She looked on the street with her tired, green eyes. Her window was dirty, as was the rest of her small room. Down below, on the sidewalks and streets, many people looked sick, walking with slow strides; their heads low. The air about made her feel uneasy, as if something horrible was happening, and soon. But she was brought back with the sounds of smashing glass and screaming within her household.
Well, it wasn’t hers. This she realized.
She hoped whatever was affecting the citizens would get her parents, too.
"Charlie! Get in here!" her mother called, in her drunken, hoarse voice.
Charlie shoved herself off her bed and reluctantly trudged into the living room. Her mother and father were at opposite ends, and shattered glass decorated the floor. Broken picture frames, vases, the beauty of it almost captivated her. She tilted her head and stared at the floor.
"Tell your father he's wrong!" her mother commanded.
"..." she had to admit, when her parents were drunk, they sounded funny.
"TELL HIM!!!" another vase flew across the room and smashed into the television set.
"Wrong about what?" she replied in her dry, scratchy voice.
The man at the other end of the room laughed and spoke, "Mary, you and I both know I’m not the girl’s father."
"Liar!", more glass smashed. Charlie walked out of the room, "Where are you going?!"
Charlie snickered and shook her head, slamming the dirty, wooden door behind her. She stretched, letting the cool air hit her hot face, and unzipped her brown sweater. Looking to the left, her beloved pitchfork rested, and she curled her fingers around its pole, making fake jabbing motions at the air at her imaginary parents. She let out an exasperated sigh and laid the pitchfork back in its resting place. She didn’t know why she kept it, but it was fun to go in the backyard and swing it around, pretending she was invincible. She walked down her shacks steps and headed left.
~Might as well go to that clothing store and see how Emma's doing.~ she thought as she reached the mall's Multi store, greeting the others with a casual wave.
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