When I was young

When I was young we'd play. In the fields, in my head. Because I couldn't go outside. I was allergic to the sun.
So I had no friends. People thought I was a ghost, peeping out windows, leaving bloody handprints on the glass. But I am real. My name is Mariah Arkranolf. My friend is bear. Mother says bear isn't real, that he doesn't put knives next to her bed. That I need to stop lying, and telling stories. But I'm not. Bear says momma's a witch, that if I let him kill her I'll be able to go outside. I think I might. Momma doesn't love me, she never says it, or plays with me, and she locks me away in the attic. "BEAR!" I yelled. "BEAR! Come out! I want to play!" Momma came up the stairs and hit me. " If you keep touching the knives I'm going to cut you'r hands off!" She said to me. She didn't apologize, she just turned and left, locking the door behind her. She says were ok as long as I don't leave the house. When it's stormy out, and she holds me. I usually ask her about the scars on her wrists while she does this. She says she's an angel, trying to het back to heaven. I want to be just like her when I grow up. I am 12 years old, and have never left this house. Mom says I was born in the attic. That the world wants to lock us up and throw away the key. That the house is the only safe place.

       It's my 15th birthday, Bear brought a boy to the window, he asked me if I was real. " Do you want me to be real?" I asked, "No." he said " I would hate for a real, beautiful girl, to have been locked away, unless you just moved here, then you might just be shy, tell me are you shy?" I didn't know how to answer, and mother was coming, so I said " I have to go, come back sometime, but don't tell mother." I tried to close the window but mother was too quick, and saw the boy before he got away. She took me upstairs to the bad closet. The one with the piece of wood bites into my back and makes me bleed. Mother pushed me in and the door swung shut. Mother started screaming. " No! It isn't possible, we hid! I did everything I could to make sure you died! How are you here?!" Then there was a gurgling sound, and warm wet stuff ran under the door. "Bear? " I said. " Don't hurt momma, she doesn't mean it, she just wants to help us." I had to blink against the light as the door swung open. Momma was dead, Bear had killed her before I told him not to, and he looked different. The Bear I knew had white skin, and white eyes, and light blue eyes, like me. This Bear had tan skin, tattoos, and black hair, his eyes were green, but his smile was the same. I hugged Bear, and said " Thank you." Now can we go, I'm tired of being the boy at the window." he said. "Yes we can go, get my umbrella." I said. Bear got my thick oversized umbrella that I made, but as we walked outside, covered in blood, hand and hand, the sun didn't hurt. My curse was broken, and we were free.

                                                                           THE END