Kyra

"𝖒𝖞 𝖘𝖕𝖎𝖗𝖎𝖙 𝖎𝖘 𝖌𝖗𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖉𝖊𝖉 𝖉𝖊𝖊𝖕 𝖎𝖓 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖍, 𝖎 𝖆𝖒 𝖈𝖆𝖑𝖒, 𝖘𝖙𝖗𝖔𝖓𝖌, 𝖈𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖕𝖊𝖆𝖈𝖊𝖋𝖚𝖑. 𝖎 𝖆𝖒 𝖆𝖇𝖑𝖊 𝖙𝖔 𝖑𝖊𝖙 𝖌𝖔 𝖔𝖋 𝖋𝖊𝖆𝖗 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖗𝖚𝖘𝖙 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖎 𝖆𝖒 𝖊𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖓𝖆𝖑𝖑𝖞 𝖘𝖆𝖋𝖊. 𝖎 𝖆𝖒 𝖜𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖍𝖞 𝖔𝖋 𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖘 𝖇𝖊𝖆𝖚𝖙𝖎𝖋𝖚𝖑" - 𝖈𝖆𝖗𝖑𝖞 𝖒𝖆𝖗𝖎𝖊

ɪᴛ ʀᴀɪɴᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴀʀᴅᴇɴ ᴏғ ᴡᴏʀᴅs...

          I remember it vividly, the trees were gleefully dancing along, the water was singing praises and all the wildlife gathered to be showered with it's great blessing.

          However, I can't be as blessed as I wanted to. I wasn't allowed to. Only the most perfect of people are given this beautiful opportunity. They didn't want to waste such holy nature for a being so unworthy.

          I remember seeing a beautiful being. Someone so perfectly sculpted and perfectly spoken like she was created by the heavens and god himself.

          She had the features I dream every night of having. Skin so smooth yet so rich with milk of the whitest of vanillas at the same time with the darkest of chocolates. Her hair was an effortless bundle of twigs and leaves even the birds perch themselves along her long mane. Her figure as curvy as an hourglass and her fingers as delicate as glass.

         She also had the prettiest smile. I loved it when she would only smile at me like that. She was truly a piece of heaven.

          She would call me her child, her darling, like I was hers and only hers. She would keep me in a protective bundle and lightly kiss my features.

          However, the rain stopped and I was suddenly back to the uncomfortable feeling of nails pressing unto my back.

          Right, the being doesn't exist

          She was just a figment of my dreams. This is my world, my reality, my house.

           Sadly not home.

          It was always so quiet, no one ever said a word at early sunrise but when the sun goes to sleep, you could hear screams and cries for help.

          I glanced at my clock, a small worn out clock that looks like a mini representation of, what I read, was a grandfather clock. It read 5:52 in the morning.

          Mom should be out by now.

          She was an early riser, I was not. She would tell me that once you reached perfection, you would get to spend most of your days being productive and worry free.

          I want to be perfect soon.

          After a few small stretches, I slipped on my mother's worn out bunny slippers and proceeded to my bathroom. It consisted of a small shower head, a toilet, and a sink with my toiletries.

          I was out of toothpaste today. I guess I'm going to have to skip brushing my teeth today too.

          I didn't own a closet of my own. To grab my own clothes, I had to borrow my mother's hanger and hang my six pairs of clothing that I only own. Two for each time of day and occasion.

          I threw my nightgown in the hamper to be washed later this afternoon and slipped on my plain white v-neck and denim shorts. I brushed my hair and grabbed my hand mirror.

          I listened out my door for any lurking noises. When I heard none, I tiptoed my way to the kitchen. There was a stack of dirty dishes on the sink but no sign of food on the dining table. I am going to have to cook my own breakfast again.

          The only thing I could really cook is an omelette. Other than that is beyond me at this point since I was never taught how.

          After making a simple egg omelette, I plated it, said my graces and dug in.

          The atmosphere was gloomier than ever today. That's probably because it's still 6 in the morning.

          All the windows and doors are boarded up so the house looks dark almost 24/7. My mom said because the outside world is for the most perfect of people.

          If someone imperfect like me would step my foot out, I would be experiencing the worst of luck and die sooner than expected.

         At least, that was what my mother taught me.

          Mother likes to always scold me for every mistake I commit. Like me, she wants me to be perfect soon. I think it is because my mom felt lonely being the only perfect one outside of my house.

          Whenever I would say something she consider foul mouthed, she would slap my lips shut and will keep doing it until I learned from my mistake.

          If I don't look presentable, she would dress me up herself, if I was still asleep by the time she gets home, she would dump the coldest bucket of ice water she could find on my body and leave me be without any towels to dry myself with.

          However last night, she got really mad at me. She caught me sneaking into her room to look outside because her windows were board-free. So she didn't let me leave my room for dinner and kept checking on me every hour to see if I was asleep. When she could sense I was awake no matter how much I try to pretend to sleep, she would yell into my ears and call me names while slapping my head.

          After finishing my breakfast, I washed the dishes and did all the necessary chores. I would get scolded again if mom doesn't find the house in the state that it was in before she left. when I was satisfied with my work I checked the clock to see it was still before 9:00 which meant I still had time before mom gets home.

         I quickly approached my mom's room and twist the door knob to find it jammed. I guess mom was cautious today. Determined, I ran back to my room and grabbed the spare key my mom thought she lost but accidentally left on the kitchen counter and unlocked her room.

          Dust was flying everywhere as soon as I enter. 

        You see, my mom rarely stays at home, she would leave early in the morning and come back late in the evening to check if I was still sleeping. There would be times she would come back in the afternoon when she would go grocery shopping or paying the bills. So it's no surprise that the room is barely looked after. I usually am the one cleaning up her messes in here.

          I slowly walked to the house's only available window and gazed at the scenery outside. I always admired the view from her room which coincidentally looked like the painting just above my mother's canopy bed.

          The sky was a clear bright blue with golden hues at the rim of the earth's surface. There was a whole flock of blue birds flying around the vicinity. The flowers that were blooming in the area cohesively looked like a rainbow and the rusty bench swing still sitting below the old oak tree which I have been wanting to ride on ever since I saw it were all still there as if time never passed.

          It was the perfect scenery for perfect people.

          I was busy admiring the surroundings when I heard three loud knocks from the front door. I jumped in shock at the same time in anticipation.

          Is it them again?

          I immediately jumped down from the window sill and ran towards the front door. I know it wasn't mom because she never knocks and comes through the front door. I actually never know where she enters and leaves. One of the main reasons was so that I wouldn't follow her out.

         I crouched down to the small opening under the door and like I expected it is another letter from that mysterious sender.

          Ever since I turned 8, i have been receiving letters at 8:30 every morning non stop from under the front door. So much that it has become a daily routine.

         I would hear the knocks on my door, crouch down for the letter, slide it in and then thank the person sending them even though I never see their face nor heard their voice. I was grateful for it anyways because they are what keep me happy and positive for my future. My soon to be perfect future.

          Like always, I grabbed the letter and said a happy thank you yet they never replied but I could hear them walking away.

          Eager to open the letter, I ran back to my mom's room and used her scissors to carefully cut open the envelope. There was always that same seal on the envelope and the sender would always put in some flowery scent I can't seem to identify. 

          I unfolded the letter and was surprised to see the message so short. Usually, even if it was sent to me everyday, the letters would have the whole page filled with words I don't even recognize from time to time. that's how long they were. But today, there was only a short sentence and the symbol of a sunflower at the bottom of the message.

         It read:

         𝓭𝓮𝓪𝓻 𝓵𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓵𝓮 𝓸𝓷𝓮, 𝓰𝓮𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭𝔂, 𝓲𝓽 𝓲𝓼 𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮.

         I had to reread the sentence again and again. Is it what i think it means? 

         Am I about to be perfect?

         I felt my eyes tear up, I was actually crying in joy. it was about to happen. I can join mother. I can go shopping, ride on the swing, pay the bills, watch the sunset that my mom kept complaining about but made me intrigued and leave this boring old house.

          I rushed back to my bedroom and reached for my mom's discarded shopping bags from under my bed. Mom threw them away when she saw no use for it anymore. She wasn't suspiscious of my activity because I did all the cleaning. That was one of the benefits of chores.

          I packed up some snacks from my secret stash that mom never notices yet again.

          I am starting to realize how much my mom doesn't really care about me and my life.

          I only took snacks and my underwear because mom said that the outside world has enough stuff for the perfect people to enjoy.

          I jumped up with glee when I realize how much my dream is going to become a reality.

          I grabbed all the letters that I have been receiving and looked at the symbol engraved on the envelope.

          It was a tree curved the form of the seal, the colors a satisfying hue of colors and four strange symbols on the bark.

          Whoever sent this must be a great artist or had a beautiful imagination.

          I looked at each symbol carefully and if my eyes were deceiving me, I swore I saw the flower at the bottom glowing a bright light. Out of curiosity, I placed my finger on the material and dropped the envelope when I felt my finger burn.

          All of a sudden, I hear a voice in my head.

          "I love you, I promise I will do anything I can to bring you back to me, even if I have to see the light at the end of the tunnel."

          I shook my head and looked around. What was that?

          I stared at the envelope on the floor but I didn't get to look at it for that long.

          I could hear footsteps from outside the room.

          Mom is home.

          A sudden rush of adrenaline ran right through me and I immediately hid all the things I prepared to leave the house under my bed. As soon as I stood, my bedroom door opened and my mother stepped out.

          Her hair looked grayer today. I couldn't explain it but her wrinkles were also getting more prominent. Her back was always hunched so I wasn't surprised when she had to lean against the door frame to keep herself steady.

          "My child, have you done your chores for the day?" her voice was sharp and croaky as if she had just woken up. But she looked as energetic as ever. She always sounds tired though and I don't question it.

          "Yes mother," I gave her my genuine brightest smile and ran to her to give her a hug.

          You see, there are days when mom would be in a good mood and actually ask how my day has been. There would be no beatings or punishments for the day. Although it rarely happens, I was always grateful when they do.

           To my surprise, she gave me a tight squeeze with affection. Does she already know? Is it really my time to be perfect?

          "So how about you help me with lunch?"

<🌻>

          It has been a week since I received the letter and so far, nothing has changed.

          What was also weird was that I haven't received any letter after that. I would be waiting by the door everyday but nothing happened.

          When I woke up today, I just couldn't help but feel groggy and sick to my stomach. I glanced at my arms. Right, I got a hard beating yesterday.

          I dumbly left my bag with all the snacks I prepared on my bed and mom found out. She kept slapping my wrist and I skipped dinner that night.

          It was now 5 in the evening and mom has yet to arrive. I haven't eaten all day since we just ran out of food yesterday and mom went out shopping.

          I was busy wiping down every single speck of dirt I could find when I hear the door slam open.

          I jumped in shock and saw mom entering the room in fury, not even sparing me a glance and disappeared down the hallway.

          I stood there in silence staring at the direction she went and hesitantly followed her. I could hear her crying from the other side of the room. Wanting to comfort her, I timidly knocked and all sounds from her room halted. It was like waiting on an empty conversation, it was very uncomfortable.

          "Mom?" I called out.
        
          Out of nowhere the door slammed open and mom grabbed on my hair and dragged me inside her room for the first time in my lifetime. I was shocked to say the least but it was overshadowed by the feeling of nails pricking onto my scalp.

         She threw me to the floor near her window, the same window I would look through to see the outside world. She grabbed onto my chin and shoved my face to the direction of the floor. I gasped in shock at the sight in front of me.

          The letters I recieved and placed in my bag were spilling out on the floor and scattered everywhere. I completely forgot about leaving them on the floor, usually I would never bring them to mom's room but I was gettibg desperate and wanted a sense of comfort while watching the beautiful view outside.

          "What?! Is?! The meaning?! Of this?! " her voice screamed into my right ear and I cringed my eyes close at the noise while she slapped my face at every enunciation.

           "I can explain-"

           "Dear little one get ready it is time?" she harshly read the letter out loud. "Is this some kind of sick joke? Is someone taking you away from me?"

           I did not say anything only because I was actually clueless on what to do in this situation. I have no idea what the letter meant, I just assumed it meant it was my time to be perfect and I thought mom had the same idea. But if mom is scolding me now, does this mean the letter is a fraud?

          "I have had enough of you and your rebellious actions. You are going to skip dinner yet again and I expect you to stay in your roon for the whole day tomorrow, If I ever see you step foot out the door, you are going to get so much more than just a time out."

          I whimpered and scurried to my room as fast as I could without making a sound.

         "You will never be perfect until you turn 30, Kyra! " I hear my mother yell, "Until then, you are never allowed to leave!"

          I closed my door and slid down until my head was laid out on my arms that were on top of my tucked in knees. I silently cried in pain and agony.

          Mom was right, I am not yet perfect and I will never be.

          Maybe I should just give up and grow up.

<🌻>
ᏦᎧ ጀ ᏦᎩᏒᏗ

End of Chapter

A/N The book has changed chapters into 3rd person. If you want to check it out, you can find it in my profile or in any of my reading lists. The book cover looks like this: