Chosen

Chapter Four

     "Father." Monica replies, coldly.
     "W-What are you doing here?" He replies, nervously looking at the large bruise on my face.
     "I'm protecting my sister." She looks at him accusingly. His eyes narrow and he sneers.
     "So she turned you against me, huh? You won't even hear my side of the story? It's her fault that your mother died! She should be dead instead of Debby!" He screams, pointing at me. Monica's face remains cold and calm.
     "Our mother died from cancer. No one could have done anything to stop it. You obviously can't handle that, so you blame Arabella. Well, I'm here to make sure that stops." She turns to me. "Ara, go pack your things." I nod and start walking to my room. I try to slide passed my dad, but he grabs my arm, stopping me.
     "I am your father and you will listen to me!" He screams. "You are not living with Monica! I forbid you to!" I stop trying to get out of his grip and look at him. He has a smug smirk on his face and victory in his eyes. He thinks he can control me. He thought wrong. I look straight into his eyes, with a very cold expression on my face.
     "You are not my father. My father is a nice, gentle, caring, loving man. You stopped being my father the minute you started drinking. My mother would be ashamed of the man you have become." I jerk my arm free and walk to my room, without looking back. I know what his face will look like, though. The smirk will be gone and his eyes will be wide. His mouth is probably hanging open too. He never expected me to fight back.
     I start to pack up the few belongings I have and sit on my bed, playing with the locket around me neck. The one my mother gave to me right before she died.

I sat by my mothers side in the hospital. She doesn't look good. Her cheeks are sunken in and her skin is ghostly white. I can see all of her ribs. It looks like her skin is hanging off her bones.
     Tears well up in my eyes when I realize she's not going to make it much longer.
     "Baby, don't cry. It's alright." My mother soothes me. This is wrong, I should be the one soothing her. She is the on  dying, after all. But I just can't help myself.
     "I'm so sorry this happened to you. I wish I could take your place." Mom comforts me and tells me not to think that.
     After I've stopped crying, my mom smiles at me. I smile back. I don't understand how she can be so positive all the time.
     "Sweetie, I want to give you something. So you'll remember all the good times we've had, not just the bad ones." She pulls out a box and hands it to me.
     I open it with shaking hands and gasp. It's a beautiful, silver locket with a heart on the end. I look up at my mom, smiling.
     "Open it." She encourages. I open the locket and inside, is a picture of me and her. I remember this day.
     We had gone shopping and started messing around. We tried on all the clothes and had a mini fashion show. In this picture, we were both wearing beautiful gowns. Mine was a strapless, beautiful blue dress that had black lace designs and went to the middle of my thighs. My mom was wearing a forest green dress that was strapless and puffed out just below her waist.
    

     We were both laughing and happy. It was amazing.
     "Mom, this is amazing. Thank you." I look up and the smile falls from my face. She's even paler than before and her eyes start drifting close.
     "Mom?" Please don't leave me.
     "I love you, Arabella, always remember that. You'll be such a beautiful young lady. I love you." Her eyes drift closed and I hear the beep, signaling her death.
     "Mom!! No, you can't leave me, please!! Nurse, Doctor, help!!!" I scream, sobbing. I hear the nurses and doctors running to the room and they take one look at my mom and spring into action. They start pumping her chest, trying to get her heart pumping again. I sob loudly as I watch, she's dead.
     They keep trying for a few minutes, then they stop.
     "She's gone." One of the doctors announce.
     "No!" I scream, sobbing even louder.
     I just watched my mother die.