Luella Kingsly + D 8 + {FIN}

The Girl

Why would anyone ever want to live in reality? The world sucks, it's a known fact. Yet I'm called crazy for trying to escape it. "Luella, dear, what on earth are you doing!?" I look up from my friends and stare at my mother in what I've been told 'the odd-ball way' of mine. I don't know what makes it so strange, it's just a stare. "I'm taking care of my friends mother. Flowers have feelings too," I turn from her and continue to wrap a scarf around Mrs. Tulip's thin stem. She doesn't like getting cold you know. She complained to me all day yesterday about the nip in the air. "For the love of... you're fourteen years-old, you're way too old for this kind of thing," She snatches my hand and yanks me off the ground so roughly that I falter in getting to my feet. When I'm up she bends down and snatches up the scarf I had ever so carefully placed in a similar manner. "Don't! She'll get cold!" I say, making a move for the scarf. Mother holds it out of my reach and grips my wrist tight with her other hand.

"Luellla, that is enough! People are staring... Go to your room. Now!" She forces me into the house and I take my time making my way to my room. Honestly, so dramatic. She gets this way when I talk to the caterpillar too. He's kind of a jerk, I don't know why I talk to him. I stop walking when I spot him on the floor and wave. Nothing. Not even a slight glance to show acknowledgment. I think he's still mad at me from yesterday. "Luella! Room, now!" "Mother, I can't just be rude and not say hi to my friends!" I can see the flash of irritation run across her face and the 'o' like shape that her mouth takes on. Like she's just waiting to scream at me until she can't anymore. Like I said, such a drama queen. Her mouth twist and comes to just a simple crease. Whatever she wanted to say, obviously wasn't going to be nice. For once I wish she'd just say it already. God, it's so annoying.

Her expression softens ever so slightly and she goes for the nearest cabinet. She roots around in silence for awhile until she pops out with a pill bottle. I don't know why, but a sense of dread comes over me when she does this.

I leave my hair in a side fishtail braid then go to sit on the floor by my window. Running my fingers over the hardcover, I trace the delicate writing of the title then pry it open. I'm greeted by that 'old book smell' that I love so much. It puts me at ease and I can feel myself relax against the wall. At least this way I wont be dreading and paranoid of when my medicine will put me to sleep. Pulling my knees up, I prop the book up on them so I can be a little more comfortable and begin on the first chapter. For awhile the words take me somewhere that sounds so much sweeter than this world could ever be and I can't stop myself from wanting to go to the next page and then the one after that. I'm so caught up in this new world that I barely notice when the words begin to slip away from my vision. I can see my eyelashes begin to crowd the world around me as my medicine takes on it's full effect.

I hate my medicine. I call it cruel medicine. Why? Not only does it take my friends words away from me, but it's slow. It takes its effect on strong, but slow. Slow enough to allow my brain to register whats happening, but strong enough that I can't do anything about it. Like what I imagine being paralyzed feels like. You know things are happening, but you can't do anything whether you want to or not. My control over my limbs escapes me and I can feel the book fall from my knees. I watch the spin collide with the wooden floor at I crash to the ground myself. I can hear my mother knocking on my door.

"Luella? Are you alright?" I can hear the smirk in her voice and know that she doesn't really care. I wanted to scream at her that this was her fault, that I hated her, but even my own words get taken from me. The last thing I see is my mother opening my door and her feet walking towards me. My heart finally catches on and begins to beat rapidly before my eyes close and I eventually go under.