A Soft spot for an Angel

Chapter 4 kiara

25 years ago.....

I lye wide eyed on my back in my bed, staring up at the ceiling with excitement. Today was my 5th birthday. Mommy had bought me the purrfect (get it? Like a cat says purr) light blue princess dress and even let me pick out a crown to match. I didn't have alot of friends, except for my sister Emaly and older brother Drew who I knew would come play with me on my birthday. I jumped out of my bed to put on my dress and matching crown. Mommy promised she'd do my hair so I knew today would be special.

Once I had my dress on, I called for Mommy who was nowhere to be found. I was scared being in the house alone. I wanted my Mommy. I sat on the bathroom step bringing my knees to my chest to hide my tears. The front door opened, Emaly and Drew stood hand in hand in the doorway. She was dressed in a matching princess dress that was pink instead of blue and she wore a crown on her head just like me. Drew wore a plain white t-shirt with black shorts and dirty running shoes, carrying a gift bag in his other hand. "Why the tears, Kiara? No tears on your birthday! You're a princess and princesses don't cry"

I wiped my fallen tears with the back of my hand. "Mommy isn't here and it's my birthday "

Emaly stepped inside and sat beside me, fixing her princess dress that fell over her feet. "I'm sure she'll be home soon. Let's have some fun! We can play princesses and princes. Drew can be our prince"

"No way!" Drew shouted in disgust, sticking out his tongue. "No way! You can't make me!"

"Kiara," Emaly said getting up off the step. "Where's your playboy? We need to turn Drew into a prince!"

The 3 of us ran upstairs to search through my playboy for a prince's crown for Drew. Emaly and I chased him around the room, jumping on him to hold him down once we caught him. He wiggled out from underneath us and sat by my window, throwing the crown aside. Emaly picked it up off the ground, placing it back on his head and securing it with some duct tape she found. I sat on the edge of my messy bed, holding dolly close to me. My grandma had given me dolly the day I was born. I've brought her everywhere with me ever since.

"Are you still sad, Kiara?" Emaly asked, sitting beside me on my messy bed. "No tears, remember? Princesses don't cry. Come on, let's play outside. Bring your dolly, she can be a princess, too"

I looked down at my dolly with a smile. "Let's play!"

We raced downstairs, then outside to my backyard to play on my slide and swing set. I kicked my feet hard back and forth, getting higher and higher with each kick. I felt warm from the sun, while staring at the view of my neighborhood. Mommy told me we lived in a rough neighborhood and that I was always safe with her and never to talk to strangers. I listened to her and glued myself to her side whenever we went out. Being without her, even with Emaly and Drew made me nervous.

Emaly screamed as she slid down the slide, calling for Drew to watch her. I was high enough I wanted to jump. "Emaly! Drew! Watch me, watch me!"

"Go for it!" They called out together.

I kicked my feet a couple more times, then held onto my dolly before I jumped. Instead of landing on my feet, I fell to my knees in the dirt. Emaly and Drew rushed to my side, helping me up. I now stood on my feet, doing my best to wipe the dirt off of my princess dress. " I almost had it. Did you see me fly?"

"You made it so far!" Drew squealed in excitement. "Try again, Kiara, try again"

"Yeah, go for it!" Emaly yelled. "We triple doggy dare you, Kiara. No take back"

"I'm in!" I agreed. "What do I get if I win?"

"Drew's allowance for the next 2 weeks!"

"Hey! That isn't fair!" Drew disagreed. "I'm telling mom!"

I laughed then got back on the swing  kicking my feet higher and higher until I reached the sky. We counted backwards from 5 then I jumped off the swing, hoping I'd land on my feet.  I stood firmly on the ground, then fell grasping my ankle. "Owie! Owie!" I cried.

"Oh no, Kiara. What happened?" Emaly asked.

"My ankle hurts! I...I think it's broken"

Drew helped me up, letting me lean against him. "We should bring her inside. She needs to rest her foot"

I sat on the kitchen chair with my foot resting on the chair across from me. Drew got some ice, then they sat with me until mommy came home. I wasn't sure how much time had passed because I couldn't tell time. She held onto her special drink, as she entered the kitchen staring at the 3 of us. "Why the fuck are the 3 of you in here? Kiara, send your friends home. Mommy needs more of her special drink and doesn't want company "

"But mommy, don't you know what day it is?" She took a drink of her special drink and didn't answer. "Mommy, it's my birthday. Emaly and Drew came to play with me"

"Ah right, it's your birthday. Kiara, send your friends home. Play time is over"

"Can't they stay? Pretty, pretty please?" I begged.

"No, that's enough playing for today. Besides, I...I have a gift for you. I wanna give it to you in private"

"But mommy....."

She took another sip of her special drink, then wiped her mouth with her hand. "You leave me no choice, Kiara." Mommy stood behind Drew and Emaly, pushing them towards the front door. "Time to go home, kids. You and Kiara can play another day"

"OK,' they agreed. "Bye, Kiara "

I was scared. Mommy has never acted this way with Emaly and Drew before. Now she and I were alone. Should I tell her I missed her? "Mommy, why'd you send my friends away? I wanted to play"

She grumbled. "Kiara, I'm not in the mood for this shit." She grasped my wrist tightly, I limped along with her as she dragged me along to an empty room. Then she stood in the doorway, shoving me inside. "You're going to stay here until you learn to listen '

'No, stop! No, no please!" I begged nearly in tears.

She ignored me, as I crawled towards the bedroom door. I turned the doorknob but it wouldn't open. "Kiara, I'm leaving for a bit. You'd better be good or worse is coming your way"

"Mommy, I missed you! Let me out! Let me out, it's my birthday!"

I sat in the middle of the room with my knees to my chest, letting my tears fall. My ankle was hurting badly and mommy didn't care.

I was having trouble keeping my eyes open, so I got comfy on the floor. The sound of the front door slamming woke me up. "Mommy! Mommy, let me out of here! I've been good!"

She unlocked the door, then took a drink from 2 of her special drink standing in the doorway. "I suppose you have. Come on out, I'll give you your gift now "

"Really, mommy?" I limped out of the room and back into the kitchen where I found dolly on the floor. "There you are, dolly. I thought I lost you"

"Stupid bitch," Mommy whispered.

"Mommy, where's my gift you promised?"

"Oh yeah, your gift." She looked around then stole dolly from my hands, holding her out infront of me. Her hand was wrapped around dolly's neck tearing it thread by thread until dolly's head flew to the ground. "There's your birthday gift, Kiara. Happy fucking birthday "

I fell to the ground holding dolly's head in my hands close to my chest. "How could you, Mommy?"

Mommy didn't say anything. Instead, she went into the living room to drink her special drink. I grabbed the rest of dolly off up the floor and cried. Some birthday this was.