Delineation

A Story by Lemon-Girl

A retelling of Jekyll and Hyde but I threw them through a meat grinder and made them lesbian because what can I say I'm just to awesome.

She still remembered the night it all came together. September 13th, the moon was full and illuminated her lab a bright, eerie, blue as it peeked through the skylight. Virginia Jekyll was hunched over her desk, glass vials were strewn across the floor and papers full of scribbled notes and detailed research were scattered in stacks around the room. The paper that lay in front of her was a new recipe, one never tried before. But this was it. This was the moment. Virginia looked down at what may be the last paper she ever wrote, and began to gather the ingredients she had scratched down. She quietly opened each glass cabinet, as if one loud noise would ruin the years of research she had done. She precisely poured out each ingredient to its exact measurements, her hand trembling with excitement. Until, at last, she had done it. She sprinkled in the last bit of salt and stirred as the colors churned from a shimmering crimson red, to a royal purple, and then… at last… a bright and vivid emerald green… Her hand shook as she held the glass, but she inhaled a shaky breath and swiftly tipped her head back, downing it all in one fell swoop.

Virginia immediately began taking notes. “September 13th, 11:58 PM, Just drank 10 centiliters of formula HJ7. Stings the tongue, bitter and salty in taste, warm in the gullet. No noticeable behavioral differences. A slight feeling of euphoria, light headedness. I must analyze every small change that takes hold of me.” she scribbled furiously, taking note of every bead of sweat rolling down her forehead, every tiny prickle on her skin when all of a sudden, a sharp jolt of pain racked her spine. Her head flipped back as the world exploded in pain. She fell to the hardwood floor, stunned. Another pain grabbed hold of her and she cried out in agony. Her spine cracked and contorted, her breathing became fast and shallow as she gasped for air between the convulsions. She hacked up even more of the formula. Her mouth burned, her throat felt thick, her bones creaked and snapped, even her eyelashes hurt. She writhed on the floor while the pains continued to wrack her body and bright green tears rolled down her cheeks. The potion leaked out of her nose and mouth as she gagged and coughed and screamed. Her throat felt raw and burned. But just when she thought her heart was going to stop and she would keel over and die, the pain subsided. Virginia Jekyll stood at last, she gazed into the mirror and her breath hitched as she saw what could only have been described as Everly Hyde.

Virginia looked back upon that memory with a sort of bitterness now. She was thrilled back then but here she was now, two years later, pathetically swirling her wine glass at a party in an attempt to distract herself from the, rather annoying, monologuing of her headmate. She looked around the place, it was quite grand, to be honest. The floor was made of marble and sparkled under the chandeliers hanging overhead. A grand piano sat in the center and a slender man played a dainty and jaunty theme. Virginia stood underneath a rather large oil painting of someone’s (probably) deceased relative, her purple satin dress popped against the background. “This is just HEINOUS Jekyll, when can we get out of here? I promised Luce I would meet her at the The George Inn” Everly groaned, her reflection appearing in Virginia’s wine. “Shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep, Hyde.” she muttered to her reflection, who was now raising an eyebrow at her

“PUH-lease. At least I go out once in a while. If it wasn’t for these stupid parties where you’re convinced you might find a ‘suitable partner', you would just stay in that boring old office working on whatever stupid science project you have.” Everly surveyed the room, her reflection switching to Jekyll’s shadow. She glanced around before focusing her eyes on someone in the distance. “Say, that’s a pretty lassie over there. Wonder if she would fancy you?” Hyde grinned. Jekyll looked to her shadow “Shut it Hyde.” she growled, just loud enough that others may hear. “I beg your pardon?” A rather plump man had walked up to her and seemed to be in shock at her silent outburst. “Oh, deepest apologies, good sir. How may I be of assistance?” Virginia plastered on a fake smile and nodded as the man began to ramble on about what a ‘pretty young lady’ she was. Everly let out a snort and rolled her eyes.

A few hours of smiling and talking passed and Virginia finally left the party in a carriage after Everly’s whining soon became an insufferable migraine. She waved good-bye to the carriage driver and walked up to her relatively small house where a letter lay upon the front step. Upon closer inspection the letter was from her good friend, Muriel. Virginia hadn’t heard from Muriel since last fall when they went together on a trip to Brighton. Virginia felt a sting of sadness but she shook her head and began to read the letter aloud. “Dearest Virginia, I understand it has been quite some time since we last spoke, that I apologize for. But as I have heard your assistant, Everly Hyde, has been a bit problematic. It appears she is quite infamous among these parts and has gained quite the… reputation among London’s east end. I figured I should warn you, the police are on the search for this delinquent and I suggest you cut off all ties and communication with her as soon as possible. If you ever need to talk, you can see me. Regards, Muriel Utterson.” Jekyll stood in shock for a minute before immediately walking inside to yell at Everly.

“What did you do?!” she asked furiously. “Lighten up doctor! I just had some fun last night” Everly said carelessly. “And also a lot to drink! I woke up with the worst hangover I’ve had in years! WHAT. DID. YOU. DO.” Virginia slammed her fist against the desk in rage. “Oh, doctor, I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Everly taunted “You know that I’m the stronger half of us, and as I recall, you don’t put up much of a fight.” Virginia froze. She turned and looked to the mirror where Everly grinned “You wouldn’t.” she whispered. “Oh but I would Jekyll. I would.” Everly’s tone grew ever more sinister as she disappeared from the mirror and formed a hallucination in front of Jekyll. “Let me go out tonight Virginia. Or do you want to end up like last time? Sobbing on the floor as the walls close in?” Virginia shuddered and her anger seemed to dissipate for a moment before flaring up again.

“That was all just a hallucination! You can’t trick me into taking the potion every time.” Everly smiled slyly. “Have it your way then…” her hallucination disappeared completely and Virginia started to relax before she felt something breathing down her neck. She turned slowly to find a horrible mangled mass of limbs looking down upon her. A blood curdling scream echoed through the house as Everly cackled. Hands seemed to emerge from the walls, suddenly everything looked like a living nightmare. Blood poured from the ceiling and Virginia desperately tried to escape. Eyes seemed to follow her everywhere, she turned around and fire blocked off her path.

After being chased through the house by Everly’s horrid hallucinations for a good hour or two, Virginia finally gave in and swallowed the potion. Now, Everly stood in the mirror as Virginia watched disapprovingly. She buttoned up her vivid orange waistcoat and looked at herself. Hyde looked nothing like Jekyll. Virginia had long silky black hair that appeared dark brown in the sunlight and was typically tied up in a bun. Everly had a frizzy wild mane of brown hair with streaks of a lighter dirty blonde flowing through it. Virginia’s eyes were a deep emerald green. Everly’s eyes were a strange and unnatural orange with flecks of gold. The only traits the two seemed to share was the same exotic and tanned skin dotted in freckles, the same soft rounded lips, and the same pointed nose.

Everly snatched her cloak from Virginia’s dresser and quickly threw it on before cracking open the window and crawling onto the roof. “You know you could use the door, correct?” Virginia commented as Everly scrambled to the top of the house. “Where’s the fun in that? Besides, you saw what Muriel said. The peelers are after me and I don’t think they specialize in rooftop chases.” Everly flashed a toothy grin and Virginia rolled her eyes and let out an annoyed sigh, her shadow following close behind Everly as she dropped into a dingy and old alleyway. “Speaking of Muriel, why don’t we pay your old lover a visit?” her eyes glinted with mischief.

“Wait, why don’t we wha-?” But before Virginia could finish her sentence Everly was already darting among the shadows. “Ehehehe! C’mon Vee~ it’s just a small visit to an old ‘friend’.” Everly snickered as she scanned the houses and found Muriel’s. She hoisted herself up the gutter and peered through the window. Muriel sat, hunched over her desk, seemingly filing paperwork. Everly giggled as she climbed to the roof. “Hyde, get down right now.” Virginia seemed more scared than angry. “What? Scared that she might recognise us? PLEASE. She doesn’t even know what I look like.” Everly rolled her eyes. “Perhaps you didn’t see the several WANTED POSTERS on your way here. You're wanted for physical assault of multiple officers, vandalism, and verbal assault.” The shadow crossed her arms “Is that why I was missing a tooth and covered in bruises this morning?”

“It was a small street scuffle. Nothing BIG.”

“I think it's pretty big if I LOSE A BLOODY TOOTH!”

“You’ve never even been in a fight before!”

“I shouldn’t have to be in one!”

“WELL MAYBE YOU SHOULD!”

“WHO WOULD I FIGHT? A COP? THEN I’D BE JUST AS BAD AS YOU!”
“YOU FORGET THAT I AM YOU VIRGINIA! YOU WILL ALWAYS BE JUST AS BAD AS ME!”

“BUT AT LEAST I ACT HUMANE! YOU’RE NOTHING BUT A… A PSYCHOPATH!”
“A PSYCHOPATH THAT YOU MADE!”

The two’s yelling got louder and louder until Muriel, who was now quite aware of the strange woman on her roof, cracked open her window. “WELL, VIRGINIA AT LEAST I- hurghhk” Everly felt a warm feeling creeping up her throat and she doubled over as her body seemed to convulse. Her bones seemed to shift and ache, just as they would if she swallowed a shot of HJ7. Everly gagged and hacked up more of the bright green liquid “What the-?” she muttered before hurling up more. Her hair seemed to shift and lengthen, her bones creaked and the formula flowed from her eyes like strange, sickly green tears. She held back screams by biting her bottom lip, her unnaturally sharp teeth slicing through the skin and causing it to bleed. She curled up on the roof, every bit of skin the potion touched suddenly felt as if it was being excruciatingly torn apart, every nerve ending sending out waves of pain. She tried to move but her entire body seemed to scream in protest, every tiny movement sparking up new points of pain. When the transformation seemed to come to a standstill. Virginia shakily stood up. “Hello?” Muriel called out. The voice startled Virginia enough to cause her to lose her footing and slide on a loose shingle, making her land on the balcony to Muriel’s office. “Virginia? What are you doing? …What are you wearing?” The woman questioned, eyeing the scientist's vivid orange waistcoat and tattered cloak.

“I- er-” Virginia stammered as she tried to regain her composure before feeling the familiar sensation of the sultry goo crawling up her throat. She felt the bones in her spine clicking and rattling together as her body morphed “I NEED TO GO!” she blurted as she tried to scramble off the balcony. “Virginia, wait!” Muriel grabbed her wrist. Virginia paused and turned slowly to see Muriel's worried face looking at her. Her wavy red hair seemed to glow in the moonlight and for a moment, Virginia seemed to forget what she was in a hurry for. And, with a small pain, she realised. She missed Muriel. She missed running her finger through her wild red locks, she missed dozing off in those warm and safe arms, god she missed every bit of her. She missed her smell of apple cider. She missed falling asleep with those beautiful dark eyes staring lovingly at her. Virginia’s expression softened and she turned to face Muriel all the way. “What happened?”

Muriel’s voice seemed like the sweetest sound in the night, but a violent pain and the twinge of the HJ7 creeping up her esophagus shook Virginia from her trance. She wrenched her hand free from Muriel’s grasp and clasped it over her mouth as she hurled up more of the green liquid. “Virginia?!” Muriel stepped back in shock. Virginia’s head felt fuzzy and the sky spun, as it turned out, Muriel's grasp was the only thing keeping her stable and she teetered on the railing for a split second before plummeting to the ground. Virginia cried out in pain as she shifted and contorted, her body felt like it was being torn apart and rebuilt from the inside out (Which, essentially it was…) She hit the ground with one final crack and there lay the body of Everly Hyde.

She sat up, trying to make out the world as her eyes adjusted. Her fingers danced across the back of her head. Her fingers felt something warm and sticky and she pulled them back to reveal a thin layer of blood coating them. Her head felt thick and the world swirled around her as she attempted to stand, failing miserably and only ending up tripping over Everly’s cloak. A vicious headache rang through her head and she laid down on the ground, no longer caring what happened next. Unfortunately, she forgot about her headmate. “We need to go back, right. now.” Everly said. “Ah, yes, thank you captain obvious.” she grunted, sitting up once more. Her hair flopped against her face and she blew it to the side before noticing that… this wasn’t her hair.

It was frizzy. And brown. With streaks of dirty blonde flowing through it. Virginia looked over to a puddle on the ground and she saw a face that had greeted her in the mirror so many times. “What.” she hissed with gritted teeth. “My thoughts exactly! You’re in my body! Give it back.” Everly huffed. A sharp whistle interrupted any thoughts Virginia could have formed. “Nevermind, forget that. I think we have more pressing matters on hand…” Virginia turned around to find a group of policemen standing ominously at the other end of the street. “RUN!” Everly shouted. The policemen stepped closer threateningly. “Ahh, e- evening lads! Lovely weather tonight, innit?” Virginia stammered out. “Get her boys.” The policeman announced. Virginia scrambled to her feet, though her entire body seemed to scream in protest and she ran as fast as her legs would take her.

Virginia dashed down the alleyway, darting from corner to corner, the police hot on her heels. A burning sensation stung her eyes and she vomited up even more of the potion, her body contorting as she ran. She couldn’t stop running now, if she got caught it would be over. Her ribcage cracked and felt sharp against her chest, as if it was prying itself open. Virginia sprinted into the cobblestone streets, rapid and aggressive pains causing her to stumble and trip as she tried to get back to her house. The sun was just coming up and the people who were just on their way to work were treated to quite a sight: Everly Hyde, chased by shouting police and hacking up strange glowing liquids. If those who hadn’t woken up early were still asleep, then they wouldn’t be for long as all of London seemed to wake at the sounds of angry yelling and agonized cries.

Virginia ran straight into a busy intersection. A carriage swerved around her, people swarmed and stared as Everly’s body twisted and contorted into Virginia’s and the two switched minds once more. Everly gasped for air and spat some of Virginia's long black hair out of her mouth. The street people gathered around her as if she was some sick and twisted vivisectioned beast, murmurs filled the air but then one voice rang out among them all… “MONSTER!” Everly was seeing double, her head filled with static and she gasped for air again as the street people’s faces twisted into enraged snarls. Furious cries could be heard among the crowd.

“Monster!”

“Witch!”

“Psycho!”

Everly stood, trembling, green tears streaked down her face. She looked behind her to see the policemen making their way through the angry mob. “KILL HER! BURN THE WITCH!” one yelled. “SHE SHOULD BE HUNG IN THE SQUARE! LET WOMEN KNOW THEIR PLACE!” another hollered. “I’m not a witch! And certainly not a monster!” she yelped in panic. One of the street people, an angry old man, stepped towards her, snarling threateningly. Without thinking, Everly clocked the old man in the head and then ran as the poor lad fell to the ground with a sickening crack. The mob parted and Evely dashed, the police shouting behind her. “Virginia?!” Muriel shoved past the police, looking around frantically. Her deep brown eyes were filled with worry and Everly felt a twinge of guilt at leaving her like this. “Love you.” she mouthed before continuing to run to her house. The mob was now angrily chasing after her, along with a very confused police force, and a very worried Utterson. Everly managed to get to her house, her heart hammered in her chest as she fiddled desperately with the lock before slipping in and swiftly slamming the door behind her.

Everly breathed heavily. The people were now banging furiously on the door. She took a small coffee table and slammed it up against the door. That should keep them from breaking in for now. She glanced to the window, where Virginia’s reflection could be seen slumped against the door. “Virginia?” she asked hesitantly. “It’s over.” Virginia whispered. “They’re going to kill us. They will bury me a madman or you a criminal.” She looked up to the ceiling. Her face was filled with sorrow. “We are going to die, and there is nothing we can do, Hyde.” Everly didn’t know what to say “We can still fix this! We can- we could-” “No.” Virginia interrupted “You’re so childish. Can’t you see? There’s nowhere to run. Nowhere to go. All we can do is wait for them to break down the door. Unless you want to speed up the process.” Everly slumped down and her eyes seemed to lose their spark as the police shouted through the door. “Oh.” Everly whispered. “Unless..” Virginia’s reflection abruptly stood up. “Give me control of the body.” she said. “What?”

“Now! I have an idea!”
“Er- OK?”

Everly hacked up more HJ7 and suddenly Virginia was back in her body. Virginia quickly ran to her lab and hustled over to a cabinet that was filled to the brim with papers on her theories. She rummaged through it. “Virginia what are you-” Everly’s sentence was cut off by a Virginia dramatically raising a stack of papers from the cabinets. “I have a theory. If I could create a whole new body for half of me, maybe I can make a new one entirely" Everly stared in disbelief before shaking her head. “How?! You said it yourself. We’re dead. Nowhere to run. Plus, it took you months to make me. We have, I’d say… 30 minutes, tops. That table is strong but I’m not sure how long it’ll last.” she remarked. “True, but, if I can manage to find the reverse of each ingredient, it may just work. Because we’ve been separate for so long, if we combine again… We’d look completely different. We could get away! ” Virginia said excitedly. Everly raised an eyebrow. “Well what are we waiting for?” she hesitated.

“Well.. There is a… small problem…”

“Oh?”

“It… may result in… death.” Virginia’s voice faded to a whisper. The police banged on the door harder. And could be heard from the entrance “Ma’am! Open the door!” they shouted. “HURRY!” Everly said. “We’ll die either way if they catch us! Hurry up!” Virginia immediately began swinging open the glass cabinets of her lab, fueled with determination. The papers flew around the room as Virginia swiped up beakers from the floor. The papers spun around her in a whirlwind as she popped a cork after cork off of the numerous vials she had snatched from the cabinets. The sun had begun to rise and golden shafts of light flooded through her skylight, casting a beautiful orange and gold color across the office, illuminating her face while she worked.

Virginia raised her favorite beaker up to the light and began adding the ingredients one by one, Everly watching in anticipation. Strangely, she felt at peace here, in her lab. She finally dropped in the last bit of tincture and began to stir. The formula turned a bright and warm fiery orange. “Is this it?” Everly asked. “Looks like it…” Virginia murmured. Everly looked at Virginia through the mirror. Virginia’s eyes glinted with sorrow and she smiled sadly. “Well… is this goodbye?” she asked. Everly grinned “I’ll never really be gone.” Virginia smiled back and raised the beaker to the sky, a golden ray of sunlight filtered through the glass, creating a shattered rainbow effect across the walls. A painting Muriel had made of her that hung on the wall to Virginia's office was now framed in the prepossessing morning light. It was a beautiful sight. Even if it might be their last.

“Cheers.”