Lana Pipes

12 years ago...........

That was a normal, boring Sunday morning. The sorta day where the climate is pleasant and the surroundings are peaceful. I was in our backyard, playing with stones. I took a stone and placed it on another. I kept doing that until the stones all lost their balance and fell to the ground.

I did it incessantly again a dozen times. I wanted to build a slab of stones. Mom was in the kitchen making something delicious for lunch. Dad was watching a football match. Ben wasn't born yet.

I was preoccupied with my stones but the stones kept spurning. It made me incandescent. I kicked the stones with my foot vigorously. I fell to the ground with the stones due to my clumsiness. It made me extremely woebegone.

I clasped my green gown and began to cry. I cried for a few minutes but no one seemed to notice me. Neither Mom nor Dad. But my loyal Poddle dog Willow came wagging its tail to my rescue. It came near my muddy feet and sniffed it, licking my palms. A gesture of making me feel loved. It looked lovely as I always decorated it with ribbons and pretty dresses. 

I ran a hand over her. Titling her head she was smiling. "Oh, there you are. I have been looking for you, sweetie. Come on now, it's time for lunch," My Mom approached me. "Looks like you forgave your little pet kiddo," She said running a hand over my hair just like I did with my Willow. She gestured to come in soon and left.

I remembered how Willow tore my red keyhole frock which my Dad gave to me as my birthday present. Which I adored but never got to wear because of my stupid pet.

Vehement clouded my mind. Before I could think of anything, I took a heavy stone. "Willow," I shouted. I hit my pet with that stone. "This is for my dress, you stupid stupid dog," I hit again and again panicking. I hit her until my pet died.

My pet squealed in agonizing terror and pain. But I didn't stop. "Lana, what are you doing?" My Mom came running. "Sweet lord, did you just kill that poor creature?" She frowned in fright.

"What?" I blinked, unsure of what I had just done. "Is, is she dead?" I uttered. Mom nodded indicating yes. "No, no, no, no." I cried. "I just wanted to punish her for tearing my dress. I didn't mean to kill her," I buried my face in my palms.

"Mom, you are a vet. Please, please save my Willow," I requested her.

"Honey, the damage is done. She is no more," Mom consoled me.

"This is all my fault," I began slapping myself. I slapped myself a bunch of times. "Lana, Lana, stop," Mom tried to stop me.

"No, no. I killed my best friend. I deserve to die," I mouthed. She was stunned to hear me say that. It is unusual for a 6-year-old to say stuff like that, naturally.

"Lana," She grabbed my shoulders. "Listen to me," She said looking deep into my eyes. "It's not your fault. You just wanted to hit the dog with a stone as a punishment. Later she went to the streets and got hit by a truck. None of it is your fault, dear," She spoke sweetly.

"But-" I began to say something because it was my hitting that caused her to die. Why is she saying it otherwise?

"Go, go and grab your lunch. None of it is your fault. Mommy will take care of this," She kissed my temple. As she commanded, I began to walk and ate my lunch.

"Holder," I hear a scream from Mom a few minutes later. I and Dad went running to Mom, where she was standing in the streets. "Holder, dear. Our poor doggie got hit by a vehicle. I need to treat her immediately, and start our car." She commanded.

I was stunned by everything. I stood there like a rock, unable to process anything. Like a pole. My parents left me near Aunt Layla and left for the hospital with Willow. They came in after an hour and buried the pet in our backyard.

It took me days to talk with anyone and all those days my Mom incessantly preached me the same thing over and over it was a truck that killed my pet and it had nothing to do with me. She preached it to me every day and night like a priest who preaches a holy bible.

A few weeks later, I believed her and completely forgot about my pet or how she died.

.......................

"Lana, Lana?" Jaro ran a hand over my shoulder which made me startle. "You have been looking at that poodle dog for the past 15 minutes. What's the matter with you? Is everything alright?" His raven eyes expressed concern, pulling over the car as we were on our way to High Hill.

My lungs ran out of air. My whole mind was dizzy. I could barely look at him. "Cat got your tongue?" Jaro frowned. I got out of the car panting. 

"I ripped out a dog's tongue," I sighed, remembering the glimpse of my dead pet dog, sticking out his tongue.

Jaro was worried to hear that, that expression was visible all over his face like an open book. I shared everything that has happened in the past with my pet and Mom.

"A Mom is a person who a daughter looks up to. Whom she embraces and wishes to be one day and idolizes. A Mom is a person whose daughter wishes to be truthful to her, unlike the rest of the world. And a Mom is a person who should raise her kids to be a good person, she must keep her kids on track to be better people and have the discipline to grow up to be a civilized person. But," My voice crackled.

"But, but my Mom covered up all my lapses, misdemeanors. God, that woman even manipulated me into agreeing to whatever she wanted me to believe. She is the reason I have these memory gaps," I brought a hand to my mouth.

"Lana," Jaro embraced me in a friendly hug, wrapping himself around me. "You were a child back then and it's okay as you try to reflect the past behavior positively," He assured me gently soothing me.

"I just need to breathe a bit, I will be back," I said letting go of him, following into the woods. I thought and thought and thought about everything. Everything says that my Mom is the reason for all the chaos. My mind is accepting it while my heart is denying it. My daughter's love for her is demanding to help Mom seek help and talk to her.

I got into a deeper part of the woods and there were trees, greenery, and insects everywhere. The fresh air helped my lungs pump some air. For a moment I took a deep breath, admiring nature.

"A little lamb got lost in the woods. Will a lion devour her? Shred her skin and feast on her blood and bury her flesh?" Roger grinned standing next to an opposite palm tree to me, his brown eyes burnt with a vengeance.

shit.

"Roger, please," I swallowed a breath. "Please let me go. You already achieved what you want Neil. Both my best friend and boyfriend left me. I have suffered enough. Let me go and let this mad desire you have for revenge end," I pleaded with him.

"I could never have enough revenge from you, baby," He said taking a knife out of his pocket.

"Help me, " I screamed and ran, but he was so fast that he caught my hand. He positioned his knife on my throat.

"You are done. I will kill you for sending me behind the bars," He whispered, pressing the knife into my throat a bit. I kicked him in the leg so hard that he startled and let go of me. I immediately got hold of his knife and stabbed him in the hand.

He screamed in pain and collapsed to the ground. "You bitch, I will end your life," squalled in agony.

Finish him. End him. Kill him. If you don't he will come after you one way or other.

Something inside of me urged me. Insisting me to eliminate him from the earth.

The blood-stained knife was still in my hand. I should assassinate him for the good. I took it and went near him, where he was still suffering from pain. His eyes darkened as he saw me approach him. He looked at me as though he saw a ghost and could never remove the image of me.

"What? What are you doing? No, Lana. No please don't. Whatever you are thinking, I won't come after you. I promise you that. I will even make amends with your folk. Let's call a truce. Let me go," He begged like a beggar for a bite of food.

I approached him with my cold heart. I am not sure I even feel anything anymore. "Why so scared? Is your life that precious to you? You were delighted to end mine," I smiled wickedly.

"Lana," I heard Jaro's voice. "What? Roger? Lana, no whatever you are doing or trying to do, stop right there," He beseeched me, getting close to me, trying to take that knife away from me.

"This bastard tried to end my life," I shouted getting close to Roger.

"That doesn't give you the right to end his. Lana, think clearly. You are not Michelle. You don't hurt people," He brought out.

Kill him. Kill him. Kill him.

"He doesn't have the right to end my life either. I am my mother's daughter after all. I hurt who hurt me," I said driving a knife into his stomach.

Q/A

Q. You are more like your Mom or Dad?

A -

Q. What's your favorite animal?

A-

Authors Note:

Stay stunned to unravel the mysterious Michelle's dark secrets and Lana's memory gap. Please vote if you like and comment your views. It would mean a lot.

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