Page 14 of Abundance of Obsession

Ash’s words haunt me in my sleep. They buzz in my ear like an annoying fly. I run away and hide in the abandoned rooms of some temple, but every time, her words catch up to me. They find me anyway.

You're childish… You're childish…

Actually, she told me that my actions were childish. My twisted mind sees it completely differently.

And even if I wanted to deny out loud that I’m not like that, I can’t.

I feel childish. I feel… bland.

That’s why, when I wake up, the first thing that comes to mind is that it’s time for a transformation.

With a quick change, I rush out the door to the drugstore, my mind racing.

An hour later, in a small bathroom, bent over the shower tray, I rinse my hair as graphite-colored water flows down into the drain.

My heart is pounding. My attention is so absorbed by the transformation that the thought of future regret doesn’t cross my mind. I won’t regret it. No question.

The graphite-colored water finally shifts to a light gray until it eventually runs clear.

Standing in front of the mirror, excitement and nerves swirl inside me. The fogged-up glass doesn’t immediately reveal what I’ve done. I count to three and wipe the damp surface with one hand.

This is… something completely new.

But I don’t let doubt shake me. I tackle the hardest part.

A dark strand falls over my bare feet and the floor.

My gaze shifts downward. The contrast of the hair against the cream-colored floor looks good. A faint smile appears on my face.

I grab another strand, then another, and another.

Snip, snip, snip.

Locks of hair that no one but me has touched in nearly ten years fall one by one. They form a carpet at my feet.

I tousle the remaining hair, now almost dry, and look at the person in the mirror.

She seems to have the same face, and yet she looks different. The woman on the other side now has black hair, not the chestnut-brown of the past. Jet-black waves. Shorter. Sharper.

More mine.

She holds the promise of mystery and maturity. Her new hairstyle makes her look gorgeous and alluring.

That’s not me.

And yet…

I like what I see.

In a flash, I jump into the shower and shave all the strategic spots.

There’s one thing left.

My virginity. The last remnant of the girl I used to be.

And it’s high time to get rid of that baggage.

Today, I’m playing the hunter, and I’ll do it on my own terms.