"Momma, momma," a small girl with curly brunette hair tugged on her mother's arm. Her pale face was frail, her limbs weak and floppy. "Momma, please answer me." The girl frowned. Her mother was being quiet, and wasn't listening to her!
Caterina sighed. "Mommy!" She screamed. Caterina ran off to her bedroom and jumped in her bed. Caterina was only five, but her mother had taught her how to do many things. Fiddling with the chunky TV remote, Cat switched on the television.
"Breaking News!" The TV blared "A woman from California has gone missing. Skye Valentine, thirty four, disappeared from her home on the twenty fifth of June with her infant daughter. Relatives are very concerned for mother and daughter. If you see her, contact our number." An image of a lady popped up on the screen. Cat wasn't really sure what the news was all about but she'd picked up on a few things.
"Mommy!" Cat gasped, seeing her mother on the TV. "Oh, mother, you're on the television!" She ran to her mother who was still on her bed. Seeing that she obviously wasn't going to answer her, Cat ran back to the TV screen. "You're lying, Mr." Cat started, in a matter of fact way. "My mommy's in there. Shh, she's asleep!" Cat giggled at the man on the TV, unaware that it'd gone to commercials and he couldn't have heard her, anyway.
Cat only knew how to do a few things; she was only five, after all. She did know that she was hungry and she did know that her mother wasn't getting up anytime soon. So Cat trapped over to the kitchen, in awe. Her mother only ever allowed her to eat her tea at the table in there. She was never allowed near the big refrigerator! Smiling happily she carefully opened the fridge, looking up at its many contents. Grabbing a cupcake, she let the door swing back into place, banging very loudly. Cat sighed as it didn't wake her mother up.
She licked her cherry lips as she devoured the cake, barely stopping to savor the flavor before polishing the whole thing off. "Yummy." She said half-heartedly, ashamed to admit that she wanted her mother to come in and tell her off for eating a cake before tea time. Cautiously, she hopped off of her chair, scooping up her crumbs and wiping the table messily. "There. All clean." She smiled, imitating her mother.
"Oh!" Cat cried as she had the sudden urge to go to the bathroom. "Oh, mommy," She yelled. "You put the gate up!" Caterina scurried along to the stairs, and hit the gate with her tiny fists, now turning a deep red. Pursing her lips, she put her thin leg over the gate, trying to hop over lightly. Unluckily, she wasn't quite the ballerina oh so lightly stepping girl as she'd once hoped, and fell over to the other side with a huff. She got up and hurriedly ran to the bathroom, thanking god it wasn't locked. Once she'd relieved herself and had managed to hop back over the gate she went to her mother again.
By now she was so pale it was like she was a sheet. Cat noticed and went in to hug her mommy, giving her a sweet kiss. She recoiled when she touched her. She was freezing to the touch! "You're so cold, mother. Here's a blanket." Caterina threw a blanket over her mother and cuddled up to her, breathing in her candy sweet scent. Blinking back the hot tears, Cat snuggled up close, wishing her mommy would say comforting words and smile at her giving her a motherly kiss on the cheek, and making sure all the bruises she received from climbing the gate were smothered in them, healing them instantly with their incredible bond. Slowly Cat got up, realizing that she couldn't stay with her mother forever and that she should go and look at the TV again to watch out for her mommy again. Limping back to her bedroom, she threw herself on her bed, her eyes glued to the screen once again.
"The latest news!" Oh, Cat thought. I heard something like that the last time. She carefully watched, taking in every detail although with her young mind, she didn't quite understand a lot of it. She heard no more about herself, or her mother so she shut of the TV and sat on her bed, sighing, hungry and thirsty.
So she went to the kitchen again and tried to pour herself a glass of water. Though she spilled the water and smashed the glass. Cutting herself in the process. She cried for hours, dabbing at it with a tissue, but soon she learned crying doesn't get you anywhere and she tried to clean up her mess. It took a few hours and a lot more tears but finally she'd cleared up her mess. It was about eight when she'd finished. And Cat was tired enough to go to bed by herself. Her eyes heavy and her clothes wet she found a way to change into her PJ's, and jump into bed.
The next few days went by in a blur.
Bruises, cuts, cries, screams, hunger, thirst, neglect, pain.
All Cat could do was smile and hold back the tears. Then the next few days, well they went so quickly when the ambulance got here.
Cat remembers it well. She hid under her bed when she heard it. The sirens and the horns. And worst of all: "Open up! We have the right to use our guns!"
Guns. "Mommy told me hide from guns!" Cat whispers to herself under the bed, Mr. Long Neck under her arm. Slowly she creeps out from under the bed though when it quietens just a bit.
She creeps out right to her mother's room, taking the perfume when no one's looking. Everyone gasps when thee see the small child, as white as a ghost and frightened to death.
"Sweetheart, what are you doing in here?" One of the police ladies said, walking over to her slowly.
"This is my home." Cat stated, timidly. "And that's my mommy." She whispered.
"Why are you whispering, honey?" The fair haired lady asked.
"My mommy's asleep. Can't you tell?" She asked astounded by the ladies stupidity.
The lady was holding back tears. She scooped a very confused Cat up and told her that her mother wasn't waking up. Ever. Her brow creased.
"So she won't take me to the park on Monday?" The lady shook her head mournfully.
Cat gave her mother one last hug as they took her away. If only she knew. Back then they thought her innocence came in handy. "Too bad it'll never last." They said.
And even though her façade is carefully built up, they were right. Her innocence died when she was five. When the cruel, dark reality of the world set in.
If only they knew.
Hiya, everyone. I just wanna upload this and see what you all think :) Dedicated to Hannah :) Bestest buddies since six!