Thud... Thud - the sound of two car doors shut. She stands there in her usual outfit. Black leggings.. black hoodie.. a soured expression etched on her face.
The sound of heel’s on pavement can be heard drawing nearer, her body is taught, like a spring, ready to snap. They approach, closer.. and closer, till they stand almost intertwined with her converse. The woman, in a yellow sundress.. most certainly older than her, wraps her in an embrace. She flinches, her entire body, her face contorts in pain and disgust, but the woman holds her for a moment anyways, their bodies intertwined. No way to reach her hands, her arms being tightly interwoven to close off her body as much as possible, the woman gently lays a hand on her back and begins to guide her into the village general store.
Their shoes walk side by side. The woman’s heels continue to click, her sneakers gently glide across the asphalt, as if she intentionally is trying to be quiet. In opposition to hers', the woman’s face stretches into a warm smile as they pass through the threshold of the building. If even possible, it lights up more as a few friendly voices greet them.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Smith! My, this isn’t your usual time. Please, feel free to ask for any help, it’s always such a pleasure to have you.” A younger man, also with jet black hair and dressed like a manager, says as he approaches them. He looks towards her, but the woman stops him dead in his tracks with a singular look, a knowing look. Knowing she can’t see her face, the woman drops her warm exterior, conveying that they need space. A look of recognition strikes him, he mumbles a few more pleasantries only to the woman, grabbing her a cart, and the two begin to walk down the isles.
The woman’s exterior had since, warmed and even glowed: it wasn’t forced, either. It almost counteracted the younger’s presence. Her hands were shoved in her hoodie pocket, her eyes locked on the floor in front of her, keeping only the cart in her peripheral vision, and the occasionally feet of people they passed.
The woman, humming a tune, continued to put a ballpoint pen to paper, feeling the scratch of it as it laid ink onto the surface, marking off each item on the list, one by one. Mrs. Smith knew this store like the back of her hand, admittedly, it wasn't very large so it wasn't terribly hard, but she worked her way down the isles, starting on the left side and working right.
Yellow lights glowed down from above, not so colored it distorted perception, but a far cry from the fluorescent shopping centers from before their move. The sound of beeping could be heard from checkout counters in the distance, albeit muffled. They’d go in bursts, not consistent, but they could certainly be heard. The woman’s eyes scanned each shelf. Most text she could read, it was only occasional, that she had to go by the picture she saw on the box.
Eventually.. she looked up. The woman had been taking a while on one shelf in particular, somewhat searching for what she needed, but also comparing prices. She began to look at the shelves, scanning the stock. Eventually, her eyes rested on the top shelf behind the woman, and saw a label... Cenovis. Reaching upwards, her fingers begun to grip. It wasn’t too high, but as she began to move towards the cart.. she just.. lost strength enough for it to slip out her hands, hitting the ground.
By a stroke of fate, it didn't even crack.. but the sound rang out, echoing in her head maybe louder than it actually was. The woman whirled around, jumping in fear for a moment before she saw what was before her. Unlike before, her demeanor began to actually melt this time, as she saw the girl beginning to lean down to reach for the jar. Her movements weren't the slowest, but the woman swooped in, getting down to make sure she could get it first. "Darling... it's okay, let me. Please don't over exert yourself, it's okay.."
This.. something began to boil inside her. The pressure rapidly rose, and the first words that came out of her mouth were layered in pain. "Stop mom, just fucking stop!" The woman looked up in complete, utter disbelief and shock, but the girl wasn't even remotely finished.
"I didn't even want to come here, but yknow... let's take me to the fucking store. I need to be fucking socialized!" Her voice began raising in pitch, slight signs of shaking began to crack at their cadence. For the first time today, pain began to creep in to her mother's face as all she could respond with was, "Carmen..."
"I didn't want to fucking come here, but I did, okay? I did because I know you love me, and want to help. Why bring me here though and fucking baby me, fucking coddle me, not let me help?? Fuck, I know what happened trust me, it happened to me, but stop trying to fucking fix me!" Her voice began to grow hysterical and dangerous, not unlike a wounded animal backed into a corner. People began to peer worriedly around the corners of the isles, those in the isle nearest to the began to take steps back. The woman, realizing how many eyes were on them, began to take a stern tone, becoming almost pointed. "Calm down, it's okay, it's not a big deal, you. are. okay."
Deep inside the flame burns as an inferno, a catalyst, it's all consuming. "Yeah fucking right I'm okay!" Her eyes begin to search around her for the nearest person to her, and she sees the crowd building. For the first time, she screams, at them more than anything else. "Do I look okay to you?? No! Let's bring Carmen to the store, fucking socialize her, fucking let her be the charity badge on everyone's sleeve! Let's help out the fucking needy! The stupid bitch that can't help herself! Let's show her love right? Compassion? So you can go home tonight and feel good about yourself, ohhhh good, we helped out that needy bitch."
She wheels back around to her mother at this last sentence. The two lock eyes: danger in one, determination in the other. Reaching out, the woman tries to grab the girl, "Fine. Let's go home." Carmen pulls away, faster than her mother though, backing up further out of reach. "No.. fuck this. Fuck you and your stupid fucking help.
She wheels back around to her mother at this last sentence. The two lock eyes: danger in one, determination in the other. Reaching out, the woman tries to grab the girl, "Fine. Let's go home." Carmen pulls away, faster than her mother though, backing up further out of reach. "No.. fuck this. Fuck you and your stupid fucking help.