When Dawn Breaks

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Sometimes, the only way to stand is to hold the world down. 

Jane gets up, opens her eyes, looks around the room, acknowledges the time. 

Days blur together to become MoteuwedthufrisatsunDAY, minutes ignore the laws of rhythm, people ignore the rules of society.

The butterflies inside awaken because everyone is looking at her. 

“What is she wearing?”

“Where’s her husband?”

“She must not be right in the head”

And she’s not, because of them. 

The pressure to be perfect weighs heavily on her shoulders, making her turn against herself. 

She cannot fly because there are weights tied to her wings.

Society has glued its eyes shut. 

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A bird glides through the satirical night sky, flaunting its hope, displaying its freedom. 

Too many lies mark the fall of a kingdom. 

Too many truths mark the fall of a king. 

A broken tune is played on a piano as dawn breaks. 

She won’t listen to unspoken laws anymore. 

She grabs her keys from the kitchen countertop and walks, determined, to her small Volkswagen. 

The engine sputters as she turns on the ignition. 

Headlights are turned on, she will live in the dark no more. 

As she drives down the packed and lonely road, her broken soul starts to heal. 

She has somewhere to be. 

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“What is wrong with this stupid thing?” Lily exclaims, as she kicks the old red car.

She was late to the party. Late! Punctuality was an important characteristic in Lily’s opinion. 

A light grey Volkswagen zooms past her. 

“Watch it!” Lily yells, shaking her fist at the speeding car. Mumbling to herself, she proceeds to abuse the vehicle. 

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Jane heads towards the city.

They won’t see her coming.

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“Finally!” 

The car rumbles and purrs, the roar of engines are a declaration of life. 

Lily accelerates. 

“I’m not missing the frickin’ party.” She says, as she glides down the deserted highway. She makes her way towards the buildings. 

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One broken light can lead to disaster.

A rusty crimson car collides with a shiny silver car. 

They meet once again.

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1 0

Y E A R S

A G O

 You screamed. I looked around, was there a wasp nearby? Your eyes were wide and your lip was quivering, you were on the verge of crying. You picked up the nearest rock and threw it at me. I dodged it. Was rock throwing a type of human game? You were backing away, chucking every item you could find in my direction. 

“Get away from me!” You screeched. Those words stung just as much as the sharp stone that sliced my shoulder. 

“Stop!” I spoke for the first time. You stopped in your tracks, as did I. I was as stunned as you were. I took a deep breath.  

“I’m Jane.” I said. “Your friend.” 

Your tears flowed freely. You still didn’t respond. Instead, you frantically ran towards the house, stumbling as you sprinted. 

“Please!” I yelled, desperate. It was then I realized I was crying too. There were some things I hated about being a person. I took a wobbly step forward. I hadn’t yet mastered the art of walking. I put another foot forward. I strolled toward you like a zombie, my feet oddly placed.

You had already gone inside the house, I was far behind. Why did you hate me? I hadn’t done anything wrong. 

You opened your front door and stepped out. You pointed something metallic at me, I wasn’t quite sure what it was. 

“Frickin' monster,” you said, as you twitched your finger.

Then there was pain. 

I didn’t feel it instantly. First I felt the cool dewey grass against my back, and the warm glow of the sun. But the torture came, sure as ever. 

Had I been hit by an asteroid? You told me about shooting stars once, and what they really were. 

I was cold. It was very cold.

I brought my hands to my stomach. They came back covered in blood. Did that belong to me? The agony worsened. I yelped, but I wasn’t sure why. I wiped something from my face, which was wet too. I felt terrible, every part of me ached. I was exhausted. Had you done this to me? I opened my eyes and saw you standing over me, the resentment you held for me clear on your face. 

“Why?” I managed to utter, my voice scratchy. 

You scoffed. But didn’t answer.

I opened my eyes to bright lights. 

The air tasted stale, and everything was either white or light blue. 

Your parents were sitting next to my bed. 

They begged me not to Sue. 

Who was Sue again?

I said I wouldn’t tell Sue, and they laughed. They looked relieved.  

At one point your mother turned to your father and whispered something about how I wasn’t a threat. Of course I wasn’t a threat! That’s what I was trying to tell you! Your parents understood. I wanted to talk to you, I wanted to tell you I forgive you for yelling at me. I wanted to apologize for scaring you, I truly didn’t mean to. 

I opened my mouth to speak.

“What hurt me?” I asked, the words felt foreign in my mouth. 

“What do you mean?” Asked your mother. Her name-tag spelled something, but I couldn’t read it. The letters were unfamiliar to me. 

“What hurt me?” I repeated. Your mother had bad hearing. 

Your parents stayed silent.

“Jennifer, care to explain?” Your father turned his face to your mother with a tight smile. Your mother, who I now knew as Jennifer, (what an interesting name!) cleared her throat. I waited patiently for an answer. 

“You were shot,” she replied, speaking quickly. She explained that someone named Lily had almost killed me with that metallic thing (it’s called a gum).

How could you?

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To be continued.