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I don't think there was ever a time I didn't see them. The shadows that dance amongst the tall trees of our backyard forest. I saw them when I got ready to go to school. I saw them as I tried to go to bed. There was never a day that I didn't try to go out and meet them after school. It was always the best part of my day. When I could talk to someone that I knew wouldn't judge me about stupid things like my hair or my eyes or my skin.

Through I always had to wait until I was sure no one is looking. When the coast was clear I would walk to the edge of the backyard, sit down and simply talk to them. I would tell them about my day, the neighbors, what I had seen on TV and what gossip had reached my ears. They never truly answered back, at least, not in a language humans could understand but I could tell that they appreciated my company since they kept coming back. It was nice to be wanted.

My parents never liked it though. I'm not sure they can even see them. They'd get mad when I would talk about my "imaginary friends" instead "normal topics".

    Papi would always raise his hands and yell "If you don't stop speaking to the trees you're going to join them in the woods!". The air would then be filled with my screams as he marked my torso. Mama never did anything to stop him, in fact she would urge him on. She would insult me, "Amor, Maybe if you stopped looking at dicks during class you would have a better grade!"and badger me "You'll grow out of this phase. I didn't give birth to you so you could get fucked." She'd never comfort me or console me but, she didn't have to. I had them for that.

There were times they would be nice but it would always be in front of other people. They'd say about how proud they were of my studies and how they were so glad that I was alive. It was almost like they expected me to be dead at this point. They never nice to me when we were alone, it would always have to be in front of people. I guess it was to keep them from asking where my bruises and black eyes came from.

It was nearing Christmas when it happened. I loved Christmas. I loved decorating the house with lights and ornaments. It was the one day where we were like a real family.

"We're going to go to the woods!" Papa said as he put on his jacket, "I know you've wanted a real tree for some time so I was thinking we could get one this year!" Mama came up from behind him ,decked out in her newest winter gear, and said "I know we haven't been the best parents lately so let us make up for it with this!" I was excited! I had quickly gotten ready and met them at the edge of our backyard. I didn't even notice the saw that my papa had carried. I simply walked into the woods without a care in the world.

It took some hours to find the perfect tree. But once I found it ,I was ecstatic! I bound towards the tree ready to hug it as if it was a long time friend. After I hugged it, I turned my father to tell him. That's when mama swung down the saw and hit me in the head. And all I could see was black.

Even if I couldn't see anything but I could hear it. Every tear of fabric, every rip the blade made in my skin, I even heard it as it sliced through my bones. I heard them talk. I heard about how much of a disappointment I was. I heard my mom say how I was almost perfect and scream, "WHY COULDN'T YOU BE PERFECT!"

I was finally able to open my eyes and what I saw scared me. Mama was standing over me covered in blood, my blood. She growled saying "I always hated your eyes." Before she brought down her heel and stabbed it into my head. That's when I started to scream.

I screamed to them, the shadows, my friends, to save me from these monsters I've lived with for all my life. I begged and pleaded to be saved, but Papa didn't like that. He brought the already bloodied saw to my neck and said "You should be happy, you're finally joining your fucking friends, you freak." With that he sliced down into me.

I was plugged into darkness, that sweet and welcoming darkness I had been surrounded by since forever. It hugged me close as it whispered something to me. I couldn't tell you what it said but it sounded like loving, warm and kind. I felt safe in it's arms, I felt like nothing could hurt me. I felt things slither up my spine and limbs as it almost smiled at me. I closed my eyes before I could question it. I was so tired.

I opened my eyes again and found myself in the woods, alive. How could I be alive? I reached up to my neck and felt something like rope? No, roots! I looked down and saw that my limbs were crudely stitched back onto me. There was still blood, a lot of blood, it dripped from my cuts and stitches as well as the hole where my eye should be. I slowly got up and looked to see my parents, my murderers were gone.

I picked up the forgotten saw and trudged towards the house. With every step my smile grew wider and I began to laugh, they tried to kill me! It was hilarious! They really wanted me dead!

In the cloak of night I walked towards the house of those bastards and noticed that someone forgot to close the back door. I walked right in and looked around. Nothing had changed. It was almost like I hadn't existed at all. Every picture I had previously been in was gone, every award or momento was put away. They erased me. I continued to giggle as I made my way up to their room, where they were sleeping peacefully.

  I picked up my mother's blanket and tied it around her, tying it around her ankles and covering her head so that she looked like a bag. I did the same to my father. I dragged them down the stairs and back towards the woods. They woke up and started to struggle and scream for help but it was muted due to the blankets.

   Once we got to my tree I dropped and unwrapped them while humming my favorite Christmas song, Baby it's cold outside. My parents arms and legs were still bound but their faces were out in the open. They could see me. That's when they began to scream, Mami began to cry and beg for me to release her, Papi yelled at me and demanded me to let him go. I kept singing as I picked up the saw again.

  Out of the corner of my eye I could see movement. My friends had come to join me and enjoy the show. I smiled and sang a bit louder.

Once I stood over my parents I brought up the saw and began to do to them as they did to me. I started with their legs, to show them that these were the consequences of crossing the line. I enjoyed their screams and pleads for forgiveness as I sawed into their bones. I went to my papa and stomped onto his hand making sure that he heard the crunch of his own bones, "I've always hated your big, clammy hands." I made sure to repeat it with the other one. I then grabbed him by his hair and pulled him up by it, I sawed through his neck as I said "You are a disappointment." I took his head and gave it to one of the shadows to do with as he pleased before moving to my mother.

I looked into her eyes with mine and said "I always hated your fucking mouth, never said one nice thing that you meant." I gave a cruel smile before I stomped onto her face with all the strength I could muster. I managed to break her jaw but I wasn't finished. "I've always hated your cold dead heart.", I jumped onto her chest repeatedly hearing every snap, crack, and sounds of agony coming from mama. Once I was sure the rib cage was destroyed I took the saw and began to cut through her torso, I fished out her heart. I then brought the saw to her neck and proceeded to cut off her head.

I stepped away from the bodies as the shadows did. There I stood covered from head to toe in my own murderers blood. I stood there with my friends by my side. We watched as the trees began to bend down and bring the limbs of my victims into their branches forming demented christmas decorations. I smiled at the beautiful scenery before turning around and walking deeper into my beloved woods. I walked with the knowledge that I was free.

"Baby it's cold outside.~"

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⏰ Last updated: Feb 11, 2019 ⏰

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