Red Puddles

Chapter 2

   Blythe managed to get through the day, but not without feeling the eyes of her peers on her. It felt different than she remembered.

She was almost home, almost to her small apartment that her and her mother had lived in for almost 8 years now. Blythe started to think about her mother, and how life was before her dad left. She quickly pushed the thoughts away, feeling the sting in her chest that only came before she cried. I can't cry while walking home. She thought, wiping her eyes carefully.

When she got inside, she was hit with a strong smell of bleach. "Oh god, Mom? Are you using bleach on the towels again?" She complained, before realizing her mom was working. She sighed, heading down the hall towards her room.

When she climbed onto her bed, she immediately noticed the blue cat eyes coming from behind her door. She smiled, and greeted the cat with open arms, and she came crawling towards Blythe, curling up against her chest. "Hi there, Char," she sighed as she rubbed her head, rewarding her with a purr. Blythe giggled and laid down with Charlie, eventually dozing off with her best friend in her arms.

                                                 *<~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>*

Blythe awoke to a banging downstairs, sitting upright. She felt her stomach twist as she heard Charlie turn and get up, sleepily jumping off the bed and onto the pile of pillows on the floor. Blythe dangled her feet over the edge of her bed before quietly stepping down, careful to not wake her sleepy kitty.

She shuffled down the halls until she reached the kitchen, peeking around the corner and smiling at the sight of her tired mom. She walked into the dark room, approaching her mom who sat at the dining room table, her back facing Blythe. She carefully hugged her mom, smiling as she jumped and turned to see who was behind her, her cheeks red from embarrassment when she realized it was her daughter.

"I thought you were asleep," she smiled tiredly, her eyes crinkling as she spoke. Blythe shrugged and sat down across from her mom, watching as she sorted through the mail. She watched her carefully slide an envelope over to her with curious eyes. "What's this?" she asked, watching Blythe's expression change in confusion as she grabbed it and tore it open.

"I dunno," she mumbled in response, slowly tearing the paper envelope and blushing at her mom's stare. She glanced up and her mom cleared her throat and looked away, pretending to be uninterested. Blythe opened the letter, her face twisting in confusion slightly at the accusing words on the paper.

She looked up at her mom and gave her the paper, taking the envelope to see if there was any information as to where the letter came from.

"What does this mean?" her mom asked curiously, looking at her daughter to analyze her reaction. "I have no clue," Blythe said and shrugged it off, knowing her mom needed rest. "Why don't you go on to bed? I'll clean up the kitchen and head to bed myself soon."

Her mom looked at her and smiled again, nodding and getting up. "Let me know if you need me, B," her mom said softly before heading down the hall and into her room, cracking the door.

Blythe worked on cleaning off the dining table, moving the papers and tossing the disposable coffee cup her mom brought in. She couldn't help but wonder what the words on the paper meant, and why the letter had been sent to her specifically. Did I piss someone off today? she wondered before shaking the thought off.

The letter had to be sent out before the end of the school day to arrive after she got home. And she had remembered the mail truck sitting outside in the morning, empty and quiet, as if nobody had been there in a while. She sighed and tossed the letter in the garbage, the red letters scribbled on the paper screaming at her. She glanced at them once more before heading out of the dining room and turning the lights out.

She shuffled down the hall towards her room quietly, trying to not wake her tired mother with her footsteps. Laying down on the bed, Blythe felt Charlie leap up onto the blankets with her again, curling her soft, fluffy black body against Blythe's neck. She smiled and rubbed between her ears, feeling her purr against her skin.

Before falling asleep, Blythe began to wonder what the words on the paper meant once more. Who had known her address and sent out a blank claim with no words besides the five on the paper, not bothering to explain what the words meant? She closed her eyes, dreaming of the accusatory words sloppily written in red ink, "I KNOW WHAT YOU DID."