Just One More

"Oh come on, Mama! Just one more!"

"No Alice, you've had far too many."

"But Mamaaaaa!"

"Alright fine, just one more."

This is Alice. Alice is a little girl with sunshine locks and ocean eyes, which- if you squinted hard enough -had little ivory sparkles filled with wonder. Now, Alice was a kind little girl, and she almost always did what she was asked. She did all her chores, got straight As in school, and never asked for any new clothes or toys. But notice how I said almost. You see, Alice had stumbled upon a little tin of sugar once. And once she started, she just couldn't stop. Just something about that absolutely delicious flavor- and oh, how it melted on her tongue like little snowflakes- both relaxing her and waking her up- it was just- just- Alice couldn't even describe it.

She began to sneak up on her prey, avoiding all the places she knew creaked on the floor, until her little greedy hands were millimeters away from the little jar lovingly painted in shades of lilac and pearl.

"Alice!"

She jumped, shoving her hands behind her back.

"Y-yes, Mama?"

"I told you, no more cookies today! You've had more than enough!"

"But Mama, can't I just have one more?"

"NO! Now go to your room and stop trying to sneak sweets!"

Alice slunk back to her room, her mother huffing, frustrated enough to not notice the two little golden chocolate chip cookies in her daughter's tiny hands.

She slammed the door, silently screaming in joy as she looked down at her prize. She then proceeded to swallow a whole cookie in two bites, eyes glittering as the buttery, silky warm cookie melted in her mouth.

"Maybe I'll put one back. Mama always yells at me not to eat them. The least I could do is not eat more."

Suddenly, she heard banging and screaming coming from downstairs. 'Papa?' She thought, putting down the cookies and opening her door. 'Papa is yelling bad words. Mama said that we shouldn't ever say them. Why is he yelling bad words at Mama?'

"Mama?" she called, her voice no louder than the faintest whisper. "Papa?" She crept downstairs. She peeked her head over the corner, confused. Her papa was standing over Mama, holding a broken grape juice bottle. Why was Mama sleeping on the floor, when there was so much strawberry sauce on it? Mama said to call 911 on her phone if it looked like she needed help. Mama definitely needed help. That sticky strawberry sauce would take forever to get out of her hair.

She struggled to pick up the phone, her hands shaking. Why were her hands shaking? Mama wasn't hurt.... right?

"911, what's your emergency?"

"Hello?" Alice, squeaked, almost dropping the phone."

"Oh, um, hello little girl? Why'd you call?"

"Oh. Well... Mama's covered in strawberry sauce and I don't think Papa can help, I think he tried to clean it with the grape juice bottle but it broke, and now Mama's hair is covered in it."

"*gasp* Oh my god, little girl, where are you?"

"Mama said we live in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, why?"

"Oh, sweety... We just need an address."

"I-isn't that the thing with the numbers? Oh, t-then it's 120 Forest Avenue." Why was her voice so scratchy?

"Okay, sweety, we need you to stay calm and wait for help to get there okay?"

Ten minutes later, they found Alice locked in her room, broken shards of lilac and pearl ceramic all around her, shoveling dozens of chocolate chip cookies in her mouth while silver tears ran down her cheeks.

"Why am I crying? Mama's okay...She just needs to take a bath.... Just one more cookie couldn't hurt..." was all she could mutter the whole time, even as her Papa was taken away, even as her Mama was driven away from her, covered in 'strawberry sauce,' even as she sat down next to the hospital bed and watched the screen flatline. That was all she could say as she walked out of prison after visiting her Papa for the 30th time. Just one more visit. Just one more cookie. Just one more chance.