A childhood friend
"Look at me, look how high I can go." bubbled the little girl with hair of gold. The swingset, her favorite swing she swung upon. "I can go higher." said young Veronica. Feet kicking in and out, pushing them harder and harder as she leaned back and forth. Forcing her to swing with ease yet strength. Windblown hair, cheery smiles held upon both girls faces. Best friends forever they were and always would be.
"Jump!" screeched Veronica as she jumped from the swing just as it reached the very top of its height. Landing feet first, small dirty sneakers mounted the ground below. "I'm scared, it's too high." said Karah, her best friend that lived across from her apartment. Door facing door, across the sidewalk they always met in the middle, between two homes. Both suffering with a lack of supervision, and plenty of neglect.
"I just did it so can you." she replied, ensuring her that she could do just as she did, with no harm. "Alright, move V." her friend requested and Veronica stepped to the side, her small hands, both, resting on either hip. Watching, waiting. "Hurry Karah, the sun will be down soon and we still are going to the treehouse." she informed and the little girls' attention was diverted, enough for her to let go of her fear long enough to take a leap of faith.
Landing, like an ice-skating figure. Perfect.
"I did it." she chuckled to Veronica. "Let's go to the treehouse now." Karah said with excitement and she took off running toward the woods. Behind their building, trees, rows upon rows until met by a long stretch of pavement. A road to travel upon but not touched very often. Beyond, a cemetery the neighborhood children often raided and played in. Chased out of by land keepers and those there to pay their respects to lost souls.
"Wait for me!" yelled Veronica, taking off to chase after her friend, to catch up so they could help each other get up into the treehouse they made themselves. "Karah! Wait!" she hollered louder, the little blonde girl soon out of sight. Carried as fast as her small legs could take her through obstacles in the woods. Vines and limbs, rocks and fallen trunks.
"Where... where are you!?" she called out, stopping to catch her breath just as she reached the treehouse. The ground was spinning, her lungs were on fire. Hunched over, palms just above her knees, resting. "Karah..." she said aloud, almost breathless. No replies, no sounds but birds chirping, cars in the distance, her own breathing and heart pounding in her ears.
Searching the area, Karah was nowhere to be found. Veronica was getting worried, climbed all by herself up into the treehouse they made from old closet doors found in a dumpster. She waited, hours, until darkness fell.
"VERONICA RAVEN!"
Called by her mother Luna. It was time to come home. Perhaps she was already home she thought, just playing a trick on her, making her sit out in the woods all alone worrying for hours. Veronica got home as fast as she could, it was pitch black in the woods and scary now for a little girl.
Her mother stood at the sink doing dishes just as Veronica entered the house, the screen door slammed shut on its own behind her small body. "I'm hungry." she said to her mom, walking up to her to hug her from behind. Just then, a cry rang out, a scream, from the woods she could tell that's where it came from. Gasping, her mother looked down at her, fright all over her face. "Did you hear that?" she asked and Veronica's heart stopped, her orbs grew wide with worry. She said nothing, just nodded her head up and down slowly to her mother.
Given a piece of bread and butter alongside some beanie-weenies, she was sent off to her room for the night. Left all alone, she wondered, she thought every horrible thing imaginable and for her was limitless. Eventually falling asleep, with no dreams that could be remembered. Only waking to the news, her brother woke her with urgency.
"Veronica... wake up." Jared said, tears in his eyes. "What is it?" she asked, rolling over in her twin-sized bed. "It's Karah, she's..." he didn't have enough time to finish his words before Veronica flew out of bed to her mother that was crying in the kitchen. "What? Ma, what happened to Karah?" she asked, feeling pain, tiny fists balling up with anger even though she had no idea of what had happened just yet. So young, the innocence.
"He got her... I'm so sorry honey." her mother whispered to her daughter. "Who got Karah? What are you saying?" she screamed, waterworks turning on. "I just found out, a man snatched her in the woods while you two were playing. I won't say what he did to her, but, she is dead." her mother said with sorrow in her voice.
" NO NO NO!" she screamed and threw herself to the floor. "I'm so sorry... Jared get your sister, I can't deal with her like this." their mother instructed her son. With a look of disgust towards his mother, he did as told and scooped her up in his arms to take her to her room, young Veronica having a total flip out.
Kicking and screaming.
"NO NO NO!!!!!"
Crying...
My best friend.
