The Cracking Crystal Part 5:
Hello.
This is Lily.
I am severely tired right now.
If you want to talk to me after school I can, but I’d be more willing to now.
…
He’s typing, coming back to me..
……………………………………………………
……………………………………………………
………………………….Hopefully.
As soon as I say this someone vigorously swipes my phone away, like I just looked at a private photo of theirs.
This ‘Someone’ is my teacher-Mrs Harnet. She-I-She doesn’t fit my ‘character’, she’s very sarcastic, and intimidating, and talks down like you as if you’re like a toddler.
“You shouldn’t be texting in my class, young lady.” She told me in a stern tone with her teeth gritting together.
“I’m sure your ‘friend’ can wait an hour.”
I reluctantly decided to leave her be, despite my dad still typing.
I then looked at the clock for what felt like forever, and then in also what felt like a second, the lesson was over and it was break.
I slowly yet swiftly dashed out of the classroom and away into the depths of the corridor.
For me, the corridor is like a maze, filled with people and faces glaring at me like the disturbing statues in a labyrinth, and the only safe space is my friends, but even then, most of them don’t like me and are just friends out of pity or because they want me to be popular. Except one, but she wasn’t there at the time.
So, as I’m there with people who mildly trust me, I sit down and take out my sketchbook and start drawing. I really think that my art is getting better and some of my newer sketches show a better style and improvement from me. But...that’s not relevant.
My phone then rang like a hammered bell. As I looked to see what it was, I gleamed with hope as I realised dad had finally come back. Finally, I get to hear from him. As I took my phone out I saw a text message, and next to it bearing the word ‘Mum’. Right. Of course. She texted me...and not dad.
Despite my dismay to look as it would ultimately be something regarding her being aggressive to me, I looked anyways..
...And it’s just as hollow as I expected.
“I heard you were on your phone in class again. I expect a reason and an apology to me and your teacher when you get back home.”
How nice…
And to make this even worse, my friends have also caught wind of this and started to talk amongst themselves.
Luckily the bell rung quickly enough for me to be saved of even more embarrassment.
I then made my way towards my next class. I nervously and slowly take out my book and pencil case. As I was sitting down, I felt as if the whole room was watching me. Throughout that whole lesson, all I could hear was the laughs and whispers of the people around me. Even when my name was called, I didn’t react to it. All I thought of was that everyone was against me in some way.
I was in a permanent state of paranoia for around an hour. The second the next bell rang, I thought I was safe, I could finally leave to see my friend. When I was packing up, the people leaving all laughed and snickered like goblins of some kind. Just as I was about to leave, my teacher comes over and asked, “Can I have a word please?”
I started to panic instantly. I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to see my friend, I wanted to see Charlotte. It’s not fair. I. I don’t. I don’t want to see my mum. She tried to reassure and calm me down. I eventually nodded. She then asked as to why I didn’t do or say anything during the whole of the lesson. I froze up, the question was too much for me. She then started to panic a bit, worrying that she had said something wrong.
I then told her that I was worried due to the situation with my parents. She said that I should go and talk to one of the teachers, or someone else I trust, or blah de bluh.. I was planning to. My friend. However, as I found out when I was leaving, my friend was not where she normally would meet me. I panicked again, looking around desperately. I then checked my phone, however that was out of battery.
I then panicked once again again, and then decided to leave. I went out of the front of the school, and onto the pavement. I put in my headphones in preparation for my long and isolating walk back home. As I was just about to walk back home, I heard a loud and irritating car horn. I looked to my right and I could see my mother’s car, with my mother inside it. I started to become, annoyed, disappointed, and worried, all at the same time.
I took out my headphones and got in the car. Not even a second after I shut the door did I hear, “You’re late.” I then told mum that I forgot that I was being picked up,...and that I got held up after class. She coldy responded with, “You are always held up late after class. Why did you now?” I said that I wasn’t doing anything in class, because I was worried about dad. She went silent for a few seconds before seemingly shouting, “You do not think of that person. They hurt and left you, us even.”
I turned to her and lashed out at her, saying that dad never left out of choice, and that she pushed him away because of a misunderstanding, and that he regrets never being able to spend time with me, his daughter, who loves and cares for him in a way that mum could never do, or even comprehend. Mum went silent after that. As soon as we got home, she said, “Go to your room, and think as to what you have said and done today.” I, reluctantly, decided to stay in my room. I was planning on staying here regardless, but it’s nice to have permission to do so.
A few hours had passed. I was talking to my friend on my phone. I had calmed down a lot since earlier. I then looked over at my desk, in particular, a small, yellow crystal, which I had on a little necklace. As I looked at it, it almost seemed like it was glowing. I went over and picked it up. I then lay down back on my bed, the crystal laying on my chest. I then heard a knock on my door. It was mum.
She asked as to why I had not come down yet. I said that I was busy talking to someone, and she said that I should not be talking to dad. I asked why, and she said that I shouldn’t be talking to him behind her back, as she felt as if I didn’t care about her. I understood where she was coming from, however, I didn’t care, and that I was done dealing with her.
The next thing she said, really pissed me off. She said, “That no good piece of trash abandoned you and myself all for a stupid woman he barely met.” It was almost as if a fire was burning within me.
My body became more tense and agitated. As I was getting up, I could just barely see myself within my phone’s reflection. My eyes and and mouth had started to glow yellow. They looked menacing. I threw myself off my bed, with my phone placed on my desk. I erely crept up to my door, discarding what my mother was saying about me and dad.
I grabbed the knob, almost breaking it in the process of the door’s opening. I opened it to see the figure of a middle-aged white woman with badly cut blonde hair, someone who attributed the title of ‘mother’ to. However what she saw was not what she recognised nor expected. Fear, dread, terror, discomfort and confusion raced across her old and saggy face.
It was not to last, as only 1 and a half seconds after was she beaten onto the floor. I kicked, bit, punched, the life out of her as she screamed for me to stop.
The screams only made me more angry. I wanted her dead. She deserved it. It wasn’t my fault. She brought this on herself. It was only natural.
My discomfort vanished as she perished. Blood all around. I did it. I would never suffer her once more. I did it all, with one big smile..
________________________________________________________________
Hey all.
This was a really…..um, something story to write?
Tell the truth, I kind of forgot this existed for the better part of a year. This was started in late April-early May 2021. I then picked this up in late October 2022.
Due to this, I am not able to give you a full, in depth description of how I felt writing this at the time, but I will try my best.
At the time, I think I liked the idea of people who are in broken homes/families, and how having The Demon Crystal would affect this dynamic. I very much played Lily up as a tragic character, and gave her a lot of things which I relate to, in terms of social interactions.
However, since forgetting the story’s existence, I went on to write more stuff and learned more techniques and such. So when I returned, I had somewhat of a better sense of writing.
I think the change between me in the past and now writing this is in the ending. Originally, it was about self-acceptance and learning to care, with the character of ‘Charlotte’ [protag’s friend], calming Lily down, and the crystal was to be crushed and the remains put in a bush.
It probably shows how much more dark I’ve gotten, or matured, you pick. I think I was oppose to giving this a happy ending, not because I don’t like those, but because, given the nature of how this series is meant to be more horror based and dark, it allows for endings like to happen. I’m not really sure.
And as I look back on the past of my writing, you will now be taken back to the writing of old….
[That didn’t really work, did it?]
Comments (0)
See all