The Mannequin
Dark brown skin is left posing nude within a recently abandoned building. The solitary feminine figure is known as the Mannequin. Three items dress the Mannequin's form. An inky fedora, bamboo hoops, and sexy stiletto heels adding height to the Mannequin's stature. The lingering lemony scent of cleaning products fills Melanie's lungs. As she enters the room, she glides towards the Mannequin. Melanie's peter-pan collar mini dress contrasts with the Mannequin's nudeness. Her fedora and stilettos echoing the Mannequin. When she strides closer, Melanie looks at the Mannequin's face under her fedora. Her fellow in Blackness stares back. There isn't a way to deny the hollowness creeping in Melanie's heart. Here she is, in an abandoned room stinking of cleaning products staring down at another abandoned Black body. There's no way for her to take the female Mannequin with her. The Mannequin will be left here, just like before. Guilt is conquering Melanie's thoughts as the minutes drag on.
Perhaps, the Mannequin finds the chilly building and continuous bustling traffic of the city as a comfort. The abandoned building isn't infested with rodents, yet. She imagines squirmy bodies of rats with crewed limbs from fights over other dead rodents to eat. The Mannequin stuck with the swarm in perpetual danger of being disfigured by ugly pink faces. Unclothed, the Mannequin is exposed to greedy pink fingers clawing at the Mannequin's body. Plundering from the beautiful Black feminine to satisfy the rodents' desires. The rats will scratch at the Mannequin's body, stealing the fedora, stilettos, and earrings. The rat gnawing raw the Mannequin's body until nothing is recognizable. A disfigured body that is similar to Melanie's own. The horror of the vision tears a silent scream from her lips. How could such a nightmare come to pass? It won't, as long as Melanie is willing to prevent it. After all, it is up to the Black female to protect themself from that which wishes to harm.
Clinging to the Mannequin, Melanie escapes from the abandoned building. Leaving behind the decaying walls covered in fading graffiti, they journey down the stairs. The elevators stopped working hours after the building was left to rot. The steps shutter as the weight of Melanie increased from the time she traveled up them. The pull of gravity doubling with the additional load. Despite the fear of a step giving under the weight, there's only one thing on Melanie's mind. Move forward, and don't falter. For if you fall, you won't be getting up. These thoughts make the Mannequin feel easier to carry. As time goes on, there are moments of struggle due to the weight. But the weight is nothing, all that matters is that the Mannequin and Melanie move to pass the final door and to the greater world once more. The commotion of city life grows closer as the final steps near. There Melanie and the Mannequin are right at the final door.
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