Reflection - Serial Experiments Lain(LainxAlice)

"Lain, come on in silly. Don't just stand there; you might catch a cold."

The short haired female blinked out of her dazed state and walked inside her friend's apartment. Her chocolate brown eyes glanced around her surroundings, it looked really capacious from her point of view. She smiled and turned to her friend. "What a nice apartment you have Alice." The hazel brown haired girl glanced over at the window as snow fell slowly and peacefully. 'So this is what snow looks like.' Lain thought as her eyes fell to the floor, her eyes downcast in a gloomy way.

A chuckle reached her ears as she glanced back up to her friend. "Don't look so gloomy, come on, let's watch a movie or something." Raven hair, about shoulder length, fell upon the young adult's shoulders. "I don't know why, but whenever I see you, I always think that I've forgotten someone. Funny huh?" Alice chuckled lightly and placed her arm on the teen's shoulders. "So come on, what movie do you want to see?"

"Well, since it's Christmas," She trailed off, trying to think of a perfect movie to watch. "I guess, "A Christmas Carol" would be good."

"All right, I'll go get the movie, just go ahead and sit down on the sofa."

Lain nodded before the other ran off. It had been a couple years since that day and she just couldn't remove it out of her mind. The adolescent sat down as silence took over, she began to ponder about those years-those pungent thoughts that filled her with regret. Did she do the right thing? Numerous questions arose in her mind. Was erasing everyone's mind of her existence a horrendous precursor to the present?

Every night, her lonesome tears fall onto the ground as the feeling of repent washed over her like a wave. Lain had, but one person to comfort her during these times of need. Alice, her best friend from middle school. If only she knew, but Lain knew the other couldn't handle it like the first time. Besides, Alice was an adult now, she wouldn't want to waste time with an adolescent that hasn't aged since that day. She was a program; a product made for the wired or the internet, but that didn't matter to her one bit. The prodigy buried that piece of information in the deep reaches of her subconscious, but always seemed to think about it everyday.

"I feel so lonely." She whispered to herself. "Was it wrong to do that?"

"Poor Lain, pondering over her pathetic little past." A figure materialized in front of her and giggled in a crazed way. The figure looked just like her, same face, everything, though it wasn't her. "You were better off without a body, no one cares for you. Not even your so-called friend, Alice." The Lain copy giggled once again and her smile turned wicked. "Don't waste your time on these humans, they're not worth it."

"SHUT UP!" She retorted back as her chocolate eyes glared daggers at her copy. "You don't know anything about me, go away, leave me alone." The figure giggled once again before fading from existence. Lain gazed downwards once again as the silence arrived again. "She's the only one I can trust, but I can't tell her, not just yet." The girl reached into her pockets and brought out a small nicely wrapped gift. "I hope she'll like my gift even though I bought from a concession stand."

For a tiny moment she forgot about her troubles, but soon it returned when she thought about when she'll be telling Alice the truth. "I just can't tell her, not just yet." Lain repeated to herself. "I hurt her, I scarred her with my presence." A tear fell from her cheeks. " I didn't mean to hurt her, I just wanted her to know that I loved her as a friend and I would never hurt her or erase her memories. Though it was the opposite, I frightened her to no end when she saw that hideous form of a monster that tried to kill us that day. I'm so sorry Alice."

Lain sniffled as more tears fell from her face, though a voice made her stop. "Lain? Why are you crying?" Her eyes glanced up to gaze at the worried face of Alice as the other sat down next to her.

"It's nothing." She wiped away her tears with a handkerchief. "Oh." The youth placed the present in her hands benevolently. "It's a present."

Alice smiled. Lain was so sweet and nice to her. 'It's like we're long lost sisters.' She thought to herself before opening it with a smile. "It's so cute, thanks Lain." The raven haired girl gazed at her new stuffed animal: a little orange kitten with a Santa hat on its head. "I love it."

"I'm glad you do." The two girls simultaneouslyglanced at the television as the movie began and once again silence took over until Lain spoke up. "Alice?"

"Yeah?"

"Merry Christmas."