Mini Short Stories: 2020 Volume 1

Injured - Story 29

Luna hugged little Lena tightly as they stared at their aunt Zoe and the social worker talking together. It was the first time they had met each other but Luna had heard her mother talk about her bigshot sister. Zoe was some type of fancy lawyer for couples. She really didn't care. She was only here because Lena needed steady food and a safe home. This lady's home looked safe and Luna was there to keep them safe if it wasn't.

"I hope you don't have a boyfriend," Luna warned Zoe whose eyes widened in shock before pasting on a smile. "Honey," she began gently, "that's inappropriate for a young girl to know." "It matters when it comes to my sister and me. There'll be no men around us or we leave." Zoe was so shocked that Luna was able to rattle off more rules before heading to the kitchen. Luna didn't care. Once they were safe. Their parents had already abandoned them long before they died in the accident. Luna had long been taking care of three year old Lena and herself while her parents had focused on drugging themselves up.

The counselor came to talk about it but she was afraid of leaving Lena with Zoe. She remembered going to school last year and meeting Lena passed out crying all day from hunger. One day, Zoe came politely and asked her to share what had happened. She admitted that she hadn't even known that her sister had kids. Luna felt perversely angry and told her everything. The days without meals. Working for neighbours in exchange for food and hiding by them when the parties lasted days. The acts she had seen that sweet little children should not even be aware of. She made Zoe cry. It was satisfying to see the woman who lived in a pretty world and who resembled her and her mother fumble and run away from her. She felt proud until she saw Zoe with Lena.

Innocent Lena had awakened and was staring at Zoe's tear-stained face. She reached out and touched her face while Zoe tried to smile and hide the tears. Lena held Aunt Zoe's face and sang the nonsense song that Luna had made up to cheer her up. Zoe reached across with a smile and scooped Lena up for a hug and kiss saying, "Poor baby." Luna didn't know when the tears came or when she started to bawl but she found herself squashed between Lena soft hands and Zoe's warm lap. They all kept laughing and crying and apologising for sins that weren't their fault. This was the moment when Luna began to reclaim her childhood.