Broken Promise (part 2)

by Rebecca Clearwater

“Oh Amelia,” Katie gasped. “This isn’t good, this is worse than last time.”

“I know.”

“Why?”

“School.”

“I thought you finally accepted the situation?”

“I thought so too...”

“So what happened?”

“The closer the start of school gets the sadder I get. Orientations start this week and I just, I can’t do this. I thought I could but I can’t.” Amelia started scratching rapidly at her wrist and broke into a new spell of sobs. Amelia buried her wet face into Katie’s shoulder and Katie gave her a hug.

“You can do this, I know you can. You will succeed anywhere you go,” Katie murmured comfortingly.

Amelia stood up and wiped her eyes, “I need to clear my head, I’ll text you later.”

“Promise?”

“Yes.”

“No disappearing?”

“No disappearing.”

Katie stood up and gave Amelia a hug. Amelia took a deep breath and let go of Katie.

“I missed your hugs,” Amelia stated quietly.

“You wouldn’t have had to miss them if you hadn’t shunned me.”

“Shun the nonbeliever.”

“Amelia.”

“Shun.”

“Amelia Wilson! Never again will you shun me.”

“Ok, I never will again.”

Amelia climbed silently over the fence and crossed the deck in a few strides. She opened the wooden gate and climbed nimbly down the stairs. Katie watched the horizon and saw Amelia cross the street and go into the deserted playground.

Katie then hopped clumsily back over the fence and down into the parish hall to join the party. She would give Amelia some space but catch up with her later in the evening.

After two hours or so of being at the party Katie made a plate of food and walked across the street. Katie found Amelia lying on her back under the overhang of the playground.

Amelia heard footsteps on the tanbark and she sat up quietly; she drew her gun. “Who goes there,” she yelled.

“I come bearing food,” Katie yelled back.

“Oh bless you,” Amelia muttered putting the gun down.

“Where’d you get the gun? Wait I don’t want to know.”

“All good ninjas carry a gun,” Amelia commented.

“Of course I should have known.”

Katie handed Amelia the plate and Amelia began to pick at it half heartedly.

“What you aren’t hungry?” Katie asked.

“Yes I am, just a lot on my mind,” Amelia murmured picking a little more on the food.

“I bet, what are you thinking?”

“My wrist hurts.”

“Serves you right.”

“Yeah I know.”

“You can’t keep doing this to yourself.”

“I know...”

“I thought you were getting better.”

“Apparently not."

“What can I do to help?”

“Not tell.”

“You know I can’t promise that.”

“You have to.”

“Amelia look at your wrist.”

“I know and I will tell my mom give me a chance.”

“Ok.”

Amelia lay back down and her eyelids started to become heavy and she fell asleep on the playground, feeling the warmth and comfort of having her best friend lying next to her.

The End

Broken Promise (part 1)

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.