*Disclaimer:* I don't own anybody in these stories, but I do own the ideas
and the words. If you like it, and want to use it for something, just ask
and I'll most likely say "yes".
Hope you all enjoy! Please R/R! Thanks!
It was cold.
Cold and dark.
But she wouldn't turn back.
Couldn't turn back.
She had convinced herself that there was nothing left for her there.
That place.
Her home.
Wait, take that back, her "house".
That place where she was supposed to feel safe and secure had turned into foreign territory.
In the past, it was her safe haven, the place where she could close the door on the world around her and not have a care in the world.
The place where she would spend all night telling scary stories, under a bed sheet, with a flashlight to her little sister.
The place where she and her brother would play hide-and-seek. And every time, she'd hide under her parent's bed, thinking she'd found the best hiding spot in the world. Her brother would wait outside his parent's door and let his little sister think she fooled him again.
The place where she and her mother would spend all afternoon on the day before Christmas baking tomato soup cakes for every other family in Harmony.
The place where she and her daddy would throw around the baseball every afternoon after her father came home from work.
The place where she shared secrets and laughter with her best friend.
Her best friend.
He was her world.
Whenever she felt like she couldn't go on, He was the one thing in this life that kept her sane.
Now, he was the reason for her "insanity".
She turned her head and watched her family through the window.
They didn't notice she was gone.
They never even seem to notice her when she's present either.
But, it's all behind her now.
No turning back.
No turning back.
They'll know soon enough.
But, not soon enough for them to catch up to her.
They probably wouldn't notice for a few hours.
Or days.
Heck, maybe even a week or two. She wouldn't put it past them.
Turning from the window, she pulled her coat around her shoulders and shivered.
So cold.
So dark.
The truth was, she couldn't recall a more beautiful night than the one she was witnessing at that moment.
She loved when the leaves would float off the trees in the fall. It was the first sign of the approaching winter months.
She inhaled the biting cold air and took in the smell of the snow.
It was beautiful. A little surreal, though.
Ironic, too.
A "person like her" (as her mother so lovingly named her) didn't deserve to witness a beautiful night like this.
But, she wasn't going to dwell on what was said in the past.
She clutched her bag in her hands and took one last look into the window.
They were all there.
She saw her sister and her "ex-boyfriend" snuggled up on the living room sofa.
She saw her Uncle, the man that she considered her "rock", laughing at something her father at said.
Her father, her Daddy, was huddled in the corner sharing a joke with his baby brother. She loved seeing him smile.
Through the window, she gazed upon the face of her half-brother. Though she hadn't spent much time with him in the past, she knew he was a genuine and sincere man. He stood in the corner, one arm draped around her uncle's shoulder, sharing the laugh with his father.
She turned her head to focus her attention on one side of the room.
There, she saw her "best friend". The man she would give anything and everything for. He was standing beside her other "best friend", the girl who so easily turned her back at her through her darkest of days, and the two were immersed in a conversation about who knows what.
Then, she saw her.
The girl that ruined everything.
The girl that waltzed in her life and claimed it for herself.
She took her room.
Her car.
Her sister.
Her friends.
Her mother.
Her Love.
Her Life.
She took it all, yet never realized.
One face was missing among those she observed.
No matter though.
It was a face she could care less ever seeing again.
The face that once held such love and such pride for her.
The face that she looked for in the stands before every baseball game.
The face that would kiss her "goodnight" every single evening.
The face that would greet her with a smile and a sparkling eye before sending her off to school in the morning with a packed lunch, that always included a little extra something to munch on her way home from school.
How that face had changed.
It became the face that now held only contempt and disgust every time she walked in the room.
The face with pursed lips and narrowed eyes that met her every morning.
The face that never came around at bedtime anymore.
She turned on her heel for the last time and sighed.
It was time to find a new set of faces.
Ones that would appreciate her.
Accept her.
Be proud of her.
Smile at her.
Love her.
She took the first step of her long journey and stepped into the night.
The cold, dark night.
**************************************************************************** ****************
"Aunt Grace?"
"Mom, what's wrong?"
"Honey, what is it?"
"Mrs. Bennett, are you okay?"
The missing face soon appeared.
This time with tears streaming down it.
In her trembling hand she clutched a piece of pink paper.
"It's Kay." She whispered. "She's gone."
The other people in the room all gasped and a look of shock washed over everyone's face as they each allowed the words to sink in.
Rushing to her side, Sam grabbed the note from his wife's hand and read each word. It was short, to the point, and tore his heart to pieces.
He fell to his knees and buried his face in his hands, not being able to control the sobs that were escaping his throat.
His baby girl was gone.
Jessica rushed to her father's side and picked up the note where he had dropped it. She read the note with a lump in her throat. When she finished, she walked to the sofa and shook her head. Sure, she and her sister had drifted apart, but she never in the world thought that she would actually have a reason to leave. To leave her.
But the sister, her only sister, was gone.
He paced the room as thoughts began to flood his mind. Why would she have left? What happened? Could I have stopped it? They were questions his once- best friend could only answer. But she was now no where to be found. The girl that was by his side through thick and thin, no matter what. The girl whom he had grown with, shared with, loved with.
His friend, his best friend, was gone.
He ran a hand through his thick, blonde hair and sighed. He couldn't believe that it got this far without him noticing. It was like she was a completely different person now. Back then, he was her confidant. Whenever she needed to talk, he was the first one she would come running to. She knew she could come to him with anything, ANYTHING, but he didn't see this coming. It was like she didn't think he'd still care. But, he did. The girl that forced him to grow up and take responsibility of his actions was no longer there to set him straight.
His little angel, his niece, was gone.
What had happened? As her only "real" friend, she knew she was going through a tough time, but what led her to actually leave? She used to joke about getting out of this town and away from everyone, but it never crossed her mind that she meant it. This wasn't supposed to turn out this way. Not like this. This is too far. She wasn't supposed to leave.
Her forever friend, for life, was gone.
The little he truly knew about her intrigued him. He knew that his feelings for her were never mutually returned, but he stood beside her anyhow. There was a part of her that was hiding from the world, at least they had that in common. She was his dream girl. The one that only his mind could conjure up. But to him, she was real, and she was his. He couldn't imagine that the smile that made him melt would no longer grace his days.
His love, his first love, was gone.
Granted, they were never really close. But, she never had a sister, so what did she know about a sibling relationship? At least she thought that she was a sister. She looked up to her, thought of her as someone who just needed a push in the right direction. Maybe she wasn't perfect, but who was? It had to be some kind of evil that forced her to leave town. That was the only explanation that she could think of. She would never have the opportunity to get to know the real person behind the mask her cousin wore.
Her cousin, her beautiful cousin, was gone.
He never really had the chance to get to know her. It was a mission of his to learn more about his newly acquired sister, but now he would never have the chance to. There was something about her, behind her eyes, he always wondered what was there. He hoped that one day he'd be able to find out. He was never close with his other "sisters". They were always off in one boarding school or another, so he wasn't able to be the protective older brother to anyone. He was hoping he'd have the chance to with her, but now he knew the time would never come.
His sister, the girl he wanted to protect, was gone.
After what seemed like hours of contemplation, every person awoke from their own thoughts, and all their eyes focused their attention to one person, and one person only.
She stood there with a tear-stained face. Tiny whimpers escaped her mouth as she realized what she had truly lost. The little girl who would cling to her waist as they walked to the park every Saturday. The tiny little nose she would kiss every night while tucking her into bed. The girl who would light up her soul with a smile and a hug every morning. And, though she may not have acted like one recently, she admitted that she lost her little princess.
Her daughter, her once-most cherished possession, was gone.
All the people in the room saw that face and the woman who wore it sink to the ground in misery. That face, her face, the one that once held contempt, now only wore sorrow and guilt.
That face turned and looked out through the window.the very same one which had been looked through, from the outside, only minutes before.
She searched through the glass. Nothing was out there.
Nothing but the winter night.
The cold, dark night.
Hope you all enjoy! Please R/R! Thanks!
It was cold.
Cold and dark.
But she wouldn't turn back.
Couldn't turn back.
She had convinced herself that there was nothing left for her there.
That place.
Her home.
Wait, take that back, her "house".
That place where she was supposed to feel safe and secure had turned into foreign territory.
In the past, it was her safe haven, the place where she could close the door on the world around her and not have a care in the world.
The place where she would spend all night telling scary stories, under a bed sheet, with a flashlight to her little sister.
The place where she and her brother would play hide-and-seek. And every time, she'd hide under her parent's bed, thinking she'd found the best hiding spot in the world. Her brother would wait outside his parent's door and let his little sister think she fooled him again.
The place where she and her mother would spend all afternoon on the day before Christmas baking tomato soup cakes for every other family in Harmony.
The place where she and her daddy would throw around the baseball every afternoon after her father came home from work.
The place where she shared secrets and laughter with her best friend.
Her best friend.
He was her world.
Whenever she felt like she couldn't go on, He was the one thing in this life that kept her sane.
Now, he was the reason for her "insanity".
She turned her head and watched her family through the window.
They didn't notice she was gone.
They never even seem to notice her when she's present either.
But, it's all behind her now.
No turning back.
No turning back.
They'll know soon enough.
But, not soon enough for them to catch up to her.
They probably wouldn't notice for a few hours.
Or days.
Heck, maybe even a week or two. She wouldn't put it past them.
Turning from the window, she pulled her coat around her shoulders and shivered.
So cold.
So dark.
The truth was, she couldn't recall a more beautiful night than the one she was witnessing at that moment.
She loved when the leaves would float off the trees in the fall. It was the first sign of the approaching winter months.
She inhaled the biting cold air and took in the smell of the snow.
It was beautiful. A little surreal, though.
Ironic, too.
A "person like her" (as her mother so lovingly named her) didn't deserve to witness a beautiful night like this.
But, she wasn't going to dwell on what was said in the past.
She clutched her bag in her hands and took one last look into the window.
They were all there.
She saw her sister and her "ex-boyfriend" snuggled up on the living room sofa.
She saw her Uncle, the man that she considered her "rock", laughing at something her father at said.
Her father, her Daddy, was huddled in the corner sharing a joke with his baby brother. She loved seeing him smile.
Through the window, she gazed upon the face of her half-brother. Though she hadn't spent much time with him in the past, she knew he was a genuine and sincere man. He stood in the corner, one arm draped around her uncle's shoulder, sharing the laugh with his father.
She turned her head to focus her attention on one side of the room.
There, she saw her "best friend". The man she would give anything and everything for. He was standing beside her other "best friend", the girl who so easily turned her back at her through her darkest of days, and the two were immersed in a conversation about who knows what.
Then, she saw her.
The girl that ruined everything.
The girl that waltzed in her life and claimed it for herself.
She took her room.
Her car.
Her sister.
Her friends.
Her mother.
Her Love.
Her Life.
She took it all, yet never realized.
One face was missing among those she observed.
No matter though.
It was a face she could care less ever seeing again.
The face that once held such love and such pride for her.
The face that she looked for in the stands before every baseball game.
The face that would kiss her "goodnight" every single evening.
The face that would greet her with a smile and a sparkling eye before sending her off to school in the morning with a packed lunch, that always included a little extra something to munch on her way home from school.
How that face had changed.
It became the face that now held only contempt and disgust every time she walked in the room.
The face with pursed lips and narrowed eyes that met her every morning.
The face that never came around at bedtime anymore.
She turned on her heel for the last time and sighed.
It was time to find a new set of faces.
Ones that would appreciate her.
Accept her.
Be proud of her.
Smile at her.
Love her.
She took the first step of her long journey and stepped into the night.
The cold, dark night.
**************************************************************************** ****************
"Aunt Grace?"
"Mom, what's wrong?"
"Honey, what is it?"
"Mrs. Bennett, are you okay?"
The missing face soon appeared.
This time with tears streaming down it.
In her trembling hand she clutched a piece of pink paper.
"It's Kay." She whispered. "She's gone."
The other people in the room all gasped and a look of shock washed over everyone's face as they each allowed the words to sink in.
Rushing to her side, Sam grabbed the note from his wife's hand and read each word. It was short, to the point, and tore his heart to pieces.
He fell to his knees and buried his face in his hands, not being able to control the sobs that were escaping his throat.
His baby girl was gone.
Jessica rushed to her father's side and picked up the note where he had dropped it. She read the note with a lump in her throat. When she finished, she walked to the sofa and shook her head. Sure, she and her sister had drifted apart, but she never in the world thought that she would actually have a reason to leave. To leave her.
But the sister, her only sister, was gone.
He paced the room as thoughts began to flood his mind. Why would she have left? What happened? Could I have stopped it? They were questions his once- best friend could only answer. But she was now no where to be found. The girl that was by his side through thick and thin, no matter what. The girl whom he had grown with, shared with, loved with.
His friend, his best friend, was gone.
He ran a hand through his thick, blonde hair and sighed. He couldn't believe that it got this far without him noticing. It was like she was a completely different person now. Back then, he was her confidant. Whenever she needed to talk, he was the first one she would come running to. She knew she could come to him with anything, ANYTHING, but he didn't see this coming. It was like she didn't think he'd still care. But, he did. The girl that forced him to grow up and take responsibility of his actions was no longer there to set him straight.
His little angel, his niece, was gone.
What had happened? As her only "real" friend, she knew she was going through a tough time, but what led her to actually leave? She used to joke about getting out of this town and away from everyone, but it never crossed her mind that she meant it. This wasn't supposed to turn out this way. Not like this. This is too far. She wasn't supposed to leave.
Her forever friend, for life, was gone.
The little he truly knew about her intrigued him. He knew that his feelings for her were never mutually returned, but he stood beside her anyhow. There was a part of her that was hiding from the world, at least they had that in common. She was his dream girl. The one that only his mind could conjure up. But to him, she was real, and she was his. He couldn't imagine that the smile that made him melt would no longer grace his days.
His love, his first love, was gone.
Granted, they were never really close. But, she never had a sister, so what did she know about a sibling relationship? At least she thought that she was a sister. She looked up to her, thought of her as someone who just needed a push in the right direction. Maybe she wasn't perfect, but who was? It had to be some kind of evil that forced her to leave town. That was the only explanation that she could think of. She would never have the opportunity to get to know the real person behind the mask her cousin wore.
Her cousin, her beautiful cousin, was gone.
He never really had the chance to get to know her. It was a mission of his to learn more about his newly acquired sister, but now he would never have the chance to. There was something about her, behind her eyes, he always wondered what was there. He hoped that one day he'd be able to find out. He was never close with his other "sisters". They were always off in one boarding school or another, so he wasn't able to be the protective older brother to anyone. He was hoping he'd have the chance to with her, but now he knew the time would never come.
His sister, the girl he wanted to protect, was gone.
After what seemed like hours of contemplation, every person awoke from their own thoughts, and all their eyes focused their attention to one person, and one person only.
She stood there with a tear-stained face. Tiny whimpers escaped her mouth as she realized what she had truly lost. The little girl who would cling to her waist as they walked to the park every Saturday. The tiny little nose she would kiss every night while tucking her into bed. The girl who would light up her soul with a smile and a hug every morning. And, though she may not have acted like one recently, she admitted that she lost her little princess.
Her daughter, her once-most cherished possession, was gone.
All the people in the room saw that face and the woman who wore it sink to the ground in misery. That face, her face, the one that once held contempt, now only wore sorrow and guilt.
That face turned and looked out through the window.the very same one which had been looked through, from the outside, only minutes before.
She searched through the glass. Nothing was out there.
Nothing but the winter night.
The cold, dark night.