Division

Part Three- Violence

''EDEN! GET YOUR DUMB ASS DOWN HERE!''

I blink for just a second, and I'm already home.

Up in my room, hiding from my mother.

Tomorrow's Halloween...Which means mother must lecture me about everything I do tomorrow.

''EDITH! DON'T MAKE ME COME UP THERE!''

I gulp, putting on my shoes and sliding on my backpack, curling myself out of my bed and walking out my bedroom door, downstairs into the kitchen as I see my mother cleaning dirty dishes with her bare hands, wiping sweat off her forehead with her own sleeve.

The moment I slide back the table chair, mother spins around and looks at me with gritted teeth.

''Were you ever going to tell me that I didn't give you enough money for school!? Were you ever going to tell me that you need help in school!? Would you even come up to me, Edith, and tell me you need money for that stupid school festival tomorrow!?-''

''I-''

''No mom, I didn't come up to you and tell you every single fucking important thing that's going on with my life! Blah, Blah, Blah, Eden! Of course, you didn't tell me anything, because your life isn't important to me!''

Mother cuts off my sentence angrily, slapping my hand with her own as I shoot back in my chair and wince, watching her stomp over to the kitchen cabinets and start ripping out dishes and cups.

''Of course, you didn't tell me, Of course, you didn't care to tell me! Can't even say this shitty stuff to your own mother! Such a terrible daughter, you are! Learn to earn your own money!''

Mother rips out a dish from the dish cabinet and slams it in front of me, making my eyes widen as she grabs my black hair and digs into my eyes.

''Learn to have your own fucking independence!''

''Ow! Mom, Stop! You're hurting me! Stop! Stop!''

I dig my nails into her skin, causing me to frown and wince as she slams my head down on top of the table, so hard even the dirty plate she slammed on the table fidget.

I gasp of pain and cradle my head, feeling her hand let go of my hair and slam down four bucks in front of my face.

''Go ahead and buy yourself your own damn lunch! I'll keep the rest of this shit together!''

I hear her bust out of the kitchen and stomp upstairs, making me slowly raise my head up from the table and slightly wince.

I touch my head quietly and sit up from the table, grabbing the four dollars with my shaking hand frantically as I slowly walk out the front door, putting my hand on my waist as I watch the school bus arrive right in front of my eyes as I stand on the street.

I cover my hand over my eyes as the wind from the bus blows through my hair, it slowly dying down as the school bus doors open.

''Get in, Kid.''

Speaks a different, deep, bus driver calls out to me, me in response, quietly walks up the small school bus stairs and inside of it, sitting all the way at the back of the bus silently as I pull my small sketchbook out of my lunchbox full of no food, and begin to sketch out a ghostly woman with a black pen.

I touch my head and shiver, staring down at my pointer finger.

Only one drop of blood remains on my finger.

I shudder and shake it off my head, not noticing another person had already gone on the bus.

That's weird.

No one lives on my block.

That's practically why mother likes this stupid town.

Maybe it's my imagination-

''That looks like Kuchisake-Onna.''

I turn my head to look on the right seat of me, staring at a quiet Korean girl about my age.

Her hair is short and black, her short eyes a dark brown color as she holds a serious expression on her face, seeming to have a cut on her cheek.

Her voice is deep, soft at the same time as she speaks to me.

''According to Japanese legends, there was this woman that would approach you and ask you if she was pretty. If you said no to her, she killed you. If you said yes, she would grab a knife and slit your mouth open so you could look like her.''

The girl gives me a mouth-closed smile, her eyes gazing onto my sketchbook.

Shit. I close my sketchbook quickly.

I chuckle nervously, but the girl in the seat across from me stays serious.
Say something. Introduce yourself.

''I'm Edith, but call me Eden.''

I smile awkwardly and reach out my pale hand to her, her gaze retreating from my sketchbook and onto my hand.

She seems to hesitate at first as she stares at my hand, but opens her mouth and then grabs my hand tightly.

''I'm Sae. I like your name.''
I smile and shake her hand.
She then immediately lets go of my hand and looks away from me.

''Thanks. Your name is pretty cool too.''

I reply back to her, stuffing my sketchbook in my jacket as I mindlessly stare at her.

I don't know if it's my imagination, but I see her disappear.

And reappear again.