Pandemonium

Chapter 18

I watched her as she sat in the chair, holding a finger in the air, she beckoned me to come closer. I stood up to my feet and took slow steps towards her. She kicked the crate, nearest to her; it stopped a few inches away from me. Taking a seat on it, I folded my arms and glanced at Sierra.

A smirk lined up her face, "Do you remember you used to like stories as a kid?" she asked and paused, expecting an answer. When I didn't reply, she let out a mock gasp, "Oops! I forgot you lost your memories."

Bitch! I swore under my breath, she knew exactly how to get under my nerves. Pretending it didn't affect me, I looked at her blankly, "Ha Ha, Very funny!" Wanting this conversation to finish quickly, I scratched my head and asked, "What are we doing here?"

"Sitting, I suppose..."

I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Okaaaay," she drawled out, "You're here to hear the story of my life." Glancing at her nails, she continued, "Not the song, the actual story of my life."

I raised my eyebrows questioningly. "Oh!" she leaned forward, "Don't you remember the song?"

"Would you start already?" I snapped.

"Jeez! You used to appreciate my sense of humor, you know?"

My jaw clenched. She was trying to rile me up by hinting at my memory loss in each sentence. And Dammit! It was working really well!

"Eight. I was 8 when they separated us," she whispered, "I remember that day clearly."

"You little wench! You are an abomination!" A slap echoed across the room as the girl fell, her cheek red. "Mommy?" she whimpered, her little hands shaking with fear. "I'm not your mother! Don't call me that!" The girl cried out when the woman pulled her up with her hair, "It's all your fault!" the woman sneered, "It's because of you that your father left us! Left me!"

"Mommy?" Another voice interrupted them as a small child about 4, walked in, "Why is Si crying, mommy?" The girl asked, worried for her elder sister. "Oh honey," the woman's voice softened seeing her younger daughter, "Your sister got hurt, I was helping her. Come on, I'll put you to bed little one."

Their mother carried her younger child away, as the elder one watched with envy. Why didn't her mother love her? Was there something wrong with her? She heard footsteps as her mother walked back into the room, "Insufferable child! Why couldn't you be normal? You have eyes of a monster; it's your fault he left me!" Another slap echoed, followed by a cry and the cries continued till the girl passed out on the floor, her little body...cold.

I stared at her, shocked. "You saved me that day. You called the police and then they separated us from our abusive mother."

After a few moments of silence, she said, "You should've left me to die."

"I saved your life! You could be a bit more grateful."

"Grateful?" she scoffed, "You took me out of one hell and put me another. Why would I be grateful for that?"

Confused, I asked, "What do you mean?"

"Foster care, darling," she replied.

The two sisters sat together, holding hands. Wiping the tears that had slipped out of the younger one's eyes, the elder one said, "You'll be okay." The little girl nodded and hugged her elder sister. Soon they were separated from their abusive and alcoholic mother and were taken into foster care. Everything was great, they were momentarily happy. But their joy didn't last for long. Soon they were separated. A couple wanted to adopt the younger one. However they didn't want the one with mismatched eyes, they believed that it was a bad omen.

Seeing that her little sister had a chance for happiness, reluctantly she convinced her sister to go with the couple. As she waved her only family goodbye, she was filled with bitterness. Was it her fault she was different? Would no one ever love her? Maybe her mother was right... she was a monster. Self-loathing and doubt seeped into her mind. Thoughts and words ate at her mind constantly; she would never be good enough, not as long as she had those eyes. People came... a few kids were adopted; she hoped that maybe someday, somebody would want her. But no one did, days turned into months and months turned into a year, she believed that she had no one else. Her little sister didn't visit her, didn't want her... why would anyone else?

"You never came back, Arden..." she tilted her head, "I waited, but you never did... Why? Was I that bad of a sister?"

I rolled my eyes, "Is that what this is?" I asked, "Your revenge because they wanted me and not you?"

Laughter rang out, "Only if it were that simple. My cause is far more bigger than this."

She got up from her chair and lied on the floor. Looking up at the ceiling, she seemed lost, perhaps in another memory.

"That wasn't the end, you know?" she whispered, "Right when I had given up hope, a couple arrived... And surprisingly they wanted me."

She sighed, "I was happy, but like always my happiness didn't last very long..."