The War
The only thing my ears could hear was the sound of my heart shattering. Breaking into a thousand different shards, like stepping onto thin ice. Because that's just what my heart was turning into. Ice. Every day I saw my sister come home willing away tears of sorrow. My wonderful, happy, doesn't have a care in the world sister, sobbing. What happened to the friend and sister I knew, with dancing hazel eyes, thick chestnut hair, and smile dimples. She met Jane, that's what happened. That girl is like a rotten egg, beautiful on the outside, smooth and creamy white, but when broken, out of its thin fragile shell putrid slimy innards tumble out. Once that decaying stench enters your nose, you can't get the suffocating smell out again. It makes me wonder why that person has to be so mean, especially to my sister. Sometimes I would try and find her heart, black and shriveled if she had one, and look at it. I would try and figure out why someone so mean, would abuse someone so nice. It makes me wonder what I would find if I took her heart and looked at it under a microscope. What kind of secrets, does she hold within her being. The cruelness my sister went through was hard for her,
and for me, because I wanted to do something about it. I wanted to confront Jane.
I would see her all the time, that Jane. Everywhere, like Hannah's shadow she would follow. In the hall, the classroom, the playground, and after school during girls on the run, sometimes even on the phone. She would always be there. I could see what she was doing to my sister, I could see that it was wrong. Looking back I'm surprised to recollect that the teachers couldn't see what I could. To them Jane was just a perfect little angel, always good and pure. That was all a lie, Jane wore a mask to deceive adults, and work her poison. I saw. I saw what she did, and to me she was a shallow pool of water that I could see through to the bottom, and that scared me. She scared me with what she did to Hannah. I would think,
“If she is doing it to Hannah what’s to stop her from doing it to me?” so I would avoid her. There came a point where I could take no more, seeing the constant abuse and frequent gossip not to mention the pushes, pinches, or shoves, had worn me down, just as much as Hannah.
We were out running one day and Jane had just upset Hannah... Something inside me snapped...I sped up, my heart beat along with it, but not because of the new speed. My blood ran chilled, and my limbs felt as if they were made of led. But I had to keep going, for my sister, for Hannah. With mounting dread, and my heart beat pounding in my ears, adrenaline pulsing through my veins, I pulled up even with Jane.
“Jane, we need to talk”, I panted
Jane sneered, “why”
“You need to stop, to take a look at yourself and ask, ‘do I really want to be a monster?’ There was no stopping me now I was to far gone to turn back.
“Because that is what you’re acting like to my sister, a monster.” Gasping, I continued.
“Is that what you want to be Jane? A monster? Please leave my sister alone, she hasn't even done anything to you, ever.”
Silence...I was met only by that cold glaring stare, the kind that makes your blood run cold, with fear. The kind of stare that makes you feel embarrassed like a fool, the kind that commands retreat. But what do I have to be embarrassed for I’m standing up for my sister in her time of need. I would not yield. Hope welled up within my chest as I said,
“It’s over Jane, and you know it.”
I looked up into her smug face, seeing her just doubting every word I said. But I saw a flicker of fear within the icy depths of her eyes, then it vanished just as soon as it came. Then and there I knew I was right, Jane had no power over me. In a huff she ran off, with just one last snide remark thrown over her shoulder, leaving me in the dust to run alone.
I don’t know if it was that last remark or the fact that I actually confronted Jane but emotion welled up inside, tears trickling down my cheeks. The dam broke and sobs racked my body as I let it all out, all that pain of seeing my sister abused and feeling what she did, and not doing anything, I...let...it...all...go...
The war has ended, the battlements abandoned, maybe not forever, but for now I have done my part. Defending my sister was all that mattered, I realize that now, looking back. My desire to defend what I love won out against my fear, and I’m glad it did. Through my whole life I will always carry that memory, as inspiration. I believe that the moment I stood up to Jane, I changed, no longer was I afraid of her, or other things for that matter. By defending something I love I will always carry the feeling of victory, and success, forever remembering how to do it again should the need arise.