Dark Birthday
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Khue Le, Grade 8
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Short Story
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2015
Within the dark shadows of the bustling metropolis, a young girl crouches in the corner, away from the busy streets and loud chatter of the population. Draped over her paper thin shoulders is a worn out rag barely thick enough to keep her warm. It twists and tangles into her long, uncut hair, creating a mass of black and blue hues hiding her scratches. From her pant pocket, the girl takes out a box of matches. Her eyes dart widely around to observe her surroundings before flicking it open. The darkness brightens immediately but it wasn’t enough. Nothing though, she thought, was enough nowadays anyway. The endless warmth she used to have was gone and the amount of food she was able to eat a day had decreased immensely.
She stares up at the night sky. A particular star sits away from the rest, alone and yet it still shines. Her eyes closes and she made a simple wish. I want to be like that one day. To be able to still sparkle even when I am far away from the rest. The match was now simmering and sizzling, the flame about to die out. Hurriedly, she blows it out and sits back, suddenly exhausted.
Once again, her eyes scans the environment, noticing the usual streets and people and buildings. Nothing was different compared to yesterday, or the day before that, or even the day before that. Everyone minded their own lives and did their own thing and that was good. Or maybe it wasn’t. Because if people actually stopped to look around once in a while, maybe they would see a girl alone in the city and maybe, they would wonder what she was doing there and care. But nobody did.
Nobody cared that it was her birthday today. Another year added. One of the most important dates for most people. Nobody knew. Nobody even thought of wondering. And it was then, at thirteen years old, that she realised. A person can only ever exist if they exist to somebody.
It was another dark birthday.