My Little Ember

The Boy

I toss and turn in my bed. I can't sleep, my parents words are haunting me.

'When can she move out already?'.

'It's embarrassing'.

'Do you think she's...special? Like a little bit retarded?'.

'We should've gone to the doctors and have her head checked'.

'She failed her GCSE'S'.

'One less person in the house'.

'Jake is our second chance'.

'Evangelina'.

They don't love me. That's a fact.

What did I do wrong? Why do they hate me? I think back to my memories to see if there was any signs.

One pops up.

It was my nineth birthday, my parents invited a lot of kids I didn't know and some acquaintances. I didn't want so many people and kids there, I wanted a quiet party.

My mum wanted me to play with the kids but I didn't want to. I was scared incase they didn't like me or make fun of my unnaturally blood red hair.

None of them wished me a happy birthday or offered me to play with them. I just sat on a chair far away from them. Watching them play on my swing and slide.

No, that's a lie, one kid did talk to me and wanted to play with me, he looked a year or two older than me.

I reluctantly accepted his offer. He ordered me to follow him, I hated the fact that he ordered me. He could've asked. Not wanting to irritate my mum I followed him.

He took me to the other side of our back garden and told me to sit down, he sat opposite me and didn't say anything to me for a while, just stared at me.

'You're pretty' He said to me, of course I was surprised at the compliment. From the corner of my eye I saw a little bunny hop towards us.

It must've came from the little hole in our back garden that leads to a little forest.

I cooed at it and said how bunnys are adorable. He tilted his head to the side and picked it up. I thought he was going to hand it to me but I was wrong.

Very wrong.

What he did traumatised me. He held It's neck tightly and slowly squeezed it, it was struggling against his hold and was squeaking, then.

Snap!

He broke the innocent creatures neck, he didn't show any signs of remorse. He held the dead animal infront of me to take.

'This is my birthday present to you. It won't run away from you. It'll be with you forever!'.

He grinned, he looked so happy, I knew he thought that I'd appreciate it. His eyebrows furrowed, he looked annoyed and then angry'.

'You don't like it? I did it for you! It's your present why aren't you taking it?!'.

I started to hyperventilate, I couldn't breathe. Tears streamed down my eyes and I ran away from him.

'What did I do wrong?!'.

He shouted behind me, he sounded so angry and confused.

I ran to my mum, I wanted to tell her what happened but I couldn't speak at all I was that traumatised. She looked confused seeing the state I was in.

'What happened?' Since I couldn't talk she scoffed 'You're ruining your own birthday, do you want to have your cake and presents?'.

Honestly I didn't, I just wanted my parents comfort. She rolled her eyes.

'You know you're being ungrateful Evangelina, your father and I worked very hard for you to have a nice birthday and you've ruined it' She rubbed her temples like she was getting a headache 'Just go to your room'.

Not wanting to annoy her any further I did as she said. As I was going to enter the house I felt eyes burning the back of my head, I turned around and saw him.

The boy.

His face held no expression, he just raised his hand and waved. I turned around and ran to my room.

I was that traumatised that I blocked out that memory.

Until now.

I wimper at the blocked memory. I know there's no chance of me sleeping tonight.