Fantasy Flashes

Marnie

Marnie was a mischievous little girl when we were growing up. We would bounce on my bed until it was broken, smother my mums scarlet lipstick all over our faces, and even hide under my older brother's bed just to give him a big scare. Words can't really describe how much Marnie meant to me.

She would steal my mums freshly baked cookies straight off the hot tray, and somehow my mother never found out it was her. Marnie had a habit of painting across the walls in our home, all pictures of me and her. I had a scolding from mum that night, I hated telling Marnie she couldn't do it anymore.

Marnie was my best friend. She was like a comforter to me, always there when I needed her. She was there for me when my dad died, telling me everything would be okay. Because that's what Marnie always did, reassured me. We braved high school together, even when people would give us nasty looks whenever I was with her. I didn't have any other friends, but that's okay because neither did Marnie.

But just as I was preparing for university, Marnie completely vanished from my life. She had no family I could contact and she wasn't the type to use social media. I cried so much that night. When it finally came to my venture out into the unknown, I turned to my mum with tears in my eyes, realising once and for all she wasn't coming. I'd been neglecting her too much, that's why she left. She was gone just as swift as the wind around me, and all I could feel was the coldness of her absence.

'I wish you'd brought Marnie with you mum, I just wanted to see her one last time.'

'Marnie? You mean your imaginary friend?.'