Murderous Mother

Hot, muggy, sticky, humid, dark, quiet. So many words to describe that night. But the most meaningful one, terrifying.

She stumbled through the woods, trying desperately to make it to the edge that she knew was the town. But, was this even the right way? Was she lost? She could not tell. Her head was spinning, floating.

She wheezed into her hand, trying desperately to breathe. Thick, hot liquid was filling her mouth and running down her neck and hand. At this point, she could not tell what was blood and what was humid sweat. Everything felt the same. She just tried to keep pressure on the wound.

Her pajama pants were plastered to her legs from sweat and water from yesterday’s rain, and her white t-shirt was heavy with blood and sweat.

The adrenaline was the only thing that kept her going. The pain on her lips, gone for the moment as she burst through the tree line behind a building she did not know.

She took a look back. Nothing. No one. She tried to listen for a pursuer, but the heart beat in her ears was deafening. She had to keep moving. Had to find someone.

Her legs were beginning to fail as she rounded the corner, heading for the front door. She fell into the half glass door, desperately trying to push it open. Through her tears and clouded vision, she made out ‘PULL’ above the handle.

Wrenching it open, she fell forward, catching herself on the wall to her right. A bloody hand print glistened from where she pushed herself off it. All she could make out at the back of the bar was blonde hair and back to her.

“Last call on alcohol was 20 minutes ago, we are already closing.” The female voice said in a huff, obviously use to people coming in late.

Those were the last words she heard, before falling back into the door. The door opened up slightly with her weight, the bells tied to the door handle clanked loudly. On her way down, she left a streak of blood down the window.

“…help…”she whispered, hot, fire-like pain suddenly searing from her lips. Her head hit the ground and consciousness was lost in a puddle of blood.

It was the night of her 17th birthday. Her father had to be away on business, so he could not make it to her party.

Sure, the party had not been much. Her two step sisters had poked fun at her and tormented her the whole time, while her step mom, Lacey, just sat in the living room, trying to ignore her a usual.

She had no friends. It was just her family in the three story summer home on the lake. Without friends, cake, or even real party, it just felt like another day in the Cinre Home, only her father was not here to comfort her.

By mid-day, she was already heading up to her room to get away from it all. When, unexpectedly, she was stopped at the top of the stairs by a little frame, tussled golden, brown hair, and wild, amethyst eyes.

“What’s the matter, Eliam?” She smiled to her little half-brother, whom she loved more than anyone.

“I made Sissy a card!” He beamed happily, shoving the bright green paper at her, “Happy Birfday!”

She took it gently from his little hands, laughing to herself as green was Eliam’s favorite color. Running her hand over the bedazzled, blue ‘Elle’ written on the front, she smiled broadly. The inside was scribbled all over in black and blue marker. The image was of three stick people. A man with ‘Daddy’ written above it, a little boy with ‘Me’ and a smiley face, and the last, a girl with ‘Elle’ written with stars.

Tearing up from happiness, Elle took a deep breath and asked, “But Eliam, where’s Annabella, Daniella, and your mom?”

“Mean people to Sissy don’t get to be in her birthday gift.” The boy smiled and jumped into Elle’s arms to hug her.

“Thank you, Bubba.” She said, kissing him on his cheek as he giggled.

“Eliam!” Lacey’s angry voice at the bottom of the stairs made them both jump, “It’s a beautiful day outside. Go play.” She growled.

Her brother huffed angrily, “It’s drizzling outside….” He pushed past Elle on the stairs, “Mom’s always like this….when I talk Sissy… Not fair…”

Elle tousled his hair more as he walked by, unable to comfort him any other way.

“Thank you for the card. It’s the best birthday gift I’ve ever been given.”

The sandy blonde beamed again at her before running off down the stairs. That was the last interaction she would have with her precious little brother for months.

\*tink\*\*tink\*\*tink\*

Elle sat up, slowly, from her bed, drowsily rubbing her eyes. She checked the clock: 12:21am.

\*tink\*\*tink\*\*tink\*

She yawned widely and drug herself to her window, stepping over the creaky board next to her bed. With a heavy sigh, she wrenched it open. “What Echo?” she huffed, eyes half open.

“The rain stopped…So I wanted to wish you a happy birthday…” The little voice said.

Elle laughed and reached towards the voice, eyes still half closed. She lifted the small frame and hugged him tight. The little, electric, flying squirrel tucked his wings in and nuzzled Elle’s neck, “Thank you my little Emolga friend.”

“Well, you’re very welcome my human, Mismagius friend.” Echo laughed, “Wanna sit out on the roof with me?”

“Give me one sec.” Elle released the little Pokemon and headed for her bed. There she pulled extra pillows from under it and stuffed them under her comforter. Then, yanking a black and white cover from under her bed, she met her friend at the window.

She threw the blanket onto the roof of the house and climbed out onto the second story. Elle closed the window silently behind her.

“Lacey sill checks up on you at night?” Echo asked, as he crawled in Elle’s lap. She pet his small head.

“Yeah… I don’t know why she does it. But she still gets pissed when I’m not there.” Elle scratched the back of her head, glancing back at the decoy and nodding at her work.

“I bet you still wish you were a Pokemon instead of a human. Thataway Lacey would have no control over you. You could just fly off into the darkness.”

Elle laughed, hushed, “I had a choice you know. I chose to be human with my dad. He had nowhere else to go. He would have never been able to get away from Team Rocket without the help of Jewel turning him human. And I chose to come with him, because I love my father. Plus, I’m glad I did. I love my little brother with all my heart as well. And Anna and Daniel might not be all that nice, but when Lacey’s not around at least they are decent. They are still my sisters.”

The little Pokemon rolled over so that Elle would rub his stomach, “Still, it seems a waste. I bet you were a beautiful Mismagius.”

“And what? I’m not a beautiful human?” Elle began tickling Echo, making him roll in laughter and beg mercy.

Suddenly, an eerie creak came from behind the window. In reaction, Elle rolled silently away from the glass and placed a hand over Echo’s mouth.

“Mfff…” Echo tried to say something and she quickly hushed him, holding her breath.

The floorboard creaked, that was the third board from the door. She knew this, because she had to keep quiet at night or face consequences in the morning.

This was strange, though. Lacey never entered her room at night, only peeked through the door and then left.

Elle released her grip on Echo and shuffled quietly to the window, just as the fourth board from her bed, the one she step over earlier, creaked.

“Elle?” Lacey’s voice was bone chilling, uncanny.

Holding her breath, Elle peeked through the window. Her step mother stood, hovering above her bed and the lump of her decoy. She caught the glint of the knife in the moonlight, as it came down on the decoy, and Elle audibly gasped.

Lacey turned, wild hatred shook in her blue eyes. “Elle!” she screamed murderously and rushed for the window.

“Run!” Echo howled, as he took flight.

But pure terror froze Elle. She could not move an inch as the window was hurled open in front of her. The woman’s thin fingers curled around the collar of Elle’s shirt.

“Die!” she wailed, knife coming down and aimed for Elle’s chest. The whole world seem to slow, every detail of the moment etching into her mind. The murderous gleam in her eyes, her hands trembling with hatred, and the nervous sweat gleaming on her forehead.

When suddenly, a blur of yellow and black flew by, imbedding itself into Lacey’s stomach and sending her backwards.

Elle tried to pull herself from the woman’s clutches at the same time, but was unable. Searing pain erupted from the left of her nose and down across to the right of her chin. Her lips went dead and iron tasting liquid pooled in her mouth and ran hot down her neck.

With one last pull, Elle shoved Lacey with one hand and shoved the other against her lips as tear began to flow down her face. Echo used this chance to incapacitate her step mom with a Spark, lighting up the room. It was not enough to keep her down for long, just enough to open a window of escape.

Elle turned and half slid, half stumbled to the edge of the roof. Adrenaline began to pump through her veins as she used her free hand to swing herself down to ground floor.

Her feet hit the slick mud and it took everything Elle had not to slip. The world began to sway and black dots began to dance in her eyes. The danger forgot as she fought to keep consciousness.

She saw every light on the second floor come on. Her thoughts swam to all of her siblings waking up. The screaming. What would they think? Lacey has a knife. Would Lacey harm them as well? She finally snapped. Eliam?

No. Lacey only hated her. Lacey had always hated Elle. Why? Jealousy. Who knows why? She was always a little crazy.

All these thoughts took seconds as Elle steadied herself on the window next to her to keep from slipping in the mud.

“Elle! Go!” Echo dive bombed her from the second story, snapping her from her thoughts, and flew into a nearby tree.

With lead like legs, Elle began to run, stumble into the forest. The wet grass soaking her purple pajama pants up to her knees, thick, black hair sticking to her face and back from the humidity, sweat, and probably blood.

She heard another scream from Lacey and a thump. Had she jumped from the roof? Pursuing her? The knife glistened in Elle’s memory again, and the pain in her lips burned. The thought of the crazed eyes and knife wielding hands seamed to draw the lead from her legs. Elle began to run faster, harder. Panting and spitting hot blood into her hand.

Elle switched hands on the wound. Rubbing the sticky liquid and cold sweat onto her white shirt that was already clinging to her body. Trying desperately to stop the flow and keep a hand free for when she needed it.

With every running step, her thoughts began to fade as her vision began to tunnel. Every thought, every memory and every emotion until they were all replaced by the swaying image of Lacey pursuing her and one word: Terrified….