Kaliee Gardner

Monachopsis

Circe and Lily had been best friends since they were five years old, back in the summer of 2002 in their hometown of Seattle, Washington. Despite their contrasting looks, they had always been inseparable. Lily was a stunning girl with long, beautiful black hair, big, doll-like eyes, and plush pink lips. In contrast, Circe had choppy, curly red hair, beady eyes, and crooked teeth. The two of them often were compared to a bunny and a fox. However, their appearances were not important to the girls at that time.

Fast forward to their junior year at Lakefield High, where societal norms emphasized the significance of looks. Lily, having recently begun her relationship with Amal, seemed increasingly absorbed in her newfound popularity, leaving Circe feeling left behind.

“Hey, Circe!” Lily called out to her best friend who had just arrived at her locker. 

“Oh hey Lily, how was California?” Circe spoke in her monotone voice that she always seemed to have. 

“Oh, you wouldn’t believe it! The beaches were so gorgeous and there was so much to see!” Lily beamed at her best friend. 

Lily was interrupted by a ding on her flip phone, “Hey, I’m so sorry. Please don’t be mad, but Amal just texted me saying to meet him at the library.” Lily said, frowning, showing Circe her phone.

“Don’t sweat it, Lily. I’ll see you later.” Circe nodded at Lily flashing her a melancholic smile.

This is how their friendship went as late ever since Lily met Amal as if she was constantly at his beck and call. Circe had just wanted to be happy for her best friend but as they grew further apart with Lily’s newfound popularity. Circe knew why she would never be able to find that same success. She also knew it was because of her looks. The one light she found in her otherwise lonely world was Lily but her light would soon turn red with hatred. 

There Circe sat during lunch alone in the empty room of her art class. She decided to read the book she was reading for the rest of her free time. Eventually, her eyes began to get extremely heavy until she drifted into a not-so-peaceful sleep. 

When she awoke she appeared to be sleeping on the couch in her basement. This greatly confused the girl especially when she began to notice the blood that soaked her hands and the sleeves of her gray long sleeve. That was when she heard a groaning sound of a girl coming from somewhere within the room. For some reason, her vision was blurred and her head felt dizzy. She then began to notice that what she had previously believed was groaning was someone repeating the same phrase over and over again,

“What have you done to me? What have you done to me? Circe how could you do this to me? How could you do this?”

“Hello? Who is that?” Circe asked as she shakily got to her feet.

That was when she saw a small figure with long black hair. 

“L-Lily is that you…” 

“How could you do this to me!” Lily suddenly reached out in an attempt to lunge at Circe but was held back by makeshift restraints.

“Lily, what’s going on? What happened? Please talk to me. I am just so confused right now.” Circe said, gripping her head.

“Are you seriously that insane? You can’t even remember what you did, you psychopath!” Lily completely turned to Circe from her previous spot facing the wall.

That was when Circe truly saw Lily’s once angelic-like face that looked like that of a rabbit mask made out of human flesh. Her once plush pink lips had been sliced out not revealing the inside of her mouth, her bunny-like buck teeth, and her cheeks appeared to be filled or stuffed with something giving her a look as though she constantly had food stuffed in her cheeks.

“I did that to you?” Circe said with a tone in her voice that sounded almost like one of pride.

“Why’d you do it Circe? Was it because you were jealous? Or was this monster who you were all along ” Lily slurred beginning to lose consciousness due to the blood she had presumably lost during the makeshift surgery.

“You wanna know the truth, Lily? Yes, yes I’ve always been jealous of you with your perfect life, perfect body, perfect face, perfect friends, and your perfect relationship! But now, I’ve done it; you can feel what it’s like to be in the shadows to be left behind and taunted. It’s your turn now my sweet Lily to feel monachopsis as I always have.” Circe spat at Lily as she began to maniacally laugh as Lily’s body limply hit the ground.

Soon again Circe’s vision turned to black. She felt as though someone was shaking her. When she opened her eyes there she was in all her glory: a perfect, normal Lily.

“Hey, weirdo you were giggling in your sleep. What were you dreaming about?” Lily asked as she looked at her best friend with an innocent smile.

“Oh nothing, just had a really good dream,” Circe said with a less-than-pure smile.

“Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to come over today, and make those cookies you’ve been wanting to try?” Circe asked as she reminisced on her delightful dream.