Unable ☾ Dodie Clark

01

"Mommy pleeeasseeee?"

"Melanie, no means no."

"Mooooooommmmyyyy pllleeeeeassseeee?"

"I said no! That's my final answer!" The women with a tan trench coat gripped her daughters hand tighter as she shields her face from the pouring rain, worrying that it would mess up her makeup.

The little girl sighed and put a pout on her face. She frowned and trudged through the rain, stomping in the small puddles that formed on the sidewalk, dripping onto the road. She continued holding her mother's hand though, for she knew if she jerked her hand away she would get snapped at.

"You're being totally not fair! Jensen got a bike for his birthday, why can't I get a bike?" The girl complained, remembering her older brother's look of joy when he went out to the driveway last Saturday and found himself a brand new black bike with dazzling fiery red flames painted on the tires. Melanie watched that day as Jensen rode around the street, leaving Melanie in envy.

"Honey, you don't have the eye and hand coordination for riding a bike yet." The mother explained, whilst frantically looking around the busy street, searching for a taxi. It was true, although Melanie was five years old and most five year olds have the capability to start riding a bike, Melanie was fairly clumsy for a child. Her mother bet if she got her daughter a bike, with a helmet, shoulder pads, knee pads, basically all the protection a child could have, Melanie would still find some way to get hurt.

"What's eye and hand coorrdinsnation?" Melanie asked as she followed her mother to the edge of the sidewalk; facing the busy road. Carefully, Melanie hopped over crumpled up wads of newspaper and gum.

Melanie's mom smirked down at her daughter as she put two fingers in her mouth and blew a powerful whistle.

"You'll understand when you're older." Her mother said breezily. A honey colored taxi spotted the tall women amongst the crowd and pulled over to the side of the road where Melanie and her mother were. Melanie's mom dragged Melanie over to the trunk of the taxi as she waved for the taxi driver to pop the trunk.

Melanie's mom swung a large black purse with jangling keys inside over her shoulder. She lifted the trunk lid as Melanie watched.

Suddenly, there was blaring of a honk coming just from behind them. Melanie's mother froze, she quickly turned around, throwing her daughter behind her.

Before Melanie knew what was happening, she met face to face with the back of her mother's coat, unable to see what was in front of her.

Then. There was darkness.