CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: THE CHILD WHO DIDN’T UNDERSTAND
268 Words
Ava noticed everything.
The tension.
The arguments.
The way her parents looked at her when they thought she wasn’t paying attention.
One night, she sat alone in her room.
Why are they acting like this?
She hugged her knees.
Did I do something wrong?
Her chest tightened.
And then—
A thought came.
Not hers.
She’s changing.
Ava’s eyes widened.
She looked around.
No one was there.
Her breathing quickened.
What was that?
She squeezed her eyes shut.
But it came again.
We need to fix this.
Ava gasped.
“No…” she whispered.
Tears filled her eyes.
“Make it stop…”
The next morning…
Everything exploded.
“I don’t want to go to school!” Ava shouted.
Hailey turned sharply.
“What?”
“I said I don’t want to go!”
“Why?” Adrian asked calmly.
“Because I don’t!” she snapped.
Hailey stepped forward.
“Ava, talk to me—”
“STOP!” Ava screamed.
The room went silent.
“I don’t want you looking at me like that!” she cried.
Hailey froze.
“Like what?” she asked softly.
“Like something is wrong with me!” Ava shouted.
That broke her.
“Nothing is wrong with you,” Hailey said quickly.
“Then why do you keep watching me?” Ava demanded.
Silence.
Because she was right.
Ava’s voice cracked.
“I don’t understand what’s happening to me…” she whispered.
That was it.
Hailey rushed forward, pulling her into a tight embrace.
“I do,” she said softly.
And for the first time…
She admitted it.
- Writer
