yknow, tumblr seems to appreciate my helanie posts at least a bit so here. as a treat, i’ll cross-post my latest fic on here.

“okay, wait. hmm…oh! okay, this is a good one.” melanie giggled to herself, preparing for whatever she was about to say.
“do you have a name, or can i call you mine?”

“melanie!” helen whined, pulling her hands up to cover her face.
it almost looked like she was sweating.

“what? you liked that one?”

“no!” she insisted, turning away when melanie leaned closer.

“um…helen? did you, uhh…make that?”

“wh-what?” helen looked up just enough to see what melanie was pointing at.

a yellow door that was not there before.

“o-oh, oh, oh no, um-” helen got up, suddenly panicked, running to the door.
she grabbed the handle, but it didn’t open.
nor did it disappear.

“helen? what’s going on?”

she didn’t answer, merely mumbling to herself anxiously as she kept tugging at the doorknob.
“please, please go away, what are you doing here? come on, leave, please leave, oh god, she’s going to think i’m such an idiot-”
she looked like she was going to cry from embarrassment.

“hey, hey, calm down, come here.” melanie stood up as well, walking over to where helen was still panicking, and grabbed her by one of her oversized hands.
“let’s sit down for a second, okay?”
somewhat hesitantly, helen nodded, and let melanie lead her back to the bench.

“alright. do you…wanna tell me what’s up with that?”

“i-i don’t know, it’s-…” helen took a few deep breaths, closing her eyes, clearly uncomfortable with the concept of honesty.
“i haven’t been…i-…it’s been…difficult…i-i don’t think….sometimes they don’t obey me. the doors.” she finally admitted.

“that makes sense, i mean, you’re pretty new to all this, aren’t you?”

“well, y-yes, but it’s…humiliating! i-i mean, they’re- they’re supposed to be a part of me!”

“maybe…maybe they’re, like, a reflection of something you’re going through? some kind of conflict, or inner turmoil, or some…feelings that you’re repressing, or something like that? maybe you just need to, i dunno, accept them?” melanie shrugged.
“to just stop punishing yourself for…feeling things.”

something like longing briefly flashed across helen’s face, but she shook her head and breathed again.
there was a small creaking sound as the door disappeared.

“huh. look at that. i was right. it was a metaphor.” melanie turned to grin at helen.
“a meta-door, if you will.”

“melanie.”