Addicted

1

The world was not as bright anymore. It was one of the first things she noticed when she first stopped crying. There used to be a magical wonder about ordinary everyday things. Now they were just things. Her smile had gone. Why would it stay when the one person who always brought it was no longer here. She was the first person she would see on mornings and the last person to kiss her goodnight. Now, there was no one. She woke up to an empty room and went to sleep in a cold bed.

"Tabbia come on, let's play hide and seek"

"We're not allowed to play inside." She replied knowing there was nowhere to hide outside.

Layla rolled her eyes. "I know, we can hide in the trees stupid." She said pointing.

"We're not supposed to play out there."

She was not up for breaking the rules anymore. Breaking the rules cost her everything. She wanted to have fun, talk, and play with other kids as they told her to. A kid should enjoy kid things. Except it was not the same anymore. They smiled like they did not know. They played like there were no worries in the world. They did not see the darkness behind the sunshine. They did not know that everything good got taken away.

"It's fine as long as we can still see the house." Layla pressed. "Come on, Tabby just one game."

Tabbia closed her eyes pushing back the growing reluctance. Have some fun. Talk and play. That would be okay. This would be okay.

"Okay." She choked out noticing how wrong it felt.

"You count first, I'll hide." Layla squealed running off.

Taking a breath, Tabbia turned around and started counting. By the time she hit ten, it was quiet, Layla was nowhere in sight. She walked up to the treeline. Pausing a few moments before stepping across. The leaves crunched under her purple boots as she moved forward.

A twig snapped, Tabbia spun around thinking that her uncle had caught her. This was the end now. Breathing she steadied her thoughts. As of late, everything she did got her in trouble. Today would be no different. She was already breaking the rules afterall.

No one was there. She sighed, Layla was right. The house was in perfect sight. She just had to stay close. Some bushes rustled to the side, Tabbia made her way towards it.

She was about to walk around the large tree until a patch of leaves moved revealing the dark blue piece of Layla's jumper.

"I see you!"

Layla however, remains still.

"Layla.."

Tabbia closed her eyes as the memories came flooding back. Her mother was cooking. She was occupied with her dollhouse. It was not until she saw the smoke she noticed her mother had not gotten back up from resting on the couch. She was foolish to think that after calling her name for so long that she was really tired and just sleeping. Now here was Layla, presenting the same signs. Was this all she would ever get out of life now?

"Layla?"

Tabbia knelt reaching towards her cousin. Eyes wide and hand trembling at the thought of her being dead.

A screaming shadow burst out of the bushes towards her left. Tabbia's heart leapt out of her chest as she fell back screaming.

Layla's laughter filled the space between the trees. Tabbia looked at her, tears fill her eyes. Layla was the kind of person to revel in the darkness behind the sunshine. Cold and carefree as she was.

"Wow, you're such a cry baby!" Layla jeered. "Oh come on it was a joke."

Tabbia stood up, dusting off herself and wiping her tears. There was no joy in pain like this. Layla would not understand. There was no joy in anything anymore. No one understood.