"Mommy, mommy, this isn't the way home!" Althea had said, as she held tightly onto her mother's sleeve, her lip wobbling slightly as she looked up at her mother.
Her mother had only shook her head and faked a smile, "We're going somewhere special today, sweetie."
Another lie.
Althea didn't know what to expect, so she only nodded curiously and trailed after her mother.
Soon, her legs started getting tired of walking just as mother and daughter reached a large building.
Her mother looked down and noticed her wobbly legs and picked her up in her arms
Althea didn't ask why they were at this building, she knew better than to question her parents. There was no point, her questions were never answered anyways.
When they finally walked inside of the building, Althea heard yells and voices coming from the other side of the walks.
Goosebumps arrived all over her body. This place gave her the nastiest chills.
Her mother whispered for her to sit in the waiting area as she finished some "paperwork".
So Althea sat down, hands in lap, legs dangling off the seat.
She didn't know what to expect, she didn't know what this place was or why she was here.
She wanted to run out of the door, she wanted to leave but she didn't want to upset her mother.
Eventually, her mother and the lady behind the counter started walking towards her.
Her mother reached her first, holding her hands and saying,
"Althea, darling, you'll be staying with this kind lady for a little bit. She'll take care of you while I take care of something else."
Althea frowned, she didn't want to stay with this lady she's never met before; but again, she didn't want to upset her mother.
"You will pick me up, right?"
With no emotion in her voice and eyes, her mother nodded, "I will come back, I will pick you up. If you promise to behave for this lady."
This was the final lie her mother ever spoke to her.
Althea didn't register the snort the lady behind the counter had let out, all she cared about was that her mother was leaving her.
But Althea let her mother go, because she thought her mother loved her, and would come back.
Althea's mother never came back.
THE END OF "THE BEFORE" EPIGRAPH COMING UP NEXT! PLAYLIST CAN BE FOUND ON MY SPOTIFY PAGE.
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