The Forgotten

Chapter 13: The Make Over

Chapter 13: The Make Over

Dani’s prov

I kept my hands in my lap and stared at the tangerine colored wall in front of me. I sat still on the closed toilet seat avoiding all reflective surfaces while Lena softly painted the dye into my hair. Her voice was soft and when she leaned into my line of sight I saw the happiness in her eyes instantly making me adore her.

“Dani, I know what it’s like trying to get out of your mother’s shadow.”  Lena whispered as she looked into the mirror in front of her. It was then that it hit me. Lena looked like a carbon copy of the girl in the picture I found in Vera’s room. Her ice blue eyes were filled with a deep love instead of being haunted like mine, but I realized that losing someone who loved you could be more heart breaking than leaving someone behind that never really cared.

“I’m sorry that you lost your mother Lena.” I whispered locking my eyes with her bright ones and a small smile traced her lips somehow making me feel better, while happiness danced in her eyes.

“Thank you sweetie, but that’s enough talk about old memories. You can’t change the past Dani, but you can decide if it decides your future.” She whispered before leaning in front of me and softly brushing some hair away from my eyes. “Dani, you are the strongest girl I have ever met, but somehow you bring light with you everywhere you go even though you have always been surrounded by darkness. So how about we make new memories?” She smiled with excitement circling in her eyes and I softly smiled back at her before she left my line of sight again and finished dyeing my hair.

My eyes fluttered shut and I just focused on the feeling of her working with my hair while listening to her softly hum as she worked. I finally felt at peace with this beautiful stranger and instead of questioning it I just greedily relished in the feeling, terrified that it would disappear in the next second. I opened my eyes when the calming motion of her hands working in my hair stopped as well as her soft humming. When I opened my eyes I had to hold back my laughter as I watched her try to put the dye in her hair while mixing some green stuff in a big bowl.

            “Lena, what are you doing?” I asked letting a few chuckles slip past my lips.

            “Well, you looked so peaceful I didn't want to disturb you and this stuff has to be mixed a certain time before I can really open up your pores.” She answered me while my eyebrows knitted in confusion.

            “What is that for exactly?” I asked skeptically while pointing to the bowl of greenish slime.

            “It’s a face mask silly.” She smiled at me before there was a knock at the door and I could see her eyes light up while she went to answer the door. When the door opened it revealed a little girl with brown curly hair.  She was literally the most beautiful little girl I had ever seen. Her caramel brown curls reached past her shoulder blades and her eyes were sky blue. She was wearing cute little blue pajamas with clouds on them that made her eyes stand out on her perfect little face.

            “Lena can I have a face mask too?” Her little voice broke the silence in the room and Lena’s tinkling laughter followed making the small smile lining my lips bigger.

            “Of course Eva, I was going to come find you after I finished making the mask sweetie.” Lena reassured the little girl and received a toothy grin instantly.

I watched the two of them and wished I had that kind of relationship with anyone back home. In this moment I felt a million miles away and a veil covered my eyes as I was transported to a long ago memory. I remember on a Friday night when I was screaming at my mother and shaking her to wake up after I has escaped a particularly brutal beating from my brother, but she didn’t respond. She just stared at me with her cold eyes and looked over my face while letting her’s be covered with the disgust she felt about me be on display. It had felt like my mother had doubled the abuse my brother had done to me only minutes before. I felt so ugly and worthless in that moment that I just slid onto the floor before curling my body into a ball. I don’t remember how long I had laid on the floor, but I the next thing I remembered was my brother kicking me and yelling at me to go upstairs to get ready for school.