Short Stories For The Test

For Her (Annie's POV)

(This part of the short story takes place outside the test)

She loved purple. Everywhere we went, if the color was on anything, she would freak. Of course, she was only three and it was adorable when she did her little laugh and showed a smile. And me, well, I was five years old with a sassy attitude, according to my mother that is, and could easily be classified as a brat.

But my little sister was the cute perfect child so one soon to be rebel seemed appropriate, right?

What hurt, though, was when the little bundle of sunshine and goodness, also known as Maggie, died right in front of me. I mean, I know it's not my fault, and that it never will be, but that didn't make it hurt any less. It was just one of those things, one of those horrible accidents that people say happen everyday.

It was a car crash.

"Young lady, what made you think it would be a good idea to dye your hair purple?" My mother screamed.

Because she loved purple, mom.

"It's not like I dyed my whole freaking head. It's one little strip of hair." I shot back, ready for this fight to just be over already, for her to just ground me and never hear a word I said and be done with it.

Like always.

"Oh, only one little spot huh? Well, if that doesn't make it all better, Annie." She fumed. "I don't care how little or how much you did it, the point is you did, going against me in the process, again. I really, truly want to know, why in the heck did you do it?"

I miss her. It's been years and we never talk about it which I hate because I think about it all the time. I just miss her, mom, I miss her.

"Because I wanted to." I couldn't tell her the real reason. It was hard enough for her the first few years after it happened. I may not be particularly happy with my mom most of the time, but I still love her. And if she is happy with forgetting her, who am I to bring it up and make her sad? Even if today is the day.

"Yeah, well, you and I both know that you don't always get what you want." And there it was, the only recognition to her my mom would ever give, the only thoughts of Maggie left in her. I saw a tear leave my mother's eye and she left the room. Emotional things were never her strongest skill, not when it came to me, or herself.

And I slowly walked to my own room, knowing that even if I wanted to look at the pictures on the walls, much like I did when I was little just to see her face again, she wouldn't be in any of them. My mom took them down about a week after the funeral, saying it was to hard for her to even look at a tiny part of her without seeing her body laying limp on the ground. She couldn't see the Maggie that she was before that tragedy, the one who stole my ice cream by spitting on it but who's smile always seemed to brighten my heart, the one I loved so much.

As I open my bedroom door and flopped on my bed, my mind started racing with thoughts of what could have been. Like what would have happened if it were me? Would my mom even care as much, losing the rebel that I would someday be? I'm sure she would, I know she loves me too, but it's still something I think about, the almighty what if. 

I let out a large breath of air and sat up, making eye contact with, well, myself. The mirror showed my blond hair, now short due to the new cut I gave it and right smack on the left side was the purple disaster as my mom kept calling it.  And to tell you the complete truth, I know I don't really have a good reason for dying my hair. I just had to do it. Today was the day after all, it's been twelve years since Maggie's death, the one that happened right in front of me.

"Annie." I heard my mother say as she peeked her head into my room. She was wiping at her wet cheeks but that's the thing about my mom, she was one of those criers that when she was done, it was completely done, not even looking like it happened.

"Yeah, what do you want?" I couldn't help but go all moody teenager on her, I guess it was just the brat side of me showing.

"I think it's best if your punishment is for you to be grounded." 

"Okay, fine with me, the normal week or should we go for two?" I asked, it was pretty normal around here for me to be grounded, I knew the drill.

"I was thinking along the lines of the rest of the summer actually." I started to object, getting up from my bed and ready to give her a peice of my mind. "It's final, Annie. You've gotten out of hand. Now, I will be in my room if you need me. There's frozen pizzas if you want that for dinner. Goodnight."

I didn't say anything to her, letting her leave and fussing about the punishment. My mom had never been this cruel, ever. But still, I just laid down on my bed, burying my face in my pillow and not worrying about what to eat tonight. I just wanted to sleep, suddenly feeling super tired and barely able to keep my eyes open.

As I drift off to sleep, I think of that day, the worst day.

I was sleeping in the car, or trying to over the loud radio my mom was listening to. But thing is, even now as a teenager, I can't listen to that song she had been listening to anymore, I can't even say which one it was without getting teary eyed. I remember how scared I felt when the impact of the other vehicle hit us, popping my eyes wide open and causing a scream to escape my mouth. For some reason I looked to Maggie, she was giggling and having not a clue of the danger we were in. I don't know exactly how much time had passed before I found her on the ground, blood coming from her head and spreading across the pavement.

I mean, I was only five, I didn't comprehend everything going on. But I knew what I needed to, my sister was dying, and I couldn't help her.

She was no longer smiling, I didn't expect her to be. And my mom, well, she was passed out in some ditch somewhere. But I didn't dare look for her, knowing that at that moment, Maggie needed me, her big sister.

I find myself closing my eyes and with the last words I can say before extreme exhaustion can fully take over, I whisper, "I guess I did it for Maggie. After all, she loved purple." Thinking of my hair.

Then, all that fills my thoughts are the horrible sounds of sirens from that night as they took my sister and helped me with my injuries and helped my mother from the ditch. And I finally fall asleep, tears covering my cheeks.

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(This part of the short story takes place in the test)

I faintly remember a dream, one that showed me a tree full of glowing leaves and curled roots. Pain was surging through my body. I thought I had been sad, but any evidence of this was nowhere to be seen. I saw other teens looking confused, like myself, all around me. 

But there was something at the back of my head that I knew, which is weird because so far, I can't remember how exactly I got here or anything before then. Then, it hit me. Kinda like the way the car hit her.

I didn't know who the her was that my mind was referring to, but the thought alone made me want to crawl into a hole and die. And my mind acted on its own, my hand suddenly reaching up and feeling my hair. Somehow I instantly knew what was there, a purple strip of hair.

And believe it or not, that made me smile and was the reason I got up and said what I did to that Reid guy. He was saying a whole buch of crap and I was already tired of it. Thinking of that color, purple, the color my mind told me was her favorite, made me strong.

Thinking of her, even if I couldn't remember who she was or don't know how I am remembering what I do about her so far, made me strong.

She made me strong. And I was going to stay strong.

For her.

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Hey, I don't know if any of you guys cried while reading this but I did. I don't know, I guess i'm just really emotional sometimes or there was actually reason to cry. But if you are crying like me I would like to say that this was a lot sadder. I had to tone it down a bit because I was crying so much. But of course, that may just be me.

Anyway, dauntless_timelady suggested I do something about Annie and I chose to do this, what happened the day she was sent to the test. And because she suggested it, this short story is dedicated to her. :)