11

Steve, Karen, and Tillian lived in the home, the home secluded in the middle of the woods, for 17 years. It was small. Only two small bedrooms, a tiny bathroom, and a medium-sized living room and kitchen. The man who helped move them there, Kevin, was always one to bring them what they needed, but having a minimum wage job, it wasn't a lot, but he tried for them.

Karen picked up gardening, both out of boredom and because they were constantly low on food, and she didn't have the access to appeal her addictions as easily, so distraction was necessary.

Steve fell into a severe depression, but he still loved Tillian, so he tried to be the best father he could be. He did tend to be more hard on her, sometimes much more than needed, but he didn't need to. He started to become much more introverted, even for someone living in seclusion and hiding. He would always go on walks and not come back for long amounts of time. He was more angry and miserable, while Karen tried and failed to be the positive one, which tended to make him madder.

Tillian spent her time helping her mom garden, climbing trees, looking at the sky, and playing with the few toys she had. She loved to play outside, partly because the house was so dark and small. She had very few clothes and at times just wore something that was still dirty or just went naked when her dad wasn't home. 

She loved the sky. She felt as if she had a connection with it. She would spend hours just studying the clouds, the stars, everything. She loved all types of weather, it was beautiful to her no matter what. It seemed that when no one else got her, understood her, the sky did.

That's just how it was for a long time.

-

Until Tillian became a teen.

She started getting bored, alone and depressed. She didn't know what her life was or the meaning of it. Her mother had always just told her everyone else in the world was evil, so they lived in peace away from them. Karen started getting old and lazy, so Tillian herself had to start gardening by herself. Her relationship with her father was strained from the constant arguing between them all. Tillian never saw how horrible her mother was, so she had always been closer to her.

One day, the air was filled with tension and fear. Tillian had no idea why it felt that way that day but she isn't the only one feeling it.

Suddenly, loud, unfamiliar roars sounded in the different. Tillian stands up from gardening and faces the direction of the sounds, Steve and Karen come outside to hear the sounds as well.

"Motorcycles," Karen says under her breath.

"Motorcycles?" Tillian says, scared "What are-"

Suddenly, Steve grabs her, carries her inside and throws her in her room.

"I'm doing what's best for you, please see that." He says before locking her inside.

Tillian gets up and runs to the door, trying to open it but can't. She banged on the door, screaming for her mom to help her but no one seemed to come.

Outside there was screaming from unusual voices, and screams from Karen. Tillian quickly goes to the window and tries to open it, but it had been stuck for years, and she once again fails to open it.

She sits down on her bed, attempting to ignore the sounds from outside. She sits against the wall and hugs her legs to her chest as tears began to fall down her face.

Hours later, Tillian still sits in her locked room. Now bored. She looks at herself in a small mirror Kevin found and decided to let Tillian have.  She studies her bleeding eye, she noticed when she blinked both eyelids flickered, like normal. Just as a joke to herself, and of complete boredom, she closes her normal eye and leaves the other open.

But she can still see.

Something starts changing inside of her, her sadness turned into burning rage as she clenched the mirror tightly. She throws it fiercely to the ground, breaking it, and walks over to the window. Immediately shattering it with her fist.

She bends down and picks up a shard of glass, and turns around towards the door. She stomps it open. She walks into the kitchen, unseen. She grabs the sharpest knife she can find and goes into her parent's room.

They are not in sight but the muffles of Karen's tears came from the closet, she slowly opens it and smiles evilly at her parents who were cuddled in the corner of the closet.

"Tilly, baby,"  Karen whispers "Go hide, you can't be seen. Here," she pats the ground next to her "sit with us. We'll keep you, safe honey."

Tillian says nothing.

"Tillian Jean." Steve spits "get in here right now."

Still nothing

"Do you want to die!?" He threats.

Tillian fumbles with the knife she's holding.

"T-T-Tilly." Her mother trembles "What are you doing with that? You could hurt someone?"

"Good."