Wipe Away My Tears For Me

   I woke up to the sound of thunder at six in the morning. My small room was cold, and my blankets were on the ground after a bad night’s sleep. Currently wearing a tee-shirt and shorts didn’t help the situation at all.

   I stood up and looked through the blinds that were shielding my window. There was a thunderstorm outside. The sound of thunder forced my face to create a frown. Walking in a storm was the last thing on my mind.

   Walking to the bathroom with a towel in my hand, I tried not to make a sound so my aunt wouldn’t wake up. She would beat me if I did anything that upset her. I shivered at the thought. Why did she even offer to take you in? She knew you were a disappointment, and she wanted to punish you for that! I shook my head, trying to get the voice out of my head.

   After setting the water to a nice temperature, I stepped in, my back feeling the warmth of the water. I raised my arms to lather shampoo in my hair, and felt a sting on my wrists. I gasped and dropped the shampoo bottle, making a loud thud. I shifted my gaze from the bottle to my wrist, and saw the raw scars that were outlined with red from the hot water. Frowning, I turned the water off and got out of the shower, without washing my hair.

   Wrapped in my towel and back in my room, I hurriedly slipped on a long-sleeved grey shirt and some worn-out jeans. If I didn’t get out of the house soon, my aunt would wake up and beat me for making a loud noise. After slipping on my simple black shoes, I ran out the door, feeling my damp hair hitting my back with every step. I heard a faint yell that sounded like, “Miranda, what was that noise!?”

   Once I was far away from my house, I started to walk. I could feel the thunder shaking the ground. I took in a deep breath of the cool air and kept walking through the puddles. Today was different than most days, and only for a small reason. Today I wondered if my day would always have the same routine, the same people, and the same life. Well, that question would be answered today, whether I liked it or not.