The Writer's Games: Summer 2016 Edition ♡

HumbleWriterBug: Prompt One

Read through all five entries and vote for your favorite - only ONE! 

Pumping her legs, Marie made the swing go higher and higher. A gentle breeze was blowing, causing chills to crawl down her spine.

She cried softly, hot tears streaming down her face. Her eight year old self understood death, but couldn't quite grasp why, and how it happened.

Marie's grandmother was a prominent role model throughout her childhood, when her mother was too fragile to be a good parent after her husband's death.

She was 5 when the accident happened; the other driver was drunk, his car smashing into her father's. Marie's mother Ann lost herself, losing the trust of her daughter along the way.
Now Marie was sat all by herself in a park, feeling the loss of her grandma bearing down on her shoulders. She was scared and alone, but couldn't bring herself to go back home.

Marie's mother would soon spiral out of control, back to her old ways, and Marie would have no one left to turn to.
Her doll was still clutched in the tight grip of her hands. Marie held it close to her chest, as if it was the only thing keeping her grounded.

Her legs burned from the effort of keeping the swing in the air. The swing slowed to a stop as she stopped kicking. Marie hopped off and began walking down the familiar road to her special place: her Grandma's house.

She was almost collapsing with fatigue -it was way past her bedtime- but kept walking purposefully. Marie soon reached the red bricked, thatched roof house.

The front door was locked but there was a spare key under the welcome mat. Entering the house, she was overcome by familiar smells of baked goods and laundry detergent associated with her Grandma.

Tears pricked her eyes yet again, as she drifted through the house. Pictures of Marie and her Grandmother filled the walls, as well as her grandmother's paintings.

However, her once beautiful sanctuary was tainted with yellow tapes from crime shows Marie's mother watched.

Marie made her way up the spiral staircase to her Grandma's bedroom. She spent many nights there, when she was too scared to sleep by herself and had the never ending nightmares.

Upon reaching the door to the bedroom, Marie paused. There was more yellow tape and a sickening smell. She made an impulsive decision and opened the door, going against her gut.

Blood stained the white carpeted floor, filling the room with a metallic like smell. Her stomach turned, leading her to quickly slam the door shut, the vibrations ricocheting throughout the house. Marie was confused. She wondered what happened to her Grandma; why was there blood?

All of a sudden her sanctuary didn't seem so safe and secure, so Marie exited out the front door, leaving it wide open. She walked down the sidewalk, her ratty tennis shoes crunching down on leaves in the chilly autumn evening.

She did not know where she was heading and a feeling of despair and loneliness overtook her. She was about to give in and just sit on the pavement and cry, when she felt something squishy yet hard under her shoes.

She stopped walking. Marie was terrified to look down and satisfy her curiosity. She let out a shaky breath and slowly, cautiously, opened her eyes and glanced down.

Marie screamed. The shrillest of screeches left her lips.

She couldn't look away from the horror. She was paralyzed at the sight of the stabbed and bloody body of her grandmother.

Her once beautiful yellow undress was stained with the remains of her blood. Her pale arms and legs were covered in animalistic scratches and her previously smooth hair had twigs and leaves sticking out of it. Her face looked as though it had been pounded to pulp but Marie's eyes were fixated on the most traumatizing view. A foot long dagger stood erect in the middle of her blood crusted bosom.

Then all of a sudden, Marie's grandmother's blackened eye shot open making Marie gasp in horror. She gave a little wink at her granddaughter before closing them completely forever. She folded hands across her chest, resting peacefully, as though nothing happened.