Mama
2694 Words
Alice's POV.
Okay now Alice, you can do this. Just focus, it just a bug. You've got this, I said to myself.
I closed my eyes then concentrated, visualising the little beetle I was holding, in a glass jar. All I wanted it to do was to change into a butterfly. I had already known how to transform inanimate objects, and now, I'm trying animate objects which isn't that easy. I managed to change its colour though.
I finally got the vision of the beetle in my mind. I concentrated, feeling the energy dots between the transitional dimensions, at the same time, preparing to spell butterfly backwards and saying the transition spell, ideora, at the same time.
{Y. L. F. R. E. T. T. U. B.}
"Ideora"
I felt an electric spark at my fingertips. Opening my eyes slowly, and I gasped in surprise. For I was greeted by the most beautiful butterfly I'd ever seen.
It's was white with lilac highlights, the wings where like snowflakes, living snowdrops at the bottom of the jar as it flaps it's wings. I was about to open the jar, when I heard a loud piercing scream.
"Aaaaliiiiiiicccceeee!" my mum called, more like screeched making me drop the jar. The butterfly flew out of the broken shards and out my window, living snowdrops on my windowsill.
Feeling disappointed, I marched downstairs. Mum was by the piano humming along to silent night as she played. Her hair like mine was tied into a neat bun with hear glasses perched on her hair.
She looked beautiful despite the protruding belly, six months and still counting. Father left her a long time ago, when he found out about her d**g and alcohol addiction. She rarely talks about him and when she did, it was either insulting him or how much I looked like him, in disgust.
"I'm here mama", I announced. She turned slowly, then stood up. "What took you so long?" she asked sharply, her voice hoarse and dry. I could still smell the liquor from her. Her eyes blood shot red angry, but there's a hint of sorrow.
"I was practicing, I turn a bug into a..."
"I don't b****y care whether you changed a frog into a prince or not. When I call, you answer immediately ". She shouted, pushing me out of her way. She went to an old sofa, lifted the cushion and brought out another bottle. Opening it, she took a swig, another, another and another before flinging the bottle my way.
"Lucky you, I missed", She slurred. "You know that isn't good for you and the baby". I sighed, getting a broom lying underneath the piano. I always live them there for occasions like this. "What are you, my doctor?"
"What did you call me for?" I went straight to the point after clearing the glass into a pile. I looked at her belly pitying my baby brother or sister. I still wonder if they're okay with all the toxic in there. "I need warm water for my bath, and I need you to boil it".
"What you called me all the way from my room, when the kitchen is right next to you?" she looked at me for a few seconds, next thing I now she stood before me and smacked me across my right cheek, I was so shocked I didn't have time to react. My own mother, I could have blamed the pregnancy hormones, but she had been doing this ever since dad left.
"Never question my decisions. I'm might be drunk but I still have my powers and I'm still sane, unlike your worthless heck of a father. He left me with nothing, nothing but the old hag house and you piece of sh*t".
I tried to hold back the tears but couldn't, they spilled freely on their own will. "You're nothing, of no use to me. You still have the guts to talk back to me, your mother and I'm pregnant for god sake". She raised her voice and struck me again.
"When I found out I had you, I should have just aborted it. You wouldn't have existed, oh but you father wanted it, he chose you over me. He even wanted take you away from me, but I saw it coming. I got my revenge".
Tears still spilling from my eyes, she held me by the collar. "Why are you still crying? You're still gonna receive your punishment you brat".
"No please, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that". I screamed and trashed around as she dragged me to the basement. "You shouldn't have done that Alice", she said as she opened the door and we descended down, into the musty room reeking of urine, blood and liquor.
I tried to hold my breath but I was no use. "Please I'm just twelve, I don't know any better", I cried out again dreading my punishment. She ignored me, as an invisible force dragged me out of her grip.
I struggle with it, but it was no use. It was so strong it dragged me to a wall and immediately, I was chained to it. "You said you wanted to practice". I mother chuckled, "lets see you practice how to get out". She took out a grater and brought it to the soles of my feet. With all the force she had, she slid it against my skin repeatedly.
I cried out for help, begging her to stop over and over again. The pain was so unbearable for my twelve year old self. I wished the stinging feeling would stop. She does this every time she gets a chance to punish me. What felt like hours was only minutes before it finally stopped.
My head was hurting. I felt a wave of nausea due to the pungent smell of blood and urine. I couldn't feel my legs, or part of my body.
I couldn't feel anything, I too tired, dizzy and in pain to feel anything. But the one thing I felt and was certain, was the hate for the woman who claimed to be my mother.
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After all the gruesome event that went down in the basement, I was treated and given extra chores. Some almost impossible for any twelve year old to handle.
I was on my last chore, which was getting a huge pot of water on fire for my mother to bath. "Alice come here right this minute". I went immediately to see what she wanted for the fear of receiving another punishment.
She stood in the middle of my room holding my piggy bank. "You never said you had money, where did you get it?" she asked.
I said nothing.
"I'll ask you again and I'm not gonna repeat myself. Where did you get it?" she demanded again.
I still kept mute. How was I going to explain that they were just originally pebbles, with a little transformation spell and along came the coins?
She threw the piggy bank on the floor and it crashed realising its content. The coins had already changed back to their original form leaving the real coins and a dollar bill. She picked them up, the money I mean.
"I'm going to spend this for not answering, go buy me a KitKat". She handed me the money forcefully. "What are you waiting for, don't just stand there".
"But mama I was saving that for school". I said trying to reason with her. Those were my savings from working at the bakery.
"School is not meant for disobedient kids like you. You're a failure and you'll always be one, just like your father.
"Well finders keepers, now hurry up. You don't want to go back in there do...... Ouch!" she held her stomach, the baby. I rushed over to her helping her to my bed "Are you alright? Is the baby fin..." I received another slap. "Don't touch me you filthy thing, like you even care. Do what I sent you to do". I backed away from her and rushed out of the room, until I remembered I left my keys.
I rushed back up, only to find my mother sound as sleep. Tears came from the corner of her eyes as she repeat the words I'm sorry to herself. I closed my door after grabbing my keys, and rushed back out of the house.
The sent of lemons hit me. I was a little relieved but hot, it was around mid summer. The tourist would probably be at the beach, but how should I know? Our house was secluded from the other residents. It was buried deep in the woods, far off west from the Triple towns inn.
I followed the trail leading to the main town, until I came to a fork road. The lane splits into two. One leading to the main town, the other leads deeper into the woods.
I was about taking the one that lead to the town, when something caught my attention. The butterfly, the one that was once a beetle was flapping its wings happily. It landed on a daisy turning it to frost as ice from below cover the plant in whole.
It left the daisy, freezing everything in its way, and who am I not to follow. And that's what I did, I followed the butterfly neglecting my mothers instructions.
I chased the butterfly deeper into the woods until we came to a clearing. The grass were shorter but that didn't get my attention. A man was laying in the center, fast asleep in broad daylight.
He was wearing a blue pyjama with three yellow ducks on it. The sleeves were short revealing his arms covered in tattoos of clocks of different shapes and sizes. Even Big Ben was drawn on the left arm. What a weirdo, I thought as I stared at the man then I noticed a necklace hanging on the mans neck. The pendant was hidden in his pyjama shirt.
The butterfly flew past me, almost landing on the man, but I chased it away, for the fear of freezing the man alive. It came again, I chased it again.
Soon I was at war with the butterfly.
It got to a time, I had to transform the butterfly back. I did it before and I'm gonna do it again {did you hear that, you stupid butterfly?}.
I prepared my mind and did the spell in reverse, spelling beetle backwards and saying the ideora spell.
"Ideora" I said, but nothing happened. I tried it the second time but nothing worked. The butterfly refused to stay still.
I closed my eyes visualising the butterfly in my head, following its every movement, it energy and life force. I did the spell again connecting the transitional dots.
"Ideora", I said again. Just before the butterfly landed on the mans nose it turned into a beetle. "I knew you could do it", a voice said startling me.
I looked down to see a pair of dark brown eyes starring at me. "If you don't mind me asking, why are you here?" the man asked. Should I answer him? What if he's some crazy psycho, that kidnaps children?
He seemed kind of nice though. "Who are you?" I finally asked straight to the point.
"What would you like to call me, Alice?"
I starred at him in shock, "how did you know my name?". He simply smiled and got up into a sitting position. "Think of me as your guardian everyone in Triple town knows your name".
He took a strand of my hair, rolling it between his fingers before yanking it playfully. I'm not supposed to talk to strangers but there's this weird pull I get from this man. Like I already know him.
"I know what's going on between you and your mother". Once he said that, turned my face away but he grabbed it and turned it back to him. As I starred right back in his eyes, pity and sorrow, but he blinked them back.
"No child should experience that. But my dear Alice, it'll soon be over". He wiped my tears with his thumbs before removing his hands from my face.
"It's only a matter of time. Your magical journey awaits you", he placed his hands around his neck unhooking the necklace I saw earlier. He took my hand and placed the necklace in my palms.
It was smooth and light, not heavy at all. The pendant was shaped into a cat, half the size of my thumb. "You're gonna be a great spell binder one day, but you need to rescue the magical dimension first. For saving my life, I giving you nine life's Alice. Forgive me for not being there, when you needed me the most".
"What are you talking about?" I asked confused. This mans must be off his rockers. "There's no much time, Find the Triple town inn and the Malone brothers, they'll know what to do. You have nine lives be careful".
"What are you talking about, who are the Malone brothers, who are you and how do you know so much about me?"
"For every soul a sacrifice must be made.
Promise me Alice, you'll fine these things before it's too late.
Nine I give you, nine you shall have and it just began.
I take only that most loved to you in return.
No you didn't make a deal with the devil if the case may be.
You made a deal with your soul say my name and set me free".
Looking at him after a few seconds, I felt a weird sensation. Like all what he said were spells. I didn't know what made me say it, I don't even know how it got into my head. "The man in pyjamas", I whispered.
"Thank you Alice, for the time spent with you was great. Hurry along for your predicament has been tarnished. Listen to me as I vanish". The sun was penetrating through his skin surely he was fading away.
"Never take the necklace off no matter what, find what was asked and greatness shall be brought. Remember my little thinker, those nine lives can fade out but they're sure a keeper".
And then he was gone. Find the Malone brothers? I must be hallucinating. But that doesn't explain the necklace in my hand. I hooked the necklace around my neck feeling a warming sensation around me.
Then it hit me, my mum. The KitKat, oh I'm going to be in so much trouble. I got up to run, following the lane I came by earlier. It wasn't long when I came by the fork road.
I was about to take that, that lead to town, when I heard an explosion.
I looked up, wood pieces where flying everywhere. Thick black smoke rose higher and higher with ashes covering the ground as they fall. What just happened?
A honking sound came from a fire truck, I was lucky enough to step aside as it drove past me. It took the lane leading home, and that's when I felt like a bucket of ice water was thrown at me. Mum was there, oh my god the baby.
I ran after the truck as fast as my little legs could carry me. I felt numb allover. This can't be happening, not the baby. I prayed silently hoping everything was going to be alright.
But it didn't.
The house was burned down, nothing was left. Even the roof had collapsed, no mum, no baby. Just nothing. All because of a gas leak due to boiling pot of water that was left unattended to.
I take only that most loved to you in return.
That's what he's talking about. For saving him, he saved me from my cruel mother. Taking my baby brother or sister in return.
I didn't know what to think. Is this some kind of sick joke, I thought as tears fell from my eyes. I sacrificed my siblings life for my happiness.
I killed someone!
I killed someone!
I killed someone!
Those three words, fourteen letters kept playing in my head. I didn't even know whether to be relieved or to cry. For all I know, I was lost.
Lost in my world and the darkness was slowly consuming me. I wanted to help, but I needed help and fast. I started to feel the air kicked out of my lungs and I was fighting hard to breadth. But the darkness took over completely.
I was free. But somehow, I felt trapped and broken.
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Copyright 2018© Soffiyah Orewole.
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- Writer
