In The Corner

Warning: This story contains some themes that may be very triggering and sensitive to some readers, its time for ya to get in your feels lol.

As I walk across the house I call home, I see a tall brown piano in the corner of the smallest room in the house. The tight space made it seem as if I was there to talk with someone, greeting them, but I am connected to by my past is the last thing I have left of them. It's like a link to my past, a polaroid photo that I've jumped into from the past. I walk to dust of this piano, and on it's polished surface I see my glimmering reflection with a bittersweet expression. I, Aria, have really gone a long way haven't I? My reflection reminds me of my sister, of course the last time I saw her face was 12 years ago. I remember her beautiful sharp face, she always had dark circles under eyes, they seemed as dark as the hallways when it was night. And then I remember the reason why, and how it had caused her and my brothers death.

It all began when I was 7, we were a poor family. Our father had bought a house, and although it was small and not the best, but there was a tall Mahogany colored piano. My older brother, Reed, the eldest one of us was always drawn to it. In special times, my brother would teach my older sister, Bell. Most often, I would hear a ruckus from them arguing because she would get bored and tired of playing the piano. This new house was supposed to be the beginning of a new start, a better life. The beginning was all fun and games with hopes.... But unfortunately it didn't really last long. I remember that probably about 6 months after we moved in, we started to once again my parents were having financial issues. This was when my father had begun to drink more often than usual, he gradually began drinking daily. In order for my family to continue, my mother had found a job. I was okay with what was going on at the time, I had my siblings after all. My mother started working more and more as the days passed, but I never complained. This is what I promised Bell, she would always tell me that mom was working hard for us, that she wants us to be happy and that's why she wasn't there all the time. Bell always made me promise that I would never complain. I didn't know very much, but she always did things for me to be happier than her. Not long later Bell was like a second mother to me, Reed also started to take most responsibilities around the house.

1 year later, the problems our family faced only worsened. In the corner of Reed's eye, was a tall brown piano. Reed,who still played piano, used his talent and wrote different pieces of music. My brother stayed up very late every night just to complete his school work and made sure he would complete writing more music. He did this not just for passion, but he would also sell his work. He made sure to do this the best he could so that our mother could have finally taken a break. A month after my brother began doing this, our father became abusive towards us. We were lucky to have him as our brother, even as a child I knew that he sacrificed so much for us. Everyday that our father would be very aggressive, he would threaten our mother and sometimes actually beat her. It wouldn't have taken long for Reed to start taking those beatings for her, for me, and Bell. Every time I heard my brothers cries, I cried endlessly, but I made sure to do it alone, where Bell couldn't see me. Our mother had no way of doing anything, it was as if we all understood what my brother was doing, and we understood that it would have been better off if we just let it happen. I remember that at some point around this time, my mother started to get sick, and Bell started to pressure herself to get good grades. This is when I started growing the twisted mentality I have today, "Don't cry, always smile" I told myself over and over until it was drilled into my brain. I wanted to be of help to my siblings and mother, I didn't want another problem on their plates.

When Reed turned 19, he left the house. He did this to find better ways to help us, he would occasionally return. It wasn't long until a very painful news came to us, we were told that my brother was dead. Reed was found out to have committed suicide, my father seemed to not even have cared, but Bell, and my mother, and I were all devastated. However I believe the one who was more heavily impacted was Bell. You remember how I told you Reed taught Bell how to play piano? Well basically Reed was that male figure who took care of us, her most of all. When I was that young I wished to have been older, to have understood all the hardships my family was going through. Bell was raised by Reed, her values reflected his own, this had left Bell to have the biggest responsibility of all without his guidance, it was a warning bell for what was going to happen later. In the corner of Bell's eye was a brown tall piano, and an unfinished song written by our brother. In the corner of my memories, stays the figure of a tall knight who protected me until his downfall.