Short Story : A Story

It was a cool, rainy October night. The wind slightly blowing against shaking trees causing autumn leaves to drift in the air. The rain pitter-pattered on parked cars as if it was a song. The air was still crisp. It was around 11 o’clock at night when Maddie was walking home from her night job at Lucy’s Cafe. She normally took the bus, but tonight she had to close and the buses don’t run that late. She figured it was only a mile, she could just walk home. The sound of the rain got louder, the rain was getting harder and the wind getting more vicious. She knew something was off. She began to hear sounds of puddles being walked through on the sidewalk behind her. She slowly turned around, but no one was there. She speeded up her pace and kept walking forward, determined to get home. She began to hear footsteps on the cold, wet road this time. She quickly put her phone in her hand about to call her mother. She knew someone was behind her. Just as she started to run, she quickly felt a cold rush through her spine. It felt as though she had been turned to ice. Maddie’s legs became weak and she couldn’t stand. Everything went blurry, then black.

“But if you were a human,” she continued, “You wouldn’t know me or your father, or any of your friends.”

"Don't act like you care, Mom. You even said it yourself, Mason doesn't belong here" Claire replied.

“ You are just like the rest of ‘em.” scoffed Genevieve, “Make yourself useful then Lillian. Fetch my parents for me.”

“I just knew you'd be able to get to the bottom of this,” her mother said hopefully. “What's your plan?”

“You’re right, I’m sure. But the mere thought of them sometimes brings a tear to my eye, and I was ashamed to cry in front of all of you.”

His mother laughed.  “No, we don’t.  I was just saying she’s really nice, and she cares about you.  That’s all.”

"It’s okay to be confident in yourself. It’s not like your boasting about how great you are.” Scarlet looks on as Amy fidgets her fingers. She moves Amy's face to Scarlet's eyes. “Listen, you don’t give yourself enough credit. You’re really cool, and I don’t say that about just anyone, you know. And hey, if you don't take my word for it, you could always ask Dyvim. After all, he really seems to-"

“Look kid, I'm not trying to intimidate you, I just wish there was someone there to tell me all this when I first started out…” she trailed off.

“Not this time. Do you think you can come to the premiere, I’ll leave a ticket for you and your parents?”

“What? No. That can’t be right. We look nothing alike. I thought I was an only child” Sherri pushed the thought away.

Her mother raised her eyebrows so high, they disappeared into her bangs. “You just let a stranger walk you home? You could have been hurt.”

“That’s true. But you know who I am that would be quite difficult.” You grinned.

“She will always be smarter than you and it's easier to just accept it,” Nadia raised her eyebrows unsure of my claims.

“It’s time,” Red’s father whispered into the door. Red knew what was coming. She waited for this day since she became self-aware at the age of four. Within twenty minutes, she was ready for the most important day of her life. Her hair was brushed and braided into two neat plaits. The frills of her white dress were fluffed and puffed just the right way. She knew she looked beautiful, and no one could convince her otherwise. Confidently striding through her decadent home, Red danced lightly down the stairs and into the brightly lit kitchen. Her father stood at the stove frying her favorite food: white truffles chips. On the other hand, her mother had her serious face on. She rigidly sat at the spacious dining table with a cup of black coffee, a croissant, and a spread of the morning news. The croissant was untouched, as always.