Imageless by Michaela Noelle (top 100 books of all time checklist TXT) 📕

A beautiful girl with hair that mirrored the striking rays of the sun, stirred uncontrollably under the warmth of her covers while nightmares danced in her head. She awoke in a cold, bone wrenching sweat and sat up. Flinging her covers off, she flew out of bed. Sleep covered and filled her eyes as confusion ran amuck. The golden haired girl took a quick glance at her mirror, frightened she rubbed her eyes with her balled fists.         

Horror froze on her face. Afraid was what she was. She peered at her mirror again, fingers curled around the decorated edges of her wooden vanity, with confusion and in utter terror. Goosebumps formed along her pale and trembling arms. Startled, she looked once more. Her body, gone. Her face, gone. Alexis Beck, no longer. Now she is imageless.

  Alexis exited her room in the fastest sprint she could. She dashed down the stairs taking only brief pauses for any accidental trips among her own two feet. Her body was apparent to her own view, why didn't she see it in the mirror? Sure other sensible things could be the reasoning for this, but Alexis knew better. She knew not to minimize things for it could lead to long term chaos and a lingering laid-back, careless attitude.          

Alexis scanned the family room with her glossy sapphire eyes. Her mother knelt in the corner weeping clear drops of uncontrollable sadness while her husband held her close. Quinn, the name of her mother, nestled her mascara smeared face in her husband's chest. She clung to his gray cotton shirt and entwined her tiny bony fingers in it with her left hand. With her right, she grasped his curly chestnut hair in an attempt for comfort and to pull him close. Her husband rubbed gentle circles on her back and massaged the back of her neck. Tears gently rolled down his tan face.      

Alexis had never seen such a sight. Her mother had never acted in such a way. Alexis was in deep pain seeing her mother sob in hysterics, feeling guilty and selfish that she needed help from them about her own situation.    

 "Mom, Dad?" she cried out in a whisper.    

 "Mom!" she howled at a volume that echoed and bounced off the walls ringing into every room of the house.    

 "Can you hear me?" She screamed a blood-curdling cry that would pierce the eardrums of any victim that could hear her.      

 Her parents were still in the same corner they were before, frozen in the same pose. Nothing had changed since Alexis had entered the room. She was ignored.      

 Alexis walked from the tile behind the island, centered in the middle of their mostly blue kitchen, and into the living room. She dashed along the muted taupe carpet taking absolutely no time to feel the carpet's tenderness under her bare feet.  Alexis arrived near the base of the wooden staircase, parallel to her huddled over parents.      

 Her parents occasionally looked up in the direction of Alexis, but payed no attention to her. This frustrated Alexis. She knew, or thought she knew, just how awful her parents felt. In fact, she was at a loss of words when trying to find one that could describe the deep resonating ache she knew they felt. Although, she thought this was no reason they couldn't at least acknowledge her presence.      

 Alexis Beck walked further and further down the muted taupe carpet to her beloved Mr. and Mrs. Beck, the two people that created her and raised her. In her eyes, the ones that could do no wrong. She was so close that her left foot touched her mother's right knee. Alexis then persisted to raise her right hand and wave it in her mother's face. If it weren't for her true angst, fear, and the pang of sadness deep in her heart she wouldn't behave in such a manner. She was conflicted in helping her mother and father along, and the scare she's been put through.      

 Finally Alexis decided that she has had enough and that she needed a change of scenery. She also thought she needed help from someone she truly trusted. With this, she would trek to the man that she shared her first kiss with. Although she was only a soon to be senior and shouldn't be able to profess having experienced wonderful love, she felt she had. They shared very innocent and sweet relationship, never over the top and fake. Just two soon to be seniors in the middle of the summer, with love as real as you and me. She grasped the brass knob and opened the off-white door slipping out to continue her journey and the search for herself.

Glancing from family picture to picture, Alexis sauntered down the Sanders' beige hallway. She took her time to admire the way Emile looked in all of the pictures and witness his growth. Alexis couldn't help but giggle at the sight of her boyfriend as a baby and a little boy, his odd one toothed grin and the little spiraled clump of hair that laid on his forehead. Often she would tease him as she passed the hallway pointing at pictures and saying you were so cute, what happened? Alexis knew that this was quite the opposite and that Emile beyond handsome. In her eyes he was beautiful. Black messy tufts of hair that always looked in place, emerald eyes, a perfect grin, and a compassionate and loving heart  for everyone; especially those he loves most.         

 Almost for a second she forgot about her dilemma as she thought about Emile and everything she loved about him. She inhaled the very familiar sent of the Sanders' home, her home away from home, thinking about the first time she met Emile's parents. Mr. and Mrs. Sanders made sure Alexis always felt welcome and loved Alexis as if she were their own daughter.                 

 She wandered into their upscale and designer looking kitchen, the true spectacle of the house. The never ending auburn walls topped off with stone bricks and the best cooking appliances in the business were all thanks to the great Elliot Sanders. Elliot Sanders valued the art of cooking and five star food as he valued his health and his family. His kitchen was his sanctuary. Because of his love, his job didn't seem like it was work until he encountered stress and anxiety. Even at that point, he loves being a gourmet chef and couldn't imagine any other job. The kitchen was the only room with elaborate design, the rest of the rooms paled in comparison. No matter what, the home looked inviting and inhabited by a family. The fridge and bulletin board were covered with report cards, drawings, and artwork; and the mantle was always filled with cards and their favorite photos that didn't make it into the hallways.                 

 Alexis began to think about her problem again and her pace began to increase. She also wondered why Emile hadn't greeted her at the door or met her in the kitchen. He should have heard her like he always did and unless he went walking somewhere, he should be home. His motorcycle was sitting at the very edge of the right side of the driveway near the bush that separates the Sanders' home from the Allen's.         

 She circled around their white marbled counter, around the corner to the living room, and passed through very cautiously looking for anything out of place or evidence if Emile was home or not. Before Alexis had entered the Sanders' home she had knocked several times and after about the tenth time decided to just enter the home herself, without any greeting. Her forehead became damp with sweat as she climbed the steps to the second story of the Sanders' home that housed Emile. Why wouldn't Alexis be worried, her day was filled with peculiar sights and waking up to one of the most frightening things. Who knew how the rest of her day could go?               

 Still filled with a dissatisfying feeling, one that presented itself in the pit of her stomach this morning, she arrived at the top of the black fibered steps. She began to call for Emile, but in return she received no answer. What if the problem I have will start affecting others, the ones I love? What if the same thing happened the Emile and he went to my house to find me for help, I may not be able to see him or ever find him again. These awful and sickening thoughts danced inside her head. Even though her anxiety and worry began to worsen she did her best to hold back the tears and continue her way down what to seemed to be the never ending hall. The lights in the hallway began to flicker and dim, following suit with the rest of the lights and electronics in the house. Since Alexis entered the home the storm began to pick up and grow, the rain pounding and thudding against the roof and the lightning and thunder roaring and tumbling through the sky. After moments of flickering the lights finally gave out.        

 As if Alexis weren't worried enough, she began to regret ever leaving her home and felt terrified. No matter what, until the storm cleared, she couldn't leave this home. The worst part of it was if Emile wasn't here, he definitely wouldn't be coming back until the storm silenced. Alexis would be alone with an awful problem she did not have a clue how to fix in the Sanders' now dark and dreadful home.         

 Even in the dark, she was able to feel her way to Emile's door. She knew the Sander's home backwards and forwards like she knew her own. Alexis' hand was on Emile's navy blue door trying to feel and find the brass doorknob when she felt what seemed to be a piece of paper taped to his door. She ripped it off of the door and shoved