Escape

Dead Cries

A single parent, Melanie looked forward to the rest of the evening after she had settled her daughter to sleep.

Tonight, her daughter, Amy, unusually begun to crying, causing Melanie to go back upstairs to see what the matter was.

Leaning against the bedroom door, she watched Amy clutch her favourite doll.

'Mam,' Amy turned to face her mother as she laid the doll on the bed, before standing by the side.

Melanie's mousey hair half covered her face, hiding the eyes which eyes matched the colour. Her looks had dwindled since her husband left her and Amy. At the time, it had left a lot of scars and her self esteem vanished. People always commented on how she had a lovely personality and looks to match, but she always thought they were saying it when they thought otherwise.

Walking to her, Melanie asked, 'What's the matter?'

Rain beat heavily against the window, and the thunder could not be far away. The night was cold and the pelts of the rain gained in strength.

'Scared,' Amy watched as the rain snaked down the window before climbing onto the bed. 'Hurt mam,' Amy said, her voice slow as she clasped her hands around her left knee.

Melanie went to the bed, as Amy unclasped her knee for her mother to see what was wrong.

'Help me mam, please,' Amy shook her head.

Melanie pushed her daughter's hair out of her eyes. 'Mammy is here.'

'Knee,' Amy said low. 'Hurt. Look.'

Melanie rubbed Amy's knee herself, trying to make it better.

Amy looked at her mother, 'Make better.' Raising her hand once more, Amy moved her knee closer to her mother, resting her head on her mother's arm, 'Mam, love you.'

'Let me get a towel to clean it.' Melanie gently pushed her daughter from her to go to the bathroom.

Amy sat on the bed, watching her mother leave and reached for her doll.

In the bathroom to get what was required, Melanie heard a loud bang - Amy had fallen off the bed surfaced to her mind. Quickly reaching a towel from the hook, she ran to see what had happened.

At the bedroom door, Melanie faced the empty bed, apart from the doll which sat in the middle. Where had Amy gone?

As she walked slowly into the room, she shouted, 'This is no time to play hide and seek. Come out, come out, wherever you are.' She sounded like the big bad wolf hunting the three pigs. The doll 'watched' as she searched.

Melanie shouted, 'I am not about to play your silly games, I have better things to do. I'm going downstairs and you can come from hiding when you like.' Determined not to search the other rooms, she threw the towel onto the floor, turning to leave.

As she turned, she felt a draft flow past her, turning back to look into the room, shaken. She saw nothing there.

As she started to walk down the stairs, she banged on each step, in the hope Amy would emerge. Before turning the bend in the stairs, Melanie glanced towards the bedroom through the railings, seeing Amy cry on the bed.

Melanie u-turned, running the few steps to the top. 'What's the matter?' she asked.

'Shout!' Amy said to her mother. 'Hate you.'

'Don't be like that,' Melanie started to cry. 'Mammy hasn't time to play your games, she has work to do.' As Melanie sat on the bed, Amy held onto her.