"What university are you thinking about, Sophia?" Aunt Stephanie asks, attempting small-talk.
Leaving me no time to answer, my Mum butts in, "We're taking our time but any local university will do, won't it, darling?"
No, it won't, but it's unfortunately not my choice.
My cousin, Olivia, catches my eye above the bowl of mashed potato as Stephanie begins again, "Of course, she'll save money on rent as well as being close to your loving arms!"
Blah, blah, blah.
They're talking as if I am not in the room, I doubt they would notice if I left. I leave the table with a silent tear trickling down my cheek and hear a quiet voice say, "Mummy, Sophia's upset." Faster! I sprint upstairs.
I slam my bedroom door shut but still catch, "She'll be fine. She doesn't really like company. I'm not sure what's wrong with her, she hasn't spoken a word in months."
"Gosh! It must be really hard for you..."
**
The front door closes and silence descends as the adults leave for a stroll in the nearby woods. I cannot enjoy the quiet for long, however, as a scream shatters it. I leap up from my position against the wall and fly out onto the landing. That's when I see her. It's Olivia! She's sprawled out over the bottom step and hasn't stopped screaming. I don't know what's hurting her but I descend quickly, reaching out my hands to help. Her clothes are soaked and her skin is warm. Too warm. Hot. Burning. I see a cracked teacup, teabag and kettle lying on the floor nearby. I realize how it happened, she's is drenched in boiling water from the kettle she'd been holding.
I carry her, like you would a baby, up the stairs to the bathroom. Placing her into the tub, I put in the plug, turning the cold tap on so that it pours over her, the screams have subsided, replaced by sobs...
I snatch the phone from the landing, dialling 999, I explain everything to the operator. The words jump out of my mouth in a broken mess but they get the idea. Back in the bathroom, I pop out several painkillers, forgetting to check whether a girl of her age should consume so many. I attempt to distract her from the pain with my untidy language of mumbling until the ambulance arrives, screeching into the driveway.
We crowd her bed, the smell of stale medicine making me gag as I listen to another conversation which ignores my existence.
Olivia's eyes flicker open and she glances around at everyone, her gaze stopping on me. I grimace, she rolls her eyes.
_____
Yay! I've written a new story, I'm not sure whether I should publish them all in the same book or separately, comment what you think I should do... x
Thanks for reading, I've been very interested in selective mutisim, should I try writing a book from the perspective of someone who is?
Comment ideas for my next piece of flash fiction and vote if you thought this was any good!
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Short Stories
Short Story-A 500 word short story about a selective mute girl. What happens when you are in a situation where you have to speak? Come to think of it, why did she become this way in the first place? -A 500 word story set 100 years in the future. Won the Region...
