short stories

Trapped in Darkness

"Mom ?! Melissa's mom is outside! I saw her car pull into the drive-way. Can i go now, mom, can i ?!" "Yes, but remember to be a good girl. Bye, honey, I love you." Said Audri's mother. " 'Kay, love you too, bye."

Its past Audri's curfew, why isnt she her yet? Oh, maybe she's just so contented since she hasn't seen Melissa all summer. Let me give her another 30 minutes while i bathe. Thought Audri's mother to herself.

A whole hour flew by and Audri's mother was still taking a bath. After about 10 minutes she was out and fully dressed. " Oh, goodness, lord, a whole hour has passed. It only felt like 20 minutes, I need to check why Audri still hasn't been back." She called Melissa's mother, Patricia, 5 times but patricia wouldn't pick up. she got worried and thought of the worst and endless possibilities.

Audri's mother had a restless night, full of worries and tears and constant calls to Patricia.It was 8 am when Patricia called. Audri's mom shouted through the "I've been fucking calling you the wole damn night! Why haven't you been picking up!? Where's Audri!? i never said she will sleepover! Why-." "Calm down. Everything will be fine, just listen to me," said Patrica.

20 minutes later Audri's mother was in the hospital, over her daughter's head. Her gaze going nowhere, other than on Audri. Her forehead was wrapped, her arms had great scars that, just a while ago, stopped bleeding. Her legs were bruised: purple, blue, brown, black.

Finally Audri fluttered her beautiful eyes open. "Honey, how are you feeling?" Audri simply shook her head once, firmly." What's wrong? Where are you hurting?" Shrieked her mother. Audri just lay there, closing her eyes, opening them wider, closing again, and so on. When Audri gave up, she said "Mom, please, turn on the lights. You know i'm dead scared of the dark, why are the lights off ?"

The whole ride back home Audri's mother was silently crying. Audri kept on asking, but her mom would just whimper quietly. When she pulled into the drive-way, "Mom ! You've been crying the whole ride, please talk to me, and do it now. As wide as i open my eyes all i see is darkness. It's like the darkness is hugging me, more like im trapped in darkness."

Painful years passed by. The older Audri got, the worse life got. Years filled with humiliation; taunting, and bullying. Years filled with torture. By time, Audri mostly stayed in her room. Isolated from everyone, everything, except darkness. Always following her, swallowing her.