"Mothers are all slightly insane" - J.D. Salinger (Arrival post timed to late tonight, OTA)
Lilly didn't like it in the big house, there were too many walls, too many bright unnatural lights. Victoria, however, had seemed to have made herself familiar with the new surroundings.
The saving grace was that Mama was there. Though, Lilly reasoned, Mama was going to be everywhere the two of them were, and Lilly loved her unconditionally for it. Nights were the best, many of them spent playing in their room with Mama, and wrapped in her embrace as she sang them to sleep. Somewhere in the back of her young mind, Lilly wondered why Mama continued to hide whenever Annabel came in the room, Mama had absolutely nothing to be ashamed of while Annabel should've been the one to hide. That would've showed her. The woman had made her wear shoes, after all.
That night, Victoria had chosen to stay in bed instead of joining Mama outside. Lilly didn't understand her elder sister's reasoning, though felt it was a swift betrayal to Mama herself, who had shown both girls love and caring for five years.
It was a still night, though there was a slight chill in the air as Lilly, clad only in pajamas, climbed out of the second-story bedroom window and down the whitewashed latticework trellis that had been nailed to the side of the house what looked like decades ago. Bare feet crunched along the grass as she ran to the edge of the backyard where the comfort of total darkness and trees awaited her, where Mama waited. Crawling under the low hanging branches of one of the larger trees, Lilly squatted down, looking around at the quiet darkness. "Mama..?" Her voice was small, even for a six year old. What she didn't notice was that the house had disappeared and she was surrounded by an unfamiliar assortment of trees, a wrought iron and wood bench situated in the grass a few yards off.
"Mama..." The plaintive cry shook her tiny body as she sat in the grass and hugged herself. Knees up to her chest and arms wrapped around her legs, Lilly sniffed, determined to wait all night for Mama if she had to.
The saving grace was that Mama was there. Though, Lilly reasoned, Mama was going to be everywhere the two of them were, and Lilly loved her unconditionally for it. Nights were the best, many of them spent playing in their room with Mama, and wrapped in her embrace as she sang them to sleep. Somewhere in the back of her young mind, Lilly wondered why Mama continued to hide whenever Annabel came in the room, Mama had absolutely nothing to be ashamed of while Annabel should've been the one to hide. That would've showed her. The woman had made her wear shoes, after all.
That night, Victoria had chosen to stay in bed instead of joining Mama outside. Lilly didn't understand her elder sister's reasoning, though felt it was a swift betrayal to Mama herself, who had shown both girls love and caring for five years.
It was a still night, though there was a slight chill in the air as Lilly, clad only in pajamas, climbed out of the second-story bedroom window and down the whitewashed latticework trellis that had been nailed to the side of the house what looked like decades ago. Bare feet crunched along the grass as she ran to the edge of the backyard where the comfort of total darkness and trees awaited her, where Mama waited. Crawling under the low hanging branches of one of the larger trees, Lilly squatted down, looking around at the quiet darkness. "Mama..?" Her voice was small, even for a six year old. What she didn't notice was that the house had disappeared and she was surrounded by an unfamiliar assortment of trees, a wrought iron and wood bench situated in the grass a few yards off.
"Mama..." The plaintive cry shook her tiny body as she sat in the grass and hugged herself. Knees up to her chest and arms wrapped around her legs, Lilly sniffed, determined to wait all night for Mama if she had to.