Rebecca was in her room searching for the bracelet she had been wearing last Wednesday. She had this vivid recollection of setting it down on her bedside table, but now it wasn’t there. Last night had been strange enough without this. Rebecca caught sight of her roommate, Kara leaving the bathroom, toweling her hair and wrapped in a fluffy robe. After Kara had been the only one left willing to room with her, and not make smart comments, Rebecca had been grateful for the company, but over the last few weeks Kara had seemed intrusive, and Rebecca had this growing feeling that her roommate was more or less hiding something. Kara always had this smug, borderline condescending, air about her.
Aside from the fact that Rebecca’s thoughts about Kara were unsettled, Rebecca had to find this bracelet. It had belonged to her mother, a woman Rebecca and her father had adored in spite of her eccentricity. Rebecca’s mother had been the warmest person she ever encountered, but towards the end of her illness, she had surrounded herself with crystals, talismans, and engaged in any number of activities designed to stave off the debilitating illness she suffered. The MS which she had been diagnosed with just 8 years before her death had unsurprisingly changed Rebecca’s mother. Her father had remained undeterred in his devotion, and some of the fondest memories Rebecca had was watching him spontaneously pull her mother from her seat for a dance across the lounge room floor. It was a sight that became less and less frequent, or easy towards the end, but Rebecca had other memories. She remembered visiting multiple psychics, mediums and spiritualists in an effort to initially stave off the disease, and later, understand the afterlife and connect with it. When Rebecca was young she had often wished she had the power to fulfill her mother’s prayers, to wish away the sickness, to fix her. This is what carried Rebecca’s fascination. The possibility she might be able to be what her mother had been looking for fuelled her fascination with the paranormal, not that Rebecca was that aware of why she held such predilections.
The bracelet had been the last thing her mother wore. Coupled with the fact that Rebecca had had an episode where she had ‘connected with the other side’, as she saw it, whilst wearing the bracelet, meant she rarely took it off. Rebecca had truly regretted she had been drunk when she had had the psychic breakthrough she had so long thirsted after, but, she reasoned, many cultures connected with the spirit world whilst under the influence of something. The stigma had been palpably embarrassing though. There had been no glamour, no mysticism, no art to the event, and everyone had simply concluded she was wasted. Rebecca’s attention zoned in on Kara meandering by her room door, leaving small droplets in her wake.
”Kara, have you seen my necklace, the one I was wearing on Wednesday?”
Kara entered, toweling her hair. “No sweetie, I haven’t seen it. Was it expensive?”
“It was my mother’s.” Rebecca said troubled.
“Shame you lost it.” Kara responded, a hint of falseness in her voice. As Kara left, Rebecca glared after her, sensing something was not quite right. Rebecca dusted the crumbs and fluff from her hands and lap, before she stood to follow Kara into the living area.
“Kara, you would tell me wouldn’t you.” Rebecca confronted her room mate.
“Un-huh.” Kara insisted, but Rebecca couldn’t let go of the feeling it wasn’t the truth. Rebecca peered back at Kara as though she might be able to see right through her. “What?” Kara asked, clearly off put.
Rebecca grabbed hold of Kara’s arm. “Tell me the truth.”
An image of Kara taking the bracelet and placing it in a box she had under her bed, flashed before her.
Outraged, Rebecca let Kara go, stalking off into Kara’s room. She took the box out and opened it up. The box was full to the brim of jewelry still with tags on them from shops, a locket with a child’s picture in it and Rebecca’s bracelet. Rebecca walked out with the box and thrust it at a stunned Kara. “Get out by the time I get back.” Rebecca slammed the door behind her, staring at the bracelet in her hand.