The Truth

• Teela Marziano, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2022

Shady Silhouettes of plants gleaned elegantly across the mouldy broken floors, while tiny dots of love sparkled fluently, gliding across the ground. Emily sat deep in thought as her mum gently brushed her curly knotted hair with so much tenderness that it made her feel so special. She couldn’t have ever believed her enlightening poverty life could so drastically alternate at the blink of an eye.
With time Emily's mum faded into a deep abyss of depression forgetting about Emily who dearly loved her. Each forthcoming day her mum would disappear in early hours, returning later clutching her arms with such force that Emily thought of tragic speculations. One day the attentive young spirit confronted her weary mother but was left disturbed by her mother’s outburst. “I cook, I clean and pay the extravagant bills, what more do you want?!” Emily shielded her face to avoid showing negative emotion and sprinted out of the impoverished room. With no warning a ghastly wind-swept Emily up, sending her flying onto the road. The poor girl whimpered in distress as she struggled to her feet, as a car raced towards her. Her mum, resenting her recent words, exited the house with determination to tell her daughter the truth. She stopped in panic as her own daughter sat on the road struggling to stand, injured... As fast as lightning Emily’s mum scampered towards the road, heart pounding up in her chest as if it were a basketball…
Emily curled up in someone's warm arms contemplating the circumstances. ‘Am I in heaven?’ Emily thought bewildered. She could feel pain throbbing up her legs and arms, bruises narrowly scaling up her body. The now gentle wind blew across Emily’s face as she slowly opened her eyes. A tall figure held Emily as if she weighed the same as a feather. She noticed the figure was skinny, wore tattered clothes and was covered in horrific bruises on her arms. Emily realised it was own mother who had tears running wildly down her cheeks. When she noticed Emily was awake, it seemed the tears flowing from her eyes, leapt up and danced.
The near-death experience made her mum prioritise the truth, admitting it to her daughter. ‘I needed to have a man in my life to help with expenses and so you would have a perfect life with a dad and money and a real school.’ she paused, choking back the salty tears, ‘I have been seeing this man named Connor. At first, he was spectacular, treating me with respect. But… then he began treating me like a maid, portraying he was more important than… me. He began abusing me, and.’ she pointed to her bruises. It seemed that she wasn't entirely comfortable to continue her story and Emily could feel the rage boil inside her. The two needed to put an end to the harassment before it got any worse and Emily had the perfect diabolic plan. Now she just had to put it into motion.