Surviving in Adversity

Image of Set Stories Free - 2018
Image of Short Story
What is this feeling? This feeling that makes me shiver. That just holds me down like a weight. I don't get it, what's the point of this feeling? The young teenage girl thought while she walked home all alone like every day. She got home to find only her puppy greeting her.
”Hey, there Crona. Sorry, I took long today, had a rough day. Don't worry, I'll make it up for you, ” she smiles at her puppy, petting them as they kept jumping on her. She then sits down and puts on TV while she went to wash her hands and serve herself food. She ate quietly while watching TV, waiting for her parents to come back from a long day at work only for one of them to leave again to be drinking with their friends. She finishes everything she does every day, so she decided to take a nap. She already had a huge headache which helped her fall asleep quickly. Time kept passing as all the sounds were getting sh a l l o w.
It's pitch black, nowhere to go and only hearing the ticks with the tocks of the clock. Each time it ticks it gets louder and louder when out of nowhere the room starts to get full of colors. It was a small room with only a lamp lighting it. There laid a little girl and what seems like her mother sitting next to her bed. Then her mother vanishes away and the lamp burns out the light making a big flash causing the teenage girl to close her eyes shut. The little girl just hides under her covers and tries to fall asleep. Hours pass, the room was very quiet and the girl finally gets out of her cover and starts to look around her room. Then she starts to cry, it wasn't loud, it was silent and all you saw was her tears roll down as she begins to move her mouth.
”London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down. London bridge is falling... Down. . . My fair... Lady...” Then the little girl stares at the teen and smiles widely showing all her front teeth. ”Evalynn, do you hear the people’s courage?” Then Evalynn falls into a deep pit of nothingness and wakes up to see her dad walking around meaning it was around 8:00 pm. She got up, all dizzy and walks to the kitchen where her father was at. She grabs a snack as her dad began to talk to her.
”Hey, hon, I'm sorry but I got to leave soon. I won't be back till ten or eleven.”
”Yea... Going with friends to drink, right?”
”What?! Stop assuming things!” her father replied angrily while getting his keys and shoes on. ”Lock the door, Evalynn.” After he left, she went and locked the door. She knew he was going out to drink with his friends. The only one who didn't do such a thing was her mother, each night after a long day of work she’ll be in pain but jovial to see her daughter. It's been a few hours since her dad left and it was around the time her mother was driving home. So Evalynn continued to watch TV as she waited patiently. She then hears her phone ring noticing the number was unknown, she hesitated but picked up.
”Hello?”
”Hello, is this a family member of Marie?”
”Yes, I'm her daughter. What's going on?”
”I'm sorry but your mother got in a car accident and died from the impact.”
”W-what?... No, you're lying!” Evalynn cried while throwing her phone. She cried not knowing what to do, how to feel, or how to even continue. There she was sitting next to the door ’waiting’ for her mom. Hours passed as she was still crying when she hears the doorknob move. Quickly getting up she noticed her dad walking in with some of her mother’s belongings. Seeing that, she begins to realize it wasn't a dream, a lie or a joke, that it was the unacceptable truth. Her mother was truly gone, she’ll never see her again.
”Evalynn... I'm sorry, ” her father said hugging the emotionless girl. Something inside of her broke after perceiving the truth, she couldn't show any emotion. She just stood there not hugging her dad back only to be looking at the door.
Weeks passed, Evalynn hasn't done anything but only go to her mother’s funeral. Other than that she's been in bed sleeping, like now. Then her father came in, kissing her forehead and leaving a bracelet on her nightstand. The moment he left, she got up and grabbed the bracelet noticing it was her mother’s. Slowly she puts it on, scrutinizing the bracelet and went back to sleep holding her wrist next to her chest.
It was dark again, hearing the same tick and tocks from before. Then the light from the lamp turned on showing her mother sleeping with the little girl from her past dreams. ”Mom...” Evalynn quietly called out for her. Out of nowhere, the little girl opened her eyes and smiled at her. She then proceeded to get out of her bed leaving Marie sleeping and began to walk towards Evalynn.
”Don’t be sad! Look, she's sleeping peacefully now!” The young teen only stared at her mom as the little girl grabbed her hand. ”Don't let your mind eat you, just keep flowing with the river, ” she pointed at her bracelet.
”Can I, just sleep with my mother instead?
”No.”
”Why not?”
”You are stuck. Just remember the clock doesn't stop ticking neither does life.”
”This is crap! Why did she have to leave me?! I don't want to be alone! I want to die-!”
”Stop. Just keep living, for that is the courage everyone has.” After the young girl said that Evalynn woke up to Crona sleeping on her. She smiles and kisses her puppy as she carefully moves to not wake her. Then she begins to walk into the living room finding her father sleeping on the sofa while holding his wedding ring.
”Thank you for not leaving me, dad.”
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