"STOP CRYING!"

Nomi cowered in the corner, wiping her eyes, wishing she could disappear.

"I'M TRYING!" She looked up at her mother in fear; all she'd done was say she was hungry, how come she was being hurt? "You're just really scary right now."

She winced as she was grabbed by the wrist and pulled closer, hanging in the air a bit as her mother bore down on her. "I'm scary? Well YOU'RE worthless! All you ever do is cry and ask for things that I don't have! Have you ever stopped to consider I don't have anything to give you? Have you ever stopped to consider anyone ELSE in this broken family? NO. BECAUSE YOU'RE SELFISH!"

"ALRIGHT I'M SORRY" The little girl burst between sobs. "I don't know if I can stop crying all the time...b..but I'll try. Just let me go and I'll never ask for things again. But. Let. Me. Go. You're hurting me!"

Her mother sighed and dropped her roughly to the floor. "Fine...but if you break you're word I'll….I'll Kill You!"

"Alright fine!" The girl exclaimed before retreating the the back of their shamble house. She was hardly concerned since she would keep her word, that and she didn't know what "kill" was.

She just wanted to be good. Maybe if she was good enough she wouldn't get beatings anymore, and her parents could be happy.

Laying in the corner, against the wall, she shivered and wrapped her arms around herself.

Oh what she wouldn't give for a hug.

She had started to fall asleep when she heard her father come tensed up and squeezed her eyes shut, praying he wouldn't come beat her again. When the screaming started and she heard the crash of a bottle she started trembling.

Why did mamma and papa fight so much? Didn't they love each other anymore? Didn't they love her?

She sucked in a breath when everything fell silent. Were they okay?

The minutes crawled by soundlessly, and Nomi grew so unsettled that she slowly pulled herself up and crept into the other room.

"This isn't working anymore…" her mother whispered. "We just...don't have enough...of anything."

"I know but what do we do?"

"We have to let go of something...I don't know."

"There isn't much left to get rid of!"

Nomi took a deep breath and spoke up meakly. "Mamma...papa….i..is everything okay?"

Her parents turned and looked at her a moment in shock, as though they'd forgotten she was there, before exchanging a knowing look. They both nodded, deciding something.

"Nomi, sweety." Her mother flashed a smile. "Your father and I were just talking and...we've been really cruel lately...no...don't try to deny it...we know we have."

Nomi blinked in confusion. They were...apologizing?

"A...anyway, we were just talking, and we're going to take you somewhere special tonight to make up for it." She smiled and glanced over at her husband, speaking between her teeth. "Right dear?"

Her father's eyes widened. "I...I thought we were going to wait till her fifth birthday before deciding…."

"Yeah...but life's too short for that….that's three days from now...I say we take her out today."

He sighed, sagging a bit in his chair. "Okay…" he looked up at Nomi a minute before leveling his gaze with his wife's. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Absolutely, none of us are getting any younger, let's go have fun."

She grinned and scooped her child up, setting Nomi on her shoulders. "Alright sweetie, we're going to go take you somewhere fun okay?"

Nomi smiled, a bit nervously. "Okay...where are we going?" she asked curiously, a bit hesitant to get her hopes up too high, but feeling excitement bubbling up inside of her anyway.

"It's this place with lots of nicknacks...and sometimes food...it's called a junkyard and you can play fun games there."

Nomi's eyes widened a bit at the mention of food, and she happened to like playing games. "Okay! That sounds really fun, thank you mamma!" She almost kissed her head, but remembered how disgusted her mother had been before and decided against it.

"Alright perfect, then let's go."

…

Their walk to the junkyard was held in silence, and though Nomi had been excited, she anxiosly noted that her parents were unhappy. They kept exchanging fearful glances and mouthing things to each other, and it put her on edge. Were they okay? Had she done something bad again? Was she a bad daughter?

When they got to the junkyard her heart dropped; it was just multiple giant piles of trash.

Not wanting to be contrary, or do anything to upset her parents further, she forced a smile. "Wow...this place is amazing." She breathed, trying not to cringe at the smell. When her mother dropped her, albeit more gently than usual, she sat up and dusted herself off with a smile, stepping forward and spinning around in false excitement.

"Yes it's all rather exciting. Now let's play a little game...it's called find it keep it…." Mamma said stiffly. "You gotta go in there and find umm….uh…..a necklace…" She explained "When you find it, or give up looking, wait in the middle of the junkyard and wait for us to come and get you."

Nomi nodded, trusting in her parents, deciding to keep an open mind. "Okay!"

Her mother grinned. "Great! Now say goodbye to daddy and go!" She said happily and shoved the girl forward.

Nomi turned and smiled, waving at her father. "Bye daddy, I'll see you get back. Bye mommy...I love you!"

That's what she said, and then she was gone.

…

She looked around for a while, rooting through the trash here and there before she finally gave up and made her way towards the middle of the junkyard as she had been told. When she passed the spot they were before and didn't see them, she grew a bit uneasy but decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and trust that they were waiting for her.

When she arrived at the place in question, she quickly noticed something. They weren't there.

Not knowing what to do, she sat down on a nearby pile of garbage and smiled uncertainly. "They'll come back." She said allowed, looking around and waiting as tears filled her eyes as her heart plummeted and she failed deny the truth.

They weren't coming back. Little miss Nomi would never see her parents again.