Pastel Prompts

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It is not past morning and chaos has already taken over her mind. Her head is pounding, eyes sore and heart heavy.

Nico is once again,unable to sleep. Same tune as always except this time, it is in a different setting.

She thinks of all the times people said that they would stay and be there for her yet she finds herself alone.

That might sound whiny but she cannot help but want, need some kind of reassurance and communication. Or is it that humans are creatures of solace?

There she lay on the bed, trying to organize and sort through her thoughts.

Through the layer of blue clothing, she places her hand on her heart. Thump thump thump, it beats. By far it has been her only comfort.

She glances sideways. The ongoing ticktock-ing of the clock above her promises a long way to go. It is almost as if it is comforting her, saying : "Do not worry, you will see tomorrow. It will go on."

Nico sighs. I'm okay. I am still alive. I am okay. I am still alive. She chants to herself, in hope that it will help clear her mind.

20 minutes has passed and her thoughts are yet to settle themselves down. She turns her body towards the right. No sound can be heard except for the shuffling of the thin bed cover.

She closes her eyes and tries to imagine herself someplace else. Anywhere other than here.

*A light breeze shuffles Nico's curtains. She watches, in a state of indifference. The tree opposite her window has lost all of its leaves. It looks incomplete, naked and even...dead.

No. That is not how it should be. This is autumn, her favourite season. She has loved it for as long as she can remember.

As a little girl, she remembers getting  excited at the mere thought of going outside and picking up the dead leaves. To admire their shape and colours, more especially the different shades of brown.

Although everything is dead and dying, A promise of everything being made anew hangs in the air. She can almost feel the bumpy buds of her favourite peach tree.

The pretty flowers she saw last season would be back again. Plus it is an important process she understands has to take part. Her teacher had told her so.

Nico feels the ends of mouth edging into a smile. Those were "the" times. She was so carefree and happy back then. Happiness must have really loved it there, her childhood. It didn't follow her as she grew up. Or had she forgotten to bring it along?

Nico looks away from the window and places her head on the desk. She listens. Her parents seem to be still at it. Their bickering could probably be heard from miles away.

The wind picks up force and blows. This time a little harshly and colder. Nico gets up to close the window but halfways through, she decides against it. She welcomes the breeze as it is fills in the room. The chilly breeze kisses her flesh and leaves a trail of goosebumps in its awake.

A chill runs up her spine and through her whole body. She shivers. Cold.

That's how her parents have been for sometime now. Cold towards each other and her.

Nico continues her delayed task.She goes over to the window and closes it.

A door slams. She flinches. She should be used to it by now. She is not. Can never be used to it. Footsteps. Someone is climbing up the stairs.

She knows the cycle all too well. After a match of biting each other's heads off her father leaves, and her mother locks herself in their room.

Nico opens her eyes. That is not what she wanted to think about.

She changes her sleeping position once again. Now with her hands by her side, she gazes up at the ceiling.

Her mind wanders to her house then her room-The ceiling in her room has star stickers attached to it, unlike the monotonous blank one she is staring at- until it settles down on her parents.

Her parent's relentless fighting. The first time it occurred she thought it was just a phase, it would pass. It did not but proved more persistent than that. At some the point, the fighting got so bad that she was convinced and accepted that her parents would get divorced.

Surprisingly, they did not.
She wishes they did. It could have been better that way. For everyone's sake, especially her.

Have they not neglected her for far too long?  "Neglected".  The word lets hell break loose. Reality hits and everything topples over.

Her parents have neglected her. They do not know that coming to the nurse's office is nearly part of her daily routine. From all the constant attacks.

Speaking about routine, the school's psychologist had asked to see her 2 times a week now.

Nico has once tried to bring it up to her parent's attention but they brushed it off. So easily at that.

Maybe if she had tried again...

Nico feels her throat tightening and her eyes burn. A tear rolls down her face.  She does not bother wiping it. Nico clenches her eyes shut to stop herself from crying. It does not help. Soon after, a stream of tears follows.

She turns to her left side, facing the wall and curls into a ball.

Behind her, she hears the door creaking open.

"The poor darling must have fallen asleep."- a voice softly utters.

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Oowwkaay! That's it. This "piece" of something was not a prompt so yeah...

Life finna be Hektik+my stupid phone is acting up=less writing but I found prompts I could use!(•‿•) Although, I think they will end up being essays and not short pieces like the previous ones.(ー_ー゛) Anyhow hope everyone is doing okay.
Wear your masks and eat potatoes🥔