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.
