The Catharsis

It gets better. Isn't that what they say? Amethyst Turner isn't so sure. She waits and waits, but things only get worse.

She sees happy families on TV, with a father and mother that love each other and their kids. They have a dog, and a nice house with curtains and heating. And the little girl in the TV family, she sleeps on a fluffy mattress, not a cardboard box. Her Daddy takes her to the park to play fetch with the dog when he comes home from work instead of getting drunk and passing out. TV girl's mother doesn't ignore her; she braids her hair and plays tea party with her.

She looks and looks for the love that she knows is out there for her -- but it's nowhere to be found. And at only three years old, Amethyst finds herself alone in the world.

------

Trigger warning. Just generally.

-----

Cover by @sparkes

----

#301 in General Fiction 7/5/16