARA!" I yelled louder each time I said her name but she couldn't hear me, only a "buzzing noise." Sissy, why does she, I , me...whatever, keep calling Kiara sissy? Most likely to sound tough and confident, if I know myself, which at this point I wasn't too sure if I did.

I believe the Meanie Me (thanks Austin Powers) hit the nail on the head with the Star Wars reference. This situation was far more Dark Side then possession. I know Kiara knew I was present. I floated after her as she stomped to her room, cat and dog in tow. Cat! That's it. I'll get Kiara's attention through the cat. If I know my pop culture, some people believe that cats can see human auras and the psychic energy that surrounds them. Maybe Cleo would "see" me and alert Kiara with a hiss or meow.

I buzzed Cleo's head. Nothing. I buzzed her again and she just turned her head and ignored me. Typical. The third time, I screamed as I buzzed her, causing the cat to leap in the air, subsequently landing on the bed and yowling up at me. Kiara spun around and yelled, "What the freaking hell!"

Eureka! In response, I reached out and grazed her hair with the tips of my fingers. Her hair fluttered slightly. She smoothed her hair back down and looked in the air around her.

Hank was whining, but Cleo had grown bored and begun to lick herself.

"Who is that?" Kiara asked. She bit her lip thoughtfully, "Rihanna, is that you?"

It was a simple question, full of hope. Gleeful, I messed her hair again, this time with both hands.  Her acknowledgement of me seemed to give me more substance.

"Hang tight, Rihanna. I really feel that Ms. Ida, or her house, is the key. However, I think I might have to call The Mother (our pet name for our mom) and get her opinion. She may have some new agey way of reuniting yourselves." Kiara sighed. "I am so tired."

She looked tired. Her eyes were red and her shoulders slumped and I knew that I was to blame. My desire to be free from responsibility and to be able to just have a good time had become such an obsession that it consumed me.

That desire manifested itself as my dark alter ego. Somehow, my dark alter ego grew strong enough to evict my good parts. If we didn't figure something out soon, I didn't know if my good side would be capable of reuniting with my dark side. If I am not able to pull myself together, I will be forced to lead this split existence until the day I die. And then what will happen?

The Dark Side, It Is

I looked over at Rihanna as she finished singing that stupid "little girl with a curl" song. She had a strange expression on her face. The way her head was tilted, the lamp over the chair threw a shadow over half of it. Maybe it was just the way the shadow fell on her face, but somehow her eyes had gotten a mean glint to them.

The hair on the back of my neck stood up. I became aware of a buzzing noise right above me. I waved my hand, thinking it was a fly, but it wouldn't stop. I looked up quickly to see what it could be, but there was nothing flying around my head.

Rihanna laughed softly, like someone might laugh that knew a secret that could hurt you. I looked back at her, still trying to figure out where the buzzing noise was coming from.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked.

Rihanna leaned back, stretching her back over the chair. "Nothing, why?" Her back was lightly arched, almost a pose. It was a seductive move, as if she was hinting at further things to come.

She took a deep breath and sank down into the chair, looking at me with slightly closed eyes. They seemed darker, not as green as usual.

Adrenalin forced its way through my body. I could feel my eyes dilate, as they focused instictively on a perceived danger. I tried to act normal. I got up and shimmied past her to the kitchen, hoping she wouldn't reach out and touch me.

Rihanna dropped her head against the chair's arm and followed me with her eyes. "What's wrong, sissy? Scared of something?"

I put my plate down. The buzzing sound had become fainter, but it was still there, gnawing at my consciousness. My initial fear had subsided once I moved into the kitchen. I could still see her, looking at me with a smirk on her face.

The fear, I realized, was being replaced by annoyance. I busied myself with cleaning the kitchen. I needed some time to think.

The last thing we had talked about was devil possession and conjuring something from our darker sides. I had never seen someone possessed by the devil, but I somehow knew that what had just happened wasn't it. So, it must have something to do with us, and our dark sides.

"Whatcha thinkin' bout, sissy?" Rihanna said, a teasing note to her voice. The kind of teasing note that often precedes violence.

She got up and walked to the bar, which was built in front of the kitchen sink. She leaned on it and gave me a grin.

"The 'sissy' thing has to stop now." I said, meeting her eyes and holding them, "and what I'm thinking about is whether or not you are possessed by the devil, or you have gone over to the dark side."

Rihanna's grin dropped and she backed off from the bar.

"So, tell me how this is supposed to play out, sissy. Is it The Exorcist, or Star Wars?"

I wrang out the dish rag, turned off the water, and crossed my arms. My hands were still wet, but I didn't care.

The buzzing was back and much louder. Rihanna seemed to notice it. She looked up and smiled.

"What is it?" I asked, "What's that noise?"

Rihanna looked back at me and shrugged. "I guess you could call it my weakness."

"Your weakness?" A jolt of clarity hit me. I looked up, hoping to see some sign of what Rihanna could see, but it was useless.

"Say hello to the new me, Kiara!" Rihanna threw her arms wide and turned in a circle, laughing. She stopped and gazed at me, head cocked to the side, that same smile on her lips.

"I believe we have an appointment with your Ms. Ida tomorrow, do we not?" She came back to the bar, and leaned on it. In a whisper, she said, "Get some sleep, sissy, we have a date with destiny tomorrow."

She pushed away from the bar and skipped to the guest room. "Ta ta for now, sissy! Sleep tight!"

The door slammed shut behind her. "Stop calling me "sissy"!" I yelled.

I stood there in the kitchen, breathing heavily, not knowing what to do.

The idea of sleeping in the same house with the "new Rihanna", and a ghostly spector did not appeal to me.

Cleo materialized at my feet, meowing and rubbing herself on my legs. I heard Hank scratching at the door. "Puss, you and Hank are keeping me company tonight."

I picked Cleo up. She conformed herself to my arm and let me carry her to the door. I let Hank in, and all three of us went to my room. The buzzing was back, louder than it had been. It was comforting, and I felt as long as that sound continued, I had hope things would be ok.

I also figured that as long as the animals acted normal, all was good. However, I laid on my bed fully clothed, with the light on.

As if on cue, the storm broke. A peal of thunder shook the house, followed quickly by lightening. I heard Rihanna laughing and yell, "Woo hoo! Bring it on!"

"Dear Jesus, please protect this house, and please help my sister." I prayed and tried to imagine myself clothed in God's armor.