July 25th
A bell echoed through the room, jostled by the heavy wooden door as it creaked open.
"Welcome to Tiff's Thrifts!" a voice called out from the back, sweet and confident. A woman's head bounced above the clothing racks that crowded the floor in rows or islands as she attended to her duties. "You're a bit early, but feel free to look around. I'll be with you as soon as I finish opening up!"
"Have any clothes that would let people know that I'm ready to get fucked? It's laundry day, and let's just say that all my club outfits are
well used
." It was said in a casual tone, as if the person speaking had already explained it too many times by now.
The head stopped for a moment before weaving its way through the aisles like a fin in water. From behind a rack of musty sweaters stepped a mousy girl with short, messy black hair and glasses. Over her vintage clothes she wore an apron with the store's logo emblazoned on her chest. Her hand clutched the pole of a mop, a trail of soapy water marking her path through the forest of clothes. "Sherri... I didn't... Um, hi..."
"Mornin', Dia. It's good to see you again." Sherri smiled, glad to finally see a welcome face. After the ordeal of the past few weeks, a chance to unwind with a friend was exactly what she needed.
Except the familiar face didn't appear as welcoming as she had expected. When Sherri took a step forward, Dia took an equal one back. "What's wrong?"
Dia brought the mop stick up to her chest, keeping it between herself and Sherri as if it would protect her from anything. "N-nothin's wrong. You look... well." She offered a nervous, crooked smile.
Sherri flustered a bit, but kept her distance. "Dia, don't bullshit me. C'mon, out with it."
Whether at the restrained tenacity of the statement, or the accusation, Dia flinched at the rebuke. She kept a wary eye on Sherri the entire time. Only when Sherri signaled her impatience with a shrug did Dia speak up. "I um... They say you joined a cult. That you were like... were brainwashed or something." She tensed up as if expecting Sherri to attack her for the indictment.
Instead, Sherri scoffed at her. "Who said that?!"
"Brooke, I think. Though everyone else seems to say the same thing."
"Brooke?!" Sherri laughed loud enough to spook Dia. "Brooke also says her friend was possessed by a mask two summers ago. You know better than to listen to her." Dia seemed to be waiting for her to continue, unsatisfied with her response, so Sherri sighed. "I didn't join a cult. I was just... I was trying to get laid. And turns out the hot girl hitting on me happened to be a member of that group. One thing led to another, and before I know it, within a few days they had me strapped to a chair."
"Wait, so you
were
brainwashed?" Dia took another step back, bumping into the nearby rack and nearly jumping out of her skin in response.
Sherri grabbed a shirt off a nearby hanger and threw it at Dia, the old cotton falling unceremoniously short. "Clearly not! I think they just drugged me. Some drug, at that..." The comment reminded her of the feeling she had that day, the pleasure that threatened to consume her, and the drive to do what Victoria wanted just so she could feel more.
She shifted where she stood, hoping Dia didn't see the way she clenched her thighs together. She knew if she focused too much on the memory, her pants would betray her with a visible marking of her arousal. Better to not dwell on the past. "I managed to escape as it was wearing off."
Sherri tried to maintain her patience as Dia seemed to evaluate the answer she gave, but she could only withhold her annoyance for so long. "Dia, seriously... It's me."
That uncertain look from Dia remained, but only for a moment more. She soon relaxed and leaned her mop against the nearby counter. As she approached Sherri, the mop began to slide down the edge. It fell to the tile with a sharp
clap
just as Sherri wrapped her arms around her.
"I was worried about you," Dia said. She leaned her head against Sherri, finding a comfortable position. Just as relief began to wash over her, she felt Sherri's arms tighten. A hand pressed the back of her head against Sherri's shoulder, making it difficult for her to breathe. "Sh-Sherri, what-"
"Shh, don't struggle," Sherri said. "It'll all be over soon."
Dia tried to scream when she felt the pinch on her neck, but it came out muffled. As much as she tried to thrash, Sherri was too strong for her.
"You're far too trusting, Dia. But that's okay. You'll see The Light soon enough. Jim Jones has shown it to me. He is very much looking forward to meeting you, too."
Dia stopped struggling as her body relaxed with an annoyed sigh. "You bitch," she said through the side of her mouth not squashed by Sherri's shoulder. This time when she pushed against Sherri, she was let go. She brought her hand up to her neck to check for blood where she felt the injection. Finding no evidence, she glanced over to see Sherri's smiling face as she made pinching motions with her fingers.
"You gotta stop watching those fantasy movies, Dia. They're making you paranoid." Sherri tried to ruffle Dia's hair, but Dia batted her hand away. "C'mon, don't sulk. I haven't seen you in over a month. Got a backlog of pranks to get through!"
Dia only rolled her eyes as she rubbed at her neck, but couldn't stop the slow grin from showing on her face. "Jim Jones? Really?"
"There's that smile." Sherri leaned against the nearby counter next to Dia. "So, how ya been?"