“H-hello?” I said in the most awkward voice known to mankind in the most beautiful voice crack in history. Someone could have posted it online and it would have been trending. I’m such an idiot sometimes. Usually I wasn't like this, so when something like this did happen to me. I was at Alueda’s Mercy.
“Oy.” The girl waved back to me with the slight movement of the wrist. Her voice was so high pitched as to be expected from a child. But really she was like an adorable little toddler. I had found this girl when trying to photograph a building rumored to be haunted. Really she just didn’t fit.
Ever since the moment we locked eyes she’s been following me around silently. Finally I decided to break the silence as it was getting awkward. However with that stupid Hello I made things sound worse. I literally sounded with a teenage boy going through puberty. Normally I wouldn’ care so much but ugh.
“So what’s your name?” I asked, giving a shaky smile that one I would give while extremely uncomfortable. I also said it in the voice one would use when talking to a baby. She wasn’t a baby and she wasn't pleased.
“Can’t tell a stranger my name.” She stated as she ran ahead of me. She seemed to have known this place from the inside out as if she was wandering this place for her whole life. She was also a very sassy child that made my heart hurt. I remember back in my days when children were simple. Now they’re so sassy that no words are no longer relevant to them. Their silence is sassy.
“Well I guess I won’t tell you my name either.” I snatched my camera to the side of me. Why was I being petty even though this poor child was just doing what her parents taught her to do? Though they must be some bad parents letting their child venture out into the world this early in the morning. I mean she got here before I did.
“That’s fine. Anyone can be a predator.” She finger gunned me! Why? I don’t know. Why I felt a sudden rush of frustration? I don’t know that either. This is far from peaceful, far. I haven’t taken more than two pictures yet.
“So what are you doing here?” I asked, shaking my head rapidly trying to snap myself out of it. I won’t lose this war of confusion to a literal child.
“What am I doing here? Is asking someone why they’re in a certain location even a relevant question to ask when there is only one purpose for a place? Or is it a bad attempt at trying to level with someone knowing that they’ll say the same thing. It gives you the satisfaction that you have something in common with someone. We are inadvertently desperate for sharing things in common with people. It is only natural since when you are surrounded with people that are nothing like you it’s lonely and upsetting. It’s really the same as trying to meet new people. It's in your human nature so you can’t help it.” She began patting my back as I stood there speechless. I lightly groaned through my heavy struggled exhalation.
“Yeah just let it sink in.” She continued patting my back as if I was a baby who was trying to get a burp out. It annoyed me greatly. However it seemed that this time around she has somehow completely destroyed me. The damage that this five year old caused. She wasn’t even directly insulting me either.
----------------------------------------------------
“ Eat slowly and don’t talk with food in your mouth.” Merope said, it was embarrassing that a six year old needed to inform me on how to eat. Oftenly it was the other way around so she had nothing to brag about.
“You’re the one talking. Really?” Merrilyn stole the words straight out of my mouth. I could tell she still had her book on her knee and looked down to read from it every once in awhile when Dad wasn’t looking at her. In fact that was whole entire reason why he always sat across from her.
“Hey I haven’t choked on my food since I was thwee” Merope bragged. I’m not sure if it was something to brag about but as long as she was proud of it we’d give it to her. Afterall a growing child needs to have things they are proud of.
“I never choked on my food and I only cried when I was born. You can ask Dad, it’s true” It was true Merrilyn was a whole entire different kind of child. She taught herself to read entire words by the age of two. She potty trained herself before she was two. She also learned how ito sit up in the bath on her own by three months. I thought she was an alien. Mom reassured me she was a human baby just like I was
“Merrilyn was a weirdo.”, Dad confirmed bluntly. “They always tell you the second one is easier. But not to the point where they creep you out and make you consider an exorcism.”, He continued eating as if he hadn’t even said anything in the first place.
“Dad!” Merrilyn grunted which was complimented by a thud. She had dropped the book on her knee. “That was just me stomping by the way” She said very conspicuously while very suspiciously ducking under the table for a brief moment.
-------------------------------------------------
“It’s you again. Why are you here again I forgot?”She slowly sat up wiping drool from the corners of her mouth. She extended her arms into the air immediately afterwards to expel a loud creaking yawn. She doesn't even remember.
"Remember to take the pictures for my school art festival", I reminded her. Though I wondered if she was just doing this trying to purposely get on my nerves. If so, I was embarrassed to admit that; it was working.
"Oh you! I don't care, do your stuff. I'm absolutely exhausted today" She emphasized and pitched certain words as she threw herself back creating a sense of absolute defeat and distress.
" Yeah, but that doesn't mean I know where to go all of a sudden. I'm still completely lost when it comes to this place" I groaned. Really she was my only hope to exploring these dangerous windy halls safely.
"I take it you won't leave me alone until I help you"She looked up towards me almost seeming frustrated in a way. A similar look to what Merrilyn gave me only, for this girl I couldn't tell whether it was a joke or not. Now I know how other people feel whenever they are patronized by Merrilyn. She was absolutely right, it is a wonderful way to keep people away.
"Would you believe me if I said no?", I spoke cautiously, being careful with my words who knows, she could snap any moment. I'm just kidding, she doesn't seem like the type to do something like that. Even then she scared me.
"You'd come back crying, clothes ripped and covered in dust"She then began to impersonate me in a whining baby voice. "Oh please help me. I can't do this without you. I'm lost this place is a cavernous unending cavern of torture" She once again pretended that she was in utmost defeat.
"Haha try me!" I scoffed. Whenever someone challenged me I oftenly got very competitive, and ambitious to prove myself correct. Just ask my family when it's family game night and we're approaching the Wii tennis tournament.
"She's not gonna make it"
May 15th 2010, Abandoned building, 7:15 am
(This is sad)
"Oh please help me. I can't do this without you. I'm lost in this cavernous unending cavern of torture. Wait a minute?"I came back to her after about five minutes of running through the house run into all sorts of bats and broken floors. I crashed through the floor and landed back into the room where I started and now I was begging her to help me again.
She smirked,"Hm I thought so, very well I shall aid you on your journey", She stood up and adjusted her hair ever so nobly. "I shall be your guide,I shall lead you to the light" , She "smiled" as she reached out her hand the light from the window shined over her creating a divine facade.
"Huh?", I spoke wearily, almost fazed as all the realization flossed into my head. "I see it, it's all so clear now, have I died and gone to heaven. Are you god is that how you know?" My thoughts were swirling around to be honest I didn't even know what I was saying. My mind was all over, guess I hit it too hard.
"Oh gosh, I accidentally fried her human brain cells. They couldn't compute with my knowledge!", Or at least I'm pretty sure that was what she said. Sometimes when I get like this my shuffles word brain around. Shoot! It again did I.
-----------------------------------------
Congratulations, You grow up too fast” She air kissed both of my cheeks. Merrilyn seemed to hate it whenever she did so even though she never said anything she would protest to us in her favorite way ; the silent way
“Isn’t your youngest son graduating too?” I asked, I recalled that she had spoken about it once before. Maybe it was just me remembering wrong or I misheard. I did have a surprising talent for remembering things wrong or mishearing.
“Yes he is from college. My daughter graduated from high school week ago”,Ms. Bahenza corrected me. So I did hear correctly for the most part at least. Ms. Bahenza shifted her attention back towards Dad,“My middle hijo just got me nother nieta. I tell him, don’t expect me to take care of them when on vacation. But what does he do he say,’Oh please madre I need break for honeymoon’, and I say well I need break from raising you.” I couldn’t help but to chuckle at least a little bit with her jokes even if I couldn’t relate to them. Hey maybe I can use them someday when I have children.
“ Sounds like a handful, if I were you I would have left him in an abandoned train station while I still had the chance. That or I’d arrange everything to make sure they don’t go against my own schedule. That’s already what I’m doing” Dad said a slight smirk on his face. Ms. Bahenza let out a pleasant sounding laugh while I just stared into the void and thought about what he said. No one else laughed cause they knew him well enough to know that he wasn’t kidding.
“ You make very funny jokes.” Ms. Bahenza continued to laugh as she pointed towards Dad. “Fwoo, anyways my nieto is about Merope’s age, do you think he could have a playdate with her and Merrida could watch the bebé. While I work next saturday?” She asked once she had gotten out all of her laughs. This was a problem if Dad said yes then I wouldn’t be able to go to the abandoned building, instead I’d need to watch children which I am exceedingly bad at.
“ I don’t see why not” Dad shrugged, he shrugged often. We should have a poster out on the store door saying “Shrug Often” and then just a picture of Dad. I should make one of those, I’d just need a printer.
“ Thank you so much! I’ll drop him off at nine.” She clasped Dad’s hand between her two hands. They were wrinkled at least in comparison to Dad’s hands. It sounds like a very weird thing to say but Dad had very nice hands.
“ No problem, anytime.” Usually someone would sound slightly enthusiastic when saying those words. However he sounded as unenthusiastic as ever.
“Bye, I’ll see you around, Good luck with graduation Merrida” She said her goodbyes before shuffling excitedly out the door. When she spoke to me I nodded and hugged her in response. Everyone also responded with their goodbyes smiling widely except for Dad. The moment the door closed;
“ Ugh Dad, Why?” All three of us groaned in unison. It looks like this came in direct conflict with the rest of our plans.
“She’s nice and always helps us out. Why should we not be there during her time of need” Dad responded. I mean he wasn’t wrong, that wasn’t something new. I just wouldn’t expect Dad to so cruelly turn on us knowing we had more important things. Nevermind I actually would.
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