Dancing with the Spirits

Chapter One, Love

"Do you really need to dress up that much? You're just going out to get water." Her cousin looks at her, a little jealous.

"Jibby, I don't want to look ugly in public." Annikah says with a frown. "You know what, if you really have a problem with how I look, you can go out and get water yourself. You should be happy I even wanted to come with you."

"I don't even care if you are with me or not, I can get water by myself. You and your annoying attitude." Jibby marches out of the house, angry.

Annikah stands there, not understanding why Jibby hates her so much, she tries so hard to get along with him but nothing works. For a while, she thought about how they were so close when they were kids. What happened? She thinks to herself.

Her grandmother, Lucing, walks into the house. "Jibby is upset. What did you do now?"

"He started it! He was the one who got upset because I like to dress up, what is his problem?"

"Why do you need to dress up? Who are you dressing for?" Lucing says while looking Annikah straight in the eyes. "You're just like your mother! Couldn't even wait till she finished highschool! She had you before she even graduated! You ruined her life!"

Annikah looks at her grandmother, confused. "What does dressing up have to do with having kids?"

"Because it means you're dressing up for someone!"

"I am not dressing up for anyone! What is your problem with me? Why are you always trying to start fights? Why do you think so badly of me? What did I do to you? I help take care of you and the rice fields, and you treat me like this, it's not fair." At this point Annikah is already crying.

"Life is not fair." Lucing walks away, satisfied with making Annikah cry.

Annikah walks to the rice field still dressed up, I can't believe this is how I'm treated. I do so much for this family and they get mad at me over how I dress? This family is messed up, I can't wait to leave. Go somewhere far, I can take mom with me... she's the only one I have, we can run away from grandma and dad and everyone else. Yeah we will do that.

She sits down on some random chair by the fields and she dreams about how her house would look when she runs away and how happy her and her mom would be together. But those happy thoughts didn't last long, she began thinking about how much better life would be if her grandmother liked her, if she loved her. If grandma liked me everyone else in the family would. Why does she hate me so much? I just want her to love me. One day it will all get better, but maybe not today.