The bright orange sundress was perfect for the occasion; it flowed right beneath her knees. Though, the person inside of the dress did not look perfect. If she were to sit, you could see a little scar down her knee, fresh cut on her leg, some longer than others.

Her once dirty blonde hair is now as black as coal. It used to flow just above the small of her back, but she cut it just above her shoulders.
Blush, mascara, and bright pink lipstick made her look older and different. Make-up really wasn’t her thing, but it made her look unrecognizable.

Good she thought to herself.

She was in her parents room, standing on a chair. She was struggling and couldn’t seem to see; the tears were blinding her.

“Hurry! It’s all your fault! Hurry it up you ugly sloth!” shouted her mother from behind, also blinded by fear and tears.
“I’m …. trying!” she shouted between sobs.

She awoke from her daydream with the ding of the timer. Her father’s favorite cookies were slightly burnt on the edges, just the way he always liked them. Removing the cookies from the oven, she thought of how her father and she would always sit in the living room and watch Lost on tv together.

Walking to the cupboard she saw a piece of paper hanging on the fridge. A sting of pain went through her body and she couldn’t bear to look at it any more. Opening the cupboard, she found a heart shaped tupperware bowl and put the cookies inside of it.

She grabbed her bag from the kitchen table and put the cookies inside it, covering it with her favorite scarf.

She was walking towards the door when she heard the key turn, slowly backing into the kitchen again. Hearing her Mother and Stepmother walking closer to the kitchen, she hid in the nearby pantry. Thinking of going out the back door, both of her mothers came into the kitchen. She heard them talking, but decided to stop listening when she heard her own name.

“Alyah can not be trusted. She will make a stupid mistake that none of us will see coming.” the girls step mother was saying, trying to not be too loud; Alyah was probably sleeping.

“She is fine! She is just feeling the loss of her father, it will pass. We all go through times of grief.” Alyah’s mother confirmed.

“If you're so sure then, I guess I’ll leave it alone.” her stepmother said, walking out of the kitchen.

Grabbing a bag of chips and dip she walked out of the kitchen, following the girls real mother.

Slowly opening the closet door, she crept out of the cramped closet and tried to make no noise. Making progress in moving towards the door, she didn’t succeed in moving noiselessly. As she moved out of the closet a bag of Doritos fell to the ground.

“Who’s there?” shouted one of her mothers, not caring which the girl ran towards the door.

Opening the screen door she felt the humidity of the summer air against her face. Running to the gate in the door she heard someone yelling at her.

“Who are you? What do you want?” she could hear her stepmother yelling.

Feeling a pang of disappointment, she remembered she was not the normal Alyah they always saw.
She wasn’t the beautiful blonde with naturally good skin.

She was a stranger with black hair, a little too much makeup, and a dress.

Don’t feel bad for yourself, you’ll be okay in the end, she told herself.

No pulse. No breathing. Nothing.

“You idiot! You killed him!” screamed her mother.

“He’s gone,” is all she could say.

Her father was gone. Hung himself. Not knowing why, she felt it was her fault.

You idiot! You killed him! her mother's words still in her head.


She tripped on a rock and was awaken from her daydream, once again. Looking to her left she found herself by the subway. Brushing the dirt off her dress she walked to the subway and stood by the door.

Are you ready? she asked herself You will be happy again. No more grief.

Without another thought, she walked onto the subway, not knowing where it was going; not caring either.

As the subway started she took one last look at the tunnel and thought what a pretty last thought of your home, underground.

She rested her head against the window and drifted off to a dreamless sleep.