4th Story

She’s always here

‘Wake up young lady!’
I reached over and tightly grasped my rose gold cross.
‘It’s only the beginning of the year Anna!’Your motivation has gone, you never complete your homework, nor do you even bother to pay attention in my lesson!’
‘I wonder why’ I deeply thought. All the students glared at me.

My heart felt like it was broken into a thousand pieces. I keep so much to myself. It’s infuriating when you can’t find the words to tell anyone about how you feel. Was it because there was a mystery I could not solve?

I hate being so alone! I hate waking up every morning as though I want no more tomorrow. I just want to see her one more time.
Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! I grabbed my backpack, gold cross and diary and scurried out of the classroom.

As I was running, an eerie feeling hit me. I pivoted around swiftly. All I could hear was a strange gushing sound. Shivers ran up and down my spine and my legs started to tremble. I felt a rather familiar wonderful presence brush past me.

‘Be very careful.’ Twelve o’clock tonight upholds your fate.’ I sharply tilted my head. No one was there.
I felt perplexed and distraught at the same time. I don’t even have any friends in this odd place. Who in the world would bother to talk to me anyway?

That night I lay on my soft, feathery bed quilt waiting in apprehension. Sweat dripped down my ashen face. Catching my reflection in the mirror brought back a treasured memory like no other. As I applied my mascara and lightly powdered my cheeks with sweet lavender, I imagined how it once was.

A memory surfaced of my mum wrapping her arms around me as though no evil force could come between us. I felt like I was floating beyond the azure sky and the stormy clouds to heaven.
’Make sure you never lose this gold cross, it symbolises love, luck and safety,’ she used to say. I suddenly felt the presence I had come across earlier. Rain started to pelt down furiously, like a drummer hitting a cymbal and snare. The door handle creaked! Terror seethed through my vulnerable body.

It was twelve o’clock. I clutched my cross tightly and prayed as I closed my eyes. I tossed and turned in my bed as ambivalent emotions drained in and out of my jaded mind.

Suddenly, I heard a heavy bang on my door. It continued until I tumbled out of my bed and screamed at the top of my lungs. I dragged myself underneath my bed and tightly curled my body. I heard the external lock crack open. I hesitated and held my cross. They tried to force open the door. I squeezed my cross even tighter and thought about her even deeper. I couldn’t believe my eyes when they couldn’t open the internal lock. My mouth dropped as I stared in awe.

After a few minutes they succumbed to the unbelievable situation. Never was I to expect what shocking, careless revelation one whispered to the other.
‘We will do to her as we did to her mother.’ That’s when it hit me. I finally found the answer I was searching for all my life, all in the words of two unknown intruders.

Being an orphan and living with foster parents is a life which no child should have to live. I believe my mother is always with me no matter where I am, or whatever situation I am faced with. She will be around me forever and ever. Anything you believe in will exist. I knew it was my mum at that door protecting me.
I kissed my cross and smiled with contentment.