Inferno

The dark hole

There was only one person who I know called Idiots as Ijots.

And that was my arch enemy, Zac Carter.

Then it began to dawn on me, the owner of the pet store had called him Cart, a short name for Carter.

I had just met Zac, my childhood bully!

The evil Zac, who made me his only target for bullying in middle school.

I ran home and locked myself up in my room. Fear overshadowed me, as I shut my windows for fear of him still lurking around watching me. But then I heard a knock on my door, and my heart sank.

" Amber, little crybabyyyy" the room echoed with laughter, and I blocked my ears, trying to ward them off.

The knock increased in intensity and this time, it was Mum.

" Open up this door, Amber"

The laughter ceased and I walked to the door, opening it, to see Mum glaring at me, her fists clenched at her sides, her mouth twisted into a frown.

" I can't believe you kept me waiting for ages, " she yelled at me.

" Sorry Mum, I'd be down in few minutes" I said as fast as I could and slammed the door shut again.

" Not again" she yelled again, this time, stomping her feet on the ground, her feet conversing as she climbed down the stairs.

I had had my shower and joined Mum at the dining table, where she had arranged dinner. I ate the pasta in silence, jolting only when Mum had given the table a hard hit.

" Is something wrong?

Did anything happen while you were out? " Mom asked, piercing her eyes into my soul as though she could see any answer.

" No... Not at all

Change of environment, maybe. " I answered, jilting my dinner as I had lost appetite.

" Thanks for the food" I added, packing the plates.

....

I sat on my bed and brought out my phone from my gray hoodie, I had worn before. I scrolled to my music folder, picking out a song I could listen to, so I could sleep as I couldn't seem to.

Listening to music has been my only solace, since middle school; even after I was homeschooled, I couldn't sleep without listening to one. I searched for the one to listen to and picked one eventually after so much consideration.

I wasn't sure if the guy I had met was Zac, since it's been years. He could have changed, but the choice of words was uncanny. I shouldn't let it bother me, if I really wanted a good night's sleep.

I plugged in my airpods, pressing play to Sasha Sloan's Too Sad To Cry, while I drifted off to sleep in no time.

.....

A loud incessant knock woke me up from my beauty sleep. I fixed my laptop, plugging it in to the electric socket to power it up, to get ready for today's class.

Being homeschooled was the best for me; there was no one else to impress, apart from my teacher who expects only good grades from me, and I haven't disappointed.

The knock on the door turned into a bump, and right there I knew it wasn't Mum, for she would have been yelling by now.

I moved to open the door.

Who else could it be if not for?

I opened the door

Tump!

" Sister! " she screamed and grabbed me, hugging me like her life depended on it, which I reciprocated.

"It's been a while since I last saw you.

You look more pretty, Amber" Tump complimented and I blushed.

" I have to get ready for today's class, I'll catch up with you later" I said, beaming with smiles.

" Sure, let me know when you're done.

As for me, I have to find a way to relieve myself of these," smiling as she showed me the heavy weight of loads, she had in both hands.

I returned to my room, dashing into my bathroom to have my shower.

Pebble was my older sister with a two year age gap between us, but you could make the mistake of thinking we were twins as we looked identical, just a little bit.

Tump, as I usually call her, happened when I just grew up calling her Tump. It's actually a Nick, she was fondly called back when she was in high school.

Yeah, she doesn't know about the bullying part because she and Mum shared this siblings relationship we both had, and kept no secrets from each other.

It was hard letting her know, and I bet on it; Mum would come crashing down my room the next day, but then, Tump was pretty much useful in other areas.

I was busy having my shower, washed up my body and applied a considerable amount of hair soap to my hair, and the same amount of my facial soap to my face, when I tried to turn on the shower and it didn't bulge.

What?

I had my hair and face covered in soap already.

Now is not a good time!

" Mum!!! " I screamed loudly as I could after trying to turn on the shower for a few times already.

In the end, Tump fetched a few bottles of water from the freezer, which I used to wash away the soap from my hair and face, but not until my eyes had shown me the gateway to the ends of the world.

Phew!

I wore some comfortable clothes and blow-dryed my short straight red hair, which I neatly tucked behind my ears.

I sat facing my laptop and turned on the power button, but it didn't respond.

I checked the socket, it was fine, and I checked the connection into the laptop.

What?

Did I forget to plug in the laptop itself?

I hate myself for being like this.

I glanced at the time, plugging the laptop in a jiffy and turning it on. If only I had remembered to charge it up the night before, I wouldn't want to be faced with these morning surprises.

First, the shower and now

My laptop!

How many more wrongs could happen in just one day?

I turned it on and navigated to where I took my online classes. I connected just in time and the class went on smoothly.

It was the last class before summer.

Before senior year!

I was in the middle of class, when I suddenly developed a thirst for water. I turned off my camera, walked down the stairs quietly, for fear of being caught by Mum as I hated being nagged.

I picked up a bottle from the chest freezer, gulping its content down my throat. Feeling satisfied, I closed the bottle, while I made my way upstairs, then I heard Mum's voice from her room , " I'm really worried about Amber. "

I tiptoed to eavesdrop on whatever gossip, they had to say about me, on why she was worried, as I stood at the closed entrance, forgetting I had a class going on.

" She won't be able to attend college, the bills and expenses are much more than you think. " Mum complained.

" Have you talked to her about it? " Tump answered.

" I don't know how to tell her,

I don't know the reason why she had insisted on being homeschooled these years, but I tried being understanding by respecting her decision.

Though, the expenses are pretty much, but I never complained, and that was because I was still employed."

" I know it's hard, but you have to explain it to her.

You know, she might react in a way you don't expect, but you still have to tell her anyways. "

" Right now, I can't afford to have two college kids. " Mum said with a hint of bitterness in her voice.

" You mean, I can't go to college when it's time, because you're unemployed? " I said unconsciously, banging the door with my feeble fist, which gave way.

Mom and Tump looked shocked, still trying to figure out what to say, but words failed them.

" Why do I have to take the fall of you being unemployed? " I released the tears I had been fighting through the corners of my eyes, letting them flow freely as they came.

" Amber, you shouldn't think that way. Mom... " Tump tried to speak.

" Don't even... You are happy right now, because you don't get affected, but I have always been happy about college.

It's my dream to get into one.

And now, you say... there's no fund? "

" I can't take any more loan, I took one before we moved here" Mum said, walking towards me and finally grabbing my hands.

" You should understand that I want the best for all of us" Mum added, and I snatched my hands away from hers.

" You... you don't want the best for me" I stuttered and ran out of the room.

I had bolted my door behind me and slipped into the floor.

My future is quite bleak right now.

My dream of getting into a college is in disarray.

How could they?

I began to cry, while I sank my head in between my knees.

" Amber, you have to understand! "

" Mom will try to get a way, just open the door"

" Don't do anything stupid, Amber"

The voices that kept penetrating my door was my Mums and Tumps; the door kept banging behind me, but I turned deaf ears, till I heard them no more.