Esi
***
When one is considerably encased by pure darkness and has yet nothing to do, one's mind begins to awaken and remind the body of past memories. And for some, it is luck--because their memories are only filled with love and comfort from all of their good times. But, for others, their mind poisons them... sometimes driving that person mad. Like a saying that was once told: "It can drive an insane man sane and a sane man crazy." And this was the insanity that Esi so longed to defeat...because her memories could destroy her.
**
"Oh Esi!" a voice echoed within Esi's mind. A voice that was so familiar. "Esi! Come quick! Father is home! You must tell him of your good fortune!" And then the vision appeared. It was a memory that appeared within Esi's mind. And in it, she saw Pearl. Beautiful Pearl. And she saw her other sisters running into the room, which Esi now noted as the living room--a once alive room, until Father had become ill. Esi's other two sisters were also beautiful and had the same beautiful golden hair that so ran through the family, except for one time-when the mistake of a child had been born. The other two sisters were named Crystal and Diamond, which had only made Esi's name feel out of place.
And then Esi saw herself...standing in the farthest corner of the room--awaiting her long awaited father. He had been away on one of his trading trips. (Some of his trips would keep him away from his family for over a year--which, of course, would not improve the relationship between father and daughter too much.) And she saw herself holding a small object--some sort of paper. And then her father slowly came into view. He was a tall and built man with a lovely smile and a great vast of strength for a man of his age (nearly 50 I suppose). He had a long white beard with a few spots of gray still remaining and a big stomach that he was always teased about by his wife and older daughters. Though, Esi had never really talked to him; she was too afraid of his looks that he gave to her. Because when she ever even gave a small comment, her father would look her way and in his eyes-he would show a great disapproval and he would almost seem to show his hatred for her being brought into the world by him. And it was these times that she would regret and hate herself for displeasing her father, and she would hide in her room until her father would once again forget her and ignore her just as he has for her entire life.
Once her father had entered the room, Esi's sisters were all over him. "Father! We missed you so!" they cried together. Father laughed.
"I missed you all too," their father replied, his eyes wet with tears. He wore his joyous smile and hugged his precious daughters tightly. And then, as he was embracing his children, his sighted Esi in the corner of the room. He paused for a second to look at her. And it may have been in this glance that he considered embracing his youngest daughter, but instead he only turned away and kissed his golden haired children.
"Father," Pearl said, "Esi has been bestowed a great honor." Father glanced back at his youngest daughter. He remained silent. Pearl continued, "She has been accepted to work for the King himself. Can you believe it?! Her hard work has finally been paid off!" Pearl seemed to be the only one excited. Crystal and Diamond only stared at their odd sister in jealousy, and Father remained silent.