The Fallen Queen (Winner of the Write Way Award 2013) #Wattys2015 #MyWattysChoice #Featured

Chapter 17: The Second Birth Of A Monster

Let me know if you can read this chapter. There seems to be a problem with Wattpad and people can't see the chapters after Chapter 10.

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I knew that I would never be like the others. I could not talk with them about the television shows they watched, or about the kind of glitter they put on their eyes, or the latest fashion trends, or boys, or pop music. I had nothing in common with the other girls my age. In fact, I did not even want to venture onto any topic with them, even the weather. Weather was unimportant. It was pretty much the same whether it rained or shined. Everything was the same. Everyone was so monotonous. What I was going through in my life was so different from the other kids my age.

But what was I going through exactly? I did not understand what was happening to my family. I did not get any of it. I did not have the time to ask myself questions either. I just tried to get through life and hoped that, once the storm passed, I would be able to find some peace and happiness. My parents would love me. We would be a joyful family.

In the meantime, Mother was in the psychiatric hospital and I officially became Jeremy and Audrey's mother.

I got up in the morning, prepared breakfast, and ran after Jeremy to get him to go faster since he had an annoying habit of having to do things in the same order every day. You could not get him to get dressed before he had his breakfast.

"Jeremy! Hurry up! You'll be late for school!" I said, pushing on his back, but he was very heavy. He was at least two heads taller than I was. Two heavy heads, full of flesh, bones, and blood. And that was without counting the rest of his body.

He kept dragging his feet. One step, two steps, then his familiar hitting tic. He needed to hit his feet together each time he used his legs twice in a row. That was usually funny—especially when he went up a hill on his bike and suddenly felt the urge to hit his feet together and started rolling backwards—but now, it was not. I was very serious. I did not feel like laughing.

He was still in his pajamas and he decided to have toast with peanut butter because this was what he needed to have every morning. He had just eaten oatmeal, but he now needed his toast with peanut butter.

There was nothing I could do to convince him there was no time for that.

Fortunately, Audrey did not need that much of my attention. She was a big girl and could do everything on her own.

I prepared the lunch bags for all three of us and started to quickly clean the kitchen.

The bus arrived, but only Audrey was ready. I told her to get on the bus and that Jeremy and I would walk, even if we arrived a little bit late at school. We would see her at recess, at the swings, as usual.

The evenings were similar. I had to cook dinner, clean the house, and help Audrey with her homework before doing my own.

I wanted everything to be perfect. I wanted the house to be impeccable, the food to be excellent. I wanted to be the best mother in the world.

Mrs. Monique, my teacher, saw that something was unusual. She asked to see me after class.

"I wanted to see you, Marie, because I know you can get better grades. What is going on with you lately?"

Of course, I could do better but only if days had forty-eight hours instead of a lamentable twenty-four.

I said nothing. I simply stared down at my shoes.

"Do you have any problems at home?" asked my teacher.

I was touched that someone cared about me. This had never happened before. I felt the urge to be honest with her. She saw me, she observed me, and she noticed something in me. I was so thankful for that.