Story : A Short 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.

“I forgot. Your mother was in your study the night I invited them for dinner. She came in here to have a talk with you. You were slightly incapacitated, at the time, I believe.”

"Right. We're having chicken and rice. Simple but it always has been a favorite of yours, Maxie hasn't it?" his mother said warmly.

“I will.” Then I follow with, “By the way, did you ever see Elizabeth at the gym or when you played tennis?”

“Huh?” I say trying to recover my train of thought. My mom looked at me and sighed

"That's fair. But why do you think you wanted her help for all so many years?"

“Can’t my mom come in and stay a little longer? Like you said, I’m not going to see her for awhile,” I smile in triumph for throwing her words back at her face.

“Hi honey, I’m sorry we didn’t get dinner. I can make a frozen pizza when we get home.” I tell her

“That 's right son; he sure does,” Henry smiled. “Now, let 's get in there and eat, before your mama gets mad at us for making her wait any longer.”

“Wow,” I laugh at her antics. “You might've been hot stuff at your old school, but this is Strife academy; a school for those too powerful to exist in

“I will.” Then I follow with, “By the way, did you ever see Elizabeth at the gym or when you played tennis?”

"It's gotten easier the last few years but she's still my mom. There's still that small part of me that wants to please her and have her love me. I am having a real hard time wrapping my brain around the fact that there's a possibility she's behind all this. I mean, who does that to their own child?"

Miki grinned with a hum. “I can tell,” she said. The tone of her voice cut through the syrupy notes of her laughter. Yoko felt her stomach drop. “Listen, Yoko. Don’t get offended, because I have to tell all of our participants this: make sure that your dishes are at least somewhat healthy. So, you know, they can’t be deep-fried and coated in sugar. Or whatever it is that you eat.”

“You are very hungry! Should I have my mama bring you some more?” She laughed back.

“I know Nana, but that mess is home, I can't help that my father is an abusive prick and my mother just doesn't want to get involved. I haven't left yet and I'm not going to now.”