The Art Inside You

Narssistic Confliction

TW: Abuse, blood, Aubrey's mom, mentions of alcohol

Aubrey was just... conflicted. Sunny and Basil, there, right in front of her! But... it was bittersweet. Both of the boys just hid from everyone, encased in their bubble while on the outside, everyone suffered. Mari's death must have been hard on them, but it was for everyone, too. They just... abandoned Aubrey, Kel, and Hero. It wasn't fair. Why did Aubrey have to suffer, while they hid?

Sunny glanced nervously at Aubrey and took a careful step forward. She flinched out of her trance and scowled a little at him. "You..." She balled her hands into fists as they trembled. "How could you two - Why would you leave us!?" Aubrey yelled, snapping quickly. She had so many bottled-up feelings inside, and she finally cracked. "It's been almost five years! And you both decided to leave us?! We ALL suffered."

She let out one final yell and walked away, towards the shopping district and Othermart. Aubrey looked back, then scowled sorrowfully and ran. She couldn't think of anything right now other than memories of her and her mother. Sunny and Basil reminded Aubrey of her.

...

"M-Mom...?" The young girl cautiously called out.

It was a year since Mari's death. Aubrey had been bullied over and over, and she just had to get it off her chest.

The drunken woman was on the couch, anxiously tapping her thumbs together and heavily breathing. When her daughter spoke, she slowly turned to her, eyes eerily wide and stone-faced. She let out a small chuckle and arose from the vile-smelling seat.

"Aubergine..." The mother smiled uneasily and slowly made her way to the frightened girl.

"Aubrey..."

"I... am..."

"Not your mother!" The drunken woman screamed, suddenly enraged. She slapped the poor girl and stood over the trembling female. 

"Tsk... You disappoint me. You're the reason your father left."

She kicked her child, making Aubrey fall to the ground, begging and crying.

After several hours of abuse, the woman just left. She didn't wipe the blood off of her, nor even look back at her beaten and broken daughter, who was bruised everywhere and bleeding from multiple places. Her eyes were dull, and her breaths were shallow. Aubrey curled up in a tight ball and sobbed.

Never... Never again would she talk to that monster. Mari... Sunny... Basil... and now her mother had abandoned her.

It hurt everywhere. Aubrey hated this feeling. A non-stop churning pain inside. It dug beneath her and endlessly burned. 

She just wanted to be loved.

By her parents.

By her friends.

Was...

Was it too much to ask?

...

Kel just watched, frowning and sighing. He sniffled, and Sunny swore he seemed a lot more sad than he looked. But he couldn't confirm due to Kel's mood swing. He smiled at the two and suggested they should head home.

It made sense, the sun was coming down, and the sky was slowly turning into a beautiful orange and purple.

Basil waved goodbye and headed towards his house.

Kel and Sunny silently walked beside each other until they reached Sunny's home.

The tan boy took a look at Sunny's house. It was dark and weeds were growing in a weird way, tangling themselves in the cracked wall. On the long lawn, there stood a sign. 

'HOUSE FOR SALE - Faraway Real Estate'

Kel tilted his head, confused.

What...?