The late summer breeze blew by, it was a rather plain day, just like any other for Autumn. Autumn woke up, crawled out of her bed and grabbed her cane, which was resting on her dresser. It was the usual thing, she had never known any other life, so seeing almost nothing was normal for Autumn. Autumn quickly dressed, feeling slight stings as she did, she had a few open cuts on her legs from a fall yesterday. Her skin was thin and easy to tear, so cuts wasn't an unusual thing to see on.
It was late August, meaning the school year would start, but not for Autumn, her parents believed going to a school outside of her home was 'dangerous' and she would accidentally kill herself. Autumn was upset, of course, she was going to die sooner or later and she couldn't even make the most of her life. That's all she wanted, to make the most of what was left of her life. Autumn had tried to convince her parents to let her go to a private school when she was fifteen, it didn't work. Autumn was going to try again, she was seventeen, she had been trapped in her home long enough.
Autumn took a breath, her parents were overprotective and that was understandable. She was as fragile as glass, she could die any moment now, and she was blind. Autumn had dreams though, she longed to become a science teacher and teach her knowledge of the subject. How could she accomplish that inside this house? Autumn walked down the fresh oak stairs, to hear her father getting ready to rush out the door to get to work, and her mother was doing her usual crossword puzzle to calm herself.
As her father shut the door and said goodbye to Autumn's mother, Autumn had entered the kitchen. "Good morning honey." her mother said, smiling at Autumn as she entered in with her cane. Autumn stepped closer, her mother was four months pregnant, Autumn had lost count of how many children her mother had lost. Miscarriages, stillbirths, many dying at birth or a few months after being birthed by her mother.
Autumn remembered Harvey, her little brother who was born when she was twelve, he was very weak at birth like her and he had club foot and he had hearing loss. He lived to be ten months old, her parents were so sure that he'd live and they were devastated when he died. Autumn knew her mother and father were putting on a brave face for her, it was hard on her as well to loose all her siblings. She wasn't lonely, she had her mother and father, though she did long to find other people to befriend.
If only her other siblings were alive, she'd be such a great sister to them, she'd care for them and play with them. Autumn smiled softly as she took a sip of her apple juice, why was she alive? Why didn't she die along with the rest of her siblings? Autumn had never had the nerve to ask her parents this question, but it did make her wonder. Her mother smiled, "We went to the doctor's yesterday and we found out the gender of your new sibling, Autumn." there was a silence as I quit eating my breakfast, "We're having a baby girl, Autumn, you're getting a baby sister." her mother said cheerfully,
Autumn was angry, why couldn't her mother stop having children? Why was she wanting to have children knowing there going die? Why did she let her own children die a painful death? Autumn felt her thoughts circulate as she kept eating her breakfast, "I think I'll name her Katherine, what do you think Autumn?" she asked, "That's a great name mother." Autumn mumbled, not paying attention. "Oh I'm glad you think so too! I'll tell your father when he gets home from work!" she said, a cheerful tone in her voice.
"Just tell her, I'm a grown woman, she'll understand." she said to herself quietly so her mother wouldn't hear her. Autumn finished her breakfast, her mother got up and took her plate to the sink and began washing the dishes. "Mother." Autumn said, "Yes dear?" her mother said, not paying that much attention. Autumn heaved a breath, "I can do this, come on god dammit." she mumbled to herself quietly.
Autumn was thinking about it, if she went to a school, she could finally make the most of her life and see what was out there. Autumn had to go to a real school, she had to convince her parents that she could survive out there. Her life's goal depended on this choice, her future depended on this, she had to do it. Autumn couldn't stay silent anymore.
"I want to go to a real school."
