Hardened

Out

I was outside that cursed building. I wanted to run, but where? I had no clue where  I was. "I want to go home" I mutter to myself. Maybe I could be Dorothy and magically get home. "There no place li-," I stopped and sighed. I miss the comfy warmth of my bed, I never really slept in my beds much when I first got it, but you miss things that you can no longer have. I closed my eyes and imagine I was in my bed swaddled in my blankets, I felt so warm all of a sudden. I open my eyes to I was in my room. It's my room, I started to cry and smiled so big. I got up from the bed smiling and wipe away my tears. "Wait, a d*mn minute. How did I get here?" I said in a quiet voice, I pondered for a moment, and said" What the f*ck did they do to me?!" in a whispering yell, scared something was wrong with me or this place.  

Cautiously I looked around "my" room.  It's dusty, no one has been here in a while. All the photos of me in one room. I gasped my high school diploma arrived, it the dustiest thing in the room.  I pick up a photo of my older brother's graduation photo. It's me, Haven(my older brother), my mom,  my dad (stepdad),  Adrianna( My best friend/ Harven's girlfriend), Jaxton (Haven's friend, and we were in the talking stage), we're all smiling with our arms around each other shoulders, it was a happier time. Everything I own in one place is something I have never before experienced. I always had things in other places like my brother's room or the living room. 

I slowly walk into the hall as quietly as possible with one quick look around my room. I looked at photos on the walk.  It was babies photo, it was one photo of Harven and two of me, I think.  This must be an old baby photo, I never see this photo before.  Then it photos of mom and dads'( stepdad) wedding. There a photo at the arch of them getting married and one of me and Harven walking our mom down the aisle.  I opened a drawer in the hallway to find photos and an obituary. The photo is of Harven and Jaxton (Harven's best friend),  but Jaxton faced is cut out. Another one is cut, it an old photo of Harven, Adrianna, Jaxton, and me, both Jaxton and Adriannas' faces are cut and kind of scratch.  Then an obituary. MY obituary it had photos of me at my graduation, baby photos,  proms, photos with the family, and other photos.  I cried looking at it, they thought was dead. Why did think I was dead? They usually claim people are dead after 7 years or more with no evidence as a missing person. It hasn't been 7 years, has it? Did they have evidence? I started to silently sob to myself holding the obituary on the floor in a crouch position. After a couple of minutes, I decide to not crying and get up then I noticed the date. The obituary is dated  August 12, 2019, they gave me a funeral after 3 months. I hoped that it was still 2019, but the leaf was green outside and it was hot. I knew it had at least been a year or more.

I'm done crying for the rest of the day because I was scared would be dehydrated after this time and I didn't like crying this much in one day.  Also, the people who kept loved seeing me cry and I couldn't give satisfaction, so it make me uncomfortable to cry.  These tears might be from years ago and now.

Finally, making my way through the hallway I go down the stair as quietly as possible. I hear a baby laughing.  I pause as I reached the final step preparing for the worse.  My foot touching the ground and cautiously look around the stair into the living room, where the laughing coming from. I take one step to my left to see Harven playing with a baby on our L- shaped cough.  Harven's back is facing me, but the baby can see me and it smiled at me. Harven's arms around the baby holding it, but it's sitting on the couch.

 " Hmm, I wonder if  I'm auntie?" I say out loud thinking it was thought in my head.

Harven says "Huh... " he laughs to himself and says " I could I have swore heard Harden's voice just now," he shakes him. "Did you hear Harden, Harlin?  he asked Harlin while holding. " Wait, you never met." He now where this sad expression. Then what I assume is Harlin, I mean who assume is Harlin reaching out for me.  Looking at Harlin's stretched-out arms Harven turns around toward my direction. He looks at me shocked and his mouth opened a little. He calls my name " H-Harlin... H-Harlin is that you? We thought you were d-dea- " He started choking up and started crying while trying to say dead. My eyes started to water and a few tears started to fall seeing him cry. Then the wail of a baby interrupted our moment and our cries gradually came to stop while looking at the baby.  Harven tried to calm the baby down. " Hey, Harlin it's okay, I'm okay. Your okay, see there is your older sister Harden. She has been gone for a while so I was excited to see her that all there is nothing to be worried about." he says softly while rubbing Harlin's back.

I stood there awkwardly, so I walked past them on the cough into the kitchen. Opening the fridge to get some water. I see photos dated 2024 on the fridge before I could close the fridge I fainted with a thump.  This time I could feel the cold hard floor. I could still hear for a little bit after fainting. I heard the worried voice and faint crying. I can see those green eyes again piercing through my soul, but everything else is black. Then it black again, no sound nothing.

f Harven and two of me, I think.  This must be an old baby photo, I never see this photo before.  Then it photos of mom and dads'( stepdad) wedding. There is a photo at the arch of them getting married and one of me and Harven walking our mom down the aisle.  I opened a drawer in the hallway to find photos and an obituary. The photo is of Harven and Jaxton (Harven's best friend),  but Jaxton faced is cut out. Another one is cut, it an old photo of Harven, Adrianna, Jaxton, and me, both Jaxton and Adriannas' faces are cut and kind of scratch.  Then an obituary. MY obituary it had photos of me at my graduation, baby photos,  proms, photos with the family, and other photos.  I cried looking at it, they thought was dead. Why did think I was dead? They usually claim people are dead after 7 years or more with no evidence as a missing person. It hasn't been 7 years, has it? Did they have evidence? I started to silently sob to myself holding the obituary on the floor in a crouch position. After a couple of minutes, I decide to not crying and get up then I noticed the date. The obituary is dated  August 12, 2019, they gave me a funeral after 3 months. I hoped that it was still 2019, but the leaf was green outside and it was hot. I knew it had at least been a year or more.

I'm done crying for the rest of the day because I was scared would be dehydrated after this time and I didn't like crying this much in one day.  Also, the people who kept loved seeing me cry and I couldn't give satisfaction, so it make me uncomfortable to cry.  These tears might be from years ago and now.

Finally, making my way through the hallway I go down the stair as quietly as possible. I hear a baby laughing.  I pause as I reached the final step preparing for the worse.  My foot touching the ground and cautiously look around the stair into the living room, where the laughing coming from. I take one step to my left to see Harven playing with a baby on our L- shaped cough.  Harven's back is facing me, but the baby can see me and it smiled at me. Harven's arms around the baby holding it, but it's sitting on the couch.

 " Hmm, I wonder if  I'm auntie?" I say out loud thinking it was thought in my head.

Harven says "Huh... " he laughs to himself and says " I could I have swore heard Harden's voice just now," he shakes him. "Did you hear Harden, Harlin?  he asked Harlin while holding. " Wait, you never met." He now where this sad expression. Then what I assume is Harlin, I mean who assume is Harlin reaching out for me.  Looking at Harlin's stretched-out arms Harven turns around toward my direction. He looks at me shocked and his mouth opened a little. He calls my name " H-Harlin... H-Harlin is that you? We thought you were d-dea- " He started choking up and started crying while trying to say dead. My eyes started to water and a few tears started to fall seeing him cry. Then the wail of a baby interrupted our moment and our cries gradually came to stop while looking at the baby.  Harven tried to calm the baby down. " Hey, Harlin it's okay, I'm okay. Your okay, see there is your older sister Harden. She has been gone for a while so I was excited to see her that all there is nothing to be worried about." he says softly while rubbing Harlin's back.

I stood there awkwardly, so I walked past them on the cough into the kitchen. Opening the fridge to get some water. I see photos dated 2024 on the fridge before I could close the fridge I fainted with a thump.  This time I could feel the cold hard floor. I could still hear for a little bit after fainting. I heard the worried voice and faint crying. I can see those green eyes again piercing through my soul, but everything else is black. Then it black again, no sound nothing.