by Rebecca Clearwater
“Where could she be?”Katie thought, “She should be back by now.”
It was about mid August in the summer of 2010. It was a big church event that was the sending off party for Austin. Usually Amelia was a social butterfly at these types of events but not this one.
Amelia had been so quiet lately. She was always zoning out, having her head in the clouds all the time. And the look of sadness in her eyes was unbelievable; her eyes were big, blue pools of misery. She had stopped texting everyone, was reading a lot, and barely talked to Katie at all.
Katie searched the church. She was getting really worried. She checked the stairs, all the offices, the furnace room, and all Amelia’s favorite hiding spots. Just when she was about to lose hope she decided to check the roof. She had heard Amelia tell her she liked to go up there to think and thought it was worth a shot.
She went outside and crept quietly up the stairs leading to the deck off the nursery. She reached the far fence and saw Amelia lying on the roof looking up at the star filled sky, silent tears running down her freckled cheeks. She lay on her back, her left arm tucked under her and her right arm hugging her torso.
As Katie drew closer, she realized Amelia’s eyes were filled with terror. She was crying not tears of sadness but of horror, panic, and guilt.
Katie clumsily hopped over the fence you had to climb to get to the roof and walked cautiously over to Amelia and plopped silently beside her. Amelia looked up and just shifted slightly and leaned her head on Katie’s shoulder not saying a word. Katie put her arms around Amelia shivering body and gave her a hug.
After a few minutes silence Amelia murmured something Katie couldn’t make out and pulled away from Katie, “Amelia what’s wrong?” Katie asked cautiously.
“I, I...” Amelia trailed off breaking into a new bout of sobs.
“You haven’t been returning my texts, you read all the time at church, never talk to anyone, I haven’t spent any time with you in days, and you look so sad. I’m worried about you.”
“I’m sorry, I just didn’t want to deal with people,” Amelia replied tears falling hard and fast. “It wasn’t right for me to disappear like that.”
“No it wasn’t. But why are you so upset?”
“I broke my promise to you, I’m sorry.”
“You did what?”
“I broke my...” Amelia trailed off sobbing. “I’m sorry! I just couldn’t help it.”
“It’s ok. Show me.”
Amelia removed her left wrist out from behind her back. It was drenched in bright red blood. And fresh blood was gushing from the lattice pattern of cuts.
It was about mid August in the summer of 2010. It was a big church event that was the sending off party for Austin. Usually Amelia was a social butterfly at these types of events but not this one.
Amelia had been so quiet lately. She was always zoning out, having her head in the clouds all the time. And the look of sadness in her eyes was unbelievable; her eyes were big, blue pools of misery. She had stopped texting everyone, was reading a lot, and barely talked to Katie at all.
Katie searched the church. She was getting really worried. She checked the stairs, all the offices, the furnace room, and all Amelia’s favorite hiding spots. Just when she was about to lose hope she decided to check the roof. She had heard Amelia tell her she liked to go up there to think and thought it was worth a shot.
She went outside and crept quietly up the stairs leading to the deck off the nursery. She reached the far fence and saw Amelia lying on the roof looking up at the star filled sky, silent tears running down her freckled cheeks. She lay on her back, her left arm tucked under her and her right arm hugging her torso.
As Katie drew closer, she realized Amelia’s eyes were filled with terror. She was crying not tears of sadness but of horror, panic, and guilt.
Katie clumsily hopped over the fence you had to climb to get to the roof and walked cautiously over to Amelia and plopped silently beside her. Amelia looked up and just shifted slightly and leaned her head on Katie’s shoulder not saying a word. Katie put her arms around Amelia shivering body and gave her a hug.
After a few minutes silence Amelia murmured something Katie couldn’t make out and pulled away from Katie, “Amelia what’s wrong?” Katie asked cautiously.
“I, I...” Amelia trailed off breaking into a new bout of sobs.
“You haven’t been returning my texts, you read all the time at church, never talk to anyone, I haven’t spent any time with you in days, and you look so sad. I’m worried about you.”
“I’m sorry, I just didn’t want to deal with people,” Amelia replied tears falling hard and fast. “It wasn’t right for me to disappear like that.”
“No it wasn’t. But why are you so upset?”
“I broke my promise to you, I’m sorry.”
“You did what?”
“I broke my...” Amelia trailed off sobbing. “I’m sorry! I just couldn’t help it.”
“It’s ok. Show me.”
Amelia removed her left wrist out from behind her back. It was drenched in bright red blood. And fresh blood was gushing from the lattice pattern of cuts.
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