Lilies

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dear mom,

when i was little, you once told me a fable about a boiled frog

do you remember?

i had asked for the princess and the frog since i was still a believer in happy endings back then

but instead i was given a story about pain

i didn't know anything about hurt yet

maybe you were preparing me

but things have changed

and now i tell it differently in the time you've been gone

'once upon a time'

there was an innocent, naive creature

maybe it didn't have the grace of a swan as it leaped

maybe it didn't sing exactly like a bird

but, flaws and all--it was blissful in its existence

unfortunately, it was not lucky

because one day, it crossed paths with a horrible being

a being so despicable that her evil was inborne, and ran through her veins

and you would have thought the sevens sins were her bible

for she followed them so religiously

a human

and because the beast saw the simplicity of the frog's nature

she was angry

this monster

fed off of other people's pain

and she sought to destroy his happiness

because that was the entirety of her miserable existence

so she tried to kill him

at first, she tried to murder him by placing him in a pot of hot water with the steam that blew out of her ears

but, the frog had quick reflexes

again and again, he would jump out immediately

teasing her with his agility

but, the abomination was smart

she placed him in a pot of cold, refreshing water that comforted him

deluding him with this refuge in his last moments

and she slowly boiled him alive, gradually raising the heat on him

that the frog was unable to realize that he was in danger

until it was too late

and his breathing became more shallow, his legs were stuck like they were in quicksand, mind unable to react as he watched with his own eyes as he burned

already another victim of the demon's pitchfork

dead

and the witch lived on

cackling as she left

lifeless frog in hand

as she descended back down into hell

'the end'

i like my version better

because it's the truth

not your lies where you made people out to be heroes who outsmarted the villains

because the reality is

the bad guys win

and the good guys die in vain because the only thing they can do

is save others, unable to save themselves from their own fate

in some sort of twisted irony

lately, i've been trying to figure out who is the frog

is it me?

for not noticing the signs you were seconds away from running?

that you were afraid he would lose us one day like his cars keys, and that we would become strangers to him?

is it you?

for being oblivious to dad's worsening state until his window of time to gain back all the stories he had lost was up?

failing to realize that he was in a hospital bed waiting for the cure only you could administer, while you were in another man's arms?

it is dad?

for trusting both of us to be able to take care of him, ignorant of our incompetence, and putting the entire burden on our shoulders?

not taking note that neither of us were prepared for you to become less of a father and husband, and more of a child?

was it all of us?

for allowing our love to blind us to only see what we wanted to?

putting too much faith into our disillusions of our perfect family, in our ability to be there when we needed each other?

we were an army of frogs

misfits in the animal kingdom because of our idiocy

color blind

to the transparency of the vibrant shades of truth

because we didn't know

when it slipped his mind to set his alarm

when he stopped remembering birthdays and anniversaries

when he forgot our address, and spent an entire day driving around in circles
mindlessly

when he lost entire memories and pieces of our lives, brushing family pictures as if he was seeing them for the first time--like he hadn't been there

we didn't know

until it was too late

and the water was boiling

and our chance at saving dad had already vanished

just

         like

                 the frog

yours truly,

evelyn

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A/N: Hey, it's me again :)

Lol, sorry this took a while. I wrote it, didn't like it--rewrote it, still not sure. Don't really know if it's any better. Ugh. Usually the chapters write themselves, but this one really didn't. The original chapter wasn't really angry or bitter, which is kind of the stage she's in right now, that's why I didn't like it. Didn't follow the flow of the story. It gave a lot away too, and I think I want to reveal all of that later, not now.

Also, I actually looked up what a group of frogs was called--that wasn't a made-up metaphor, it's a real thing--an army of frogs! (omg we just learned something on wattpad, WHAT)

Anyway, yeah. I hope you liked it. Have you ever heard the parable about the boiled frog before? What do you think about the MC's version of it? Did that give you any more perspective on the characters? That was my goal. To make them more than just paper dolls, but people who have feelings and fears.

As always, thanks for reading!

Don't forgot to vote, comment, and follow, okay? Please don't be a silent reader :) I love hearing your opinions.

Love,

Kiana