I wake up the next morning with my brother in bed next to me. Great. It happened again. A night terror. I hate when I cant remember when I have them. I feel like such a burden to everyone. Theres no doubt in my mind that I woke everyone in the house up from screaming. Part of me wishes that I could always remember when I have them, just so I would know if I wake people up or not, but the other part of me is glad I don't remember. The ones I do remember haunt me all the time.
I sigh and roll out of bed, stretching my sore muscles. As I descend the stairs, I can hear the faint talking of my parents and Aunt Cass, and the delicious smell of breakfast wafts to where I stand. I make my way into the kitchen, all heads turning and smiling at me.
"Morning, chica." Aunt Cass smiles.
"Morning." I answer, giving her a hug.
"Hey, Peanut. How ya feeling?" My dad asks as I pour myself a cup of coffee. I shrug and fill my plate with the pancakes and eggs ready on the stove. I take a seat at the breakfast bar, noticing all eyes are still on me. Theres no way Im getting out of this conversation.
"It happened again, didn't it?" I ask, already knowing the answer.
"Yeah, sweet pea. How'd you figure it out?" My mom asks.
"It ain't rocket science. I usually can tell when I wake up with Danny or one of y'all next to me." My parents look at each other, conversing with their eyes. They're planning something because of this. "What are y'all planning?" I ask, setting my utensils down to show them that I'm about to fight them on this.
"We were thinking that," My mom stops and looks to my dad. "That—"
"That maybe it's best if you don't go to camp this year." He finishes for her bluntly.
"You have got to be freaking kidding me!!" I slam my hands down on the counter, making the adults flinch as the silverware clatters against the plate. " I freaking knew it." I snap.
"Hey," my mom tries. I glare at her. "We were just thinking that maybe you should wait until you grow out of them a bit more."
"I've mostly grown out of them!" I raise my voice slightly, knowing if I just start yelling like I want to my dad will definitely put his foot down. "That one was the first one in three weeks!"
" Yeah, but you know how you get, Kya!" My mom starts to raise her voice too. "You get dropped off today, I really don't want you having an awful time at camp because you're tired all the time and have them every night!"
"I don't have them every night! I'm going."
"We just don't think you're thinking this all the way through." My dad cuts in.
"How so? I know myself better than any of you. Ive thought this through, I know what I'm doing!"
"Kya, were just thinking about whats best for you."
"Yeah, well what are you gonna do when I go off to college next year, huh? You cant just keep me in one place my whole life! I'm not a little kid anymore!"
"Whats going on?" My brother mumbles from the foot of the stairs, taken aback by the scene. I guess I would be too, seeing everyone yelling at each other over breakfast isn't a fun sight to see.
"Nothing, Danny. It's okay." My mom says, trying to diffuse the situation.
"They don't want me to go to camp." I tell him, hearing my parents sigh over my shoulder.
"Are you serious?" Danny asks, getting annoyed now as well. " Were already almost there, you cant back out now!" He tells them.
"We're not, Daniel. We're just thinking about whats best for her." My dad says.
"Whats best for her, is going to this camp."
"It wont be best for her if she cant handle it." Mom is starting to use her teacher voice. Uh-oh.
" And thats why I'm there. She goes to college next year, if thats the first time she's completely on her own, she definitely wont be able to handle it." Danny fights. "Think of this as a trial run, she's not in my cabin so she'll be on her own, but if she needs me I'm there." My parents seem like they're caving.
"You've got a point, Danny." My mom says.
"Yes!" I cheer, knowing that they're letting me go. With my comment, they whole ordeal is dropped. Everybody goes back to talking happily over breakfast, while I sit quietly and think. My own parents don't think Im capable to be on my own. How useless am I? I just burden them with all of my problems. Night Terrors, anxiety, depression— I could write a book. I sigh as my finish my breakfast, feeling myself spiral deeper downwards into my dark thoughts.
"You okay, Ky?" My brother asks quietly. I instantly put on a smile, faking the whole thing.
"Hmm? Oh, yeah. I'm great!" I smile. He looks at me wearily before hesitantly nodding, probably brushing it off as part of the whole fight. "I'm gonna go get my stuff and grab a shower." I announce, heading out to the truck to grab my bag. I head back in and go straight to the bathroom, finding the one thing that I know can make me feel better in my bag.
*****TRIGGER WARNING*****
I set my blade on the edge of the bathtub before locking the door and starting the water. The steam rises into the room as I step in, washing my hair and body quickly before grabbing my blade and sitting under the warm streams of water. The relief is instant as my blood joins the water, dancing its way down the drain as I make cut after cut across my thigh. I hiss at the sting as the hot water washes away the blood. Before I know it, the whole top half of my thigh is covered in fresh cuts, and the gnawing pit in my stomach is gone.
As soon as I'm done, the realization hits me. I'm wearing shorts today. Crap. It's not that my shorts wont cover it, but I'll have to be careful how I move, or else the shorts'll ride up. I groan and stand up, standing fully under the hot streams of water.
I get out of the shower and quickly get dressed, ignoring the constant burning of the new cuts, and trying not to move too quickly so I don't re-open them. I clean off my blade before hiding it back in my bag.
*****TRIGGER OVER*****
Everyone downstairs is exactly where I left them, only now my parents and brother are dressed and ready to go.
"When are we leaving?" I ask, hiking my bag onto my shoulder.
"Whenever you're ready." My dad replies. "We've gotta drop you two off at noon, and were still a couple hours away." I look to the clock on the stove, seeing that its nearly nine.
"Aunt Cass, will you braid my hair?" I ask. She nods.
"Of course, sweetheart." She proceeds to quickly do up my red hair into two french braids. I hop up from my spot on the floor and grab my sunglasses from the counter, setting them on my head.
"I'm ready when y'all are." I announce, picking my bag back up. We all say our goodbyes to Aunt Cassie before piling back into the truck for the last three hours of the drive.
—|-/—
YOU ARE READING
Forest
Fanfiction🎶"Down in the Forest, We'll sing a chorus" 🎶 ••••••• Music has always been a big part of Kya's life. For as long as she can remember, music has been the only thing she's interested in. When Kya is given a complete scholarship to an elite perform...
