The Girl Who Swam Through The Aspect Of Time #Wattys 2016

Deep seas

I closed my eyes momentarily; shutting out the world. I wanted to cry until my eyes bled; until my troubles disappeared. The night laid heavily on my shoulders, it mocked and stained me. My eyes slowly lost its focus as I gaped at it plaintively. Why did it turn out this way? Why did I have to come home to an eviction notice taped to my door?

The Girl Who Swam Through the Aspect of Time

After I stopped by my apartment, I decided to go to Pams place. I couldn't walk inside my apartment without feeling the heaviness of the eviction notice taped to my door. My feet felt like iron fetters, and so did my arms and legs. It was hard walking up the stairs to Pam's apartment. I was a little ticked off she hadn't told me the elevator wasn't working. But I didn't regard it, it wasn't like 'I called her a few days in advance or anything.'

I lightly knocked on Pam's apartment door, chairs screeched and the T.V. shut off.

"Hello?"

"Uhm, excuse me is Pam Carter living in this apartment?" I asked, uncertainty seeping through my voice.

"Uh, yeah that's me, who's askin'?"

I was glad  I heard Pam's voice again. I noticed she painted her apartment door blue, and fixed the crooked knob. I couldn't believe it's been two years, since the last time I've seen her. I leaned my body to lay my head on the door, I heard it open.

"Sophie is that you?!" She asked in shock.

"Yeah it's me, Pam. What's up?" I muttered, before I leaned in for a hug.

"Geez girl, you look like shit. Seriously what happened to you!?" I didn't answer, instead I shot her a doleful look. She stared at me, and benevolently touched my cheek bones.

Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to come in?

I stepped into the apartment carefully. It felt as though I was walking on eggshells. Pam used one of her arms to prop me up, she used her other arm to guide me. Pam's place was surprisingly clean, and well organized.

"Nice place you have here Pam, how much did it cost?" I looked up at her, she didn't seem to regard my question. Instead, I noticed her staring at my waist.

"What have you been eating lately, huh!? You look like a complete stick!" Pam exclaimed. I couldn't tell whether she was being serious or not. But I noticed she let go of me right after saying these words.

"What do you mean? And how rude is that to say to a person you haven't seen in years!?" I said, sounding more baffled than I hoped to. Pam directed me over to the couch, and indicated I should sit. I slide onto the couch, too tired to debate.

"Don't act like you haven't seen yourself in the mirror. I'm serious this time, what have you been eating?" Pam folded her arms over her chest, I felt her gaze peer on me from across the room.

"You know food, um well, mostly cabbage." I felt like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

"CABBAGE?! Is that all you've been eating?"

"Y-yes?"

"No." Pam stepped back in shock, covering her mouth with one hand.

"I know you've been eating other things than cabbage, Sophie? I can't believe you didn't come to me sooner, what happened in the past 2 years?" I looked down at my hands, they were thin and malnourished.

'What happened to me? A shorter answer would be what didn't happen to me.' I thought to myself. I sat up in Pam's burgundy couch. I started my explanation with a short sigh.

"When I first enrolled in the University of Florida, I was planning on becoming a Doctor. When it came to science and math there was no one better than me. I got straight A's in every class including arts and literature. My parents wired allowance to me every week, I was never in need of anything."

"So what happened? The last time I spoke to you over the phone you seemed to be doing well." Pam said,  and scooted over to where I was sitting. She sat down beside me, handing me a bottle of water.

"I know.." I looked down at the refrigerated water bottle. "At the time you called, I was still in my first years of college. I just found word that there was a new medical program, I was planning on joining it."

"Yea, I think you told me something like that." Pam nodded Matter-of-factly. I ignored her and went on with what I was saying.

"Yea, I probably did, anyway that's not the point. I failed a lot of my classes in college, and I was forced into debt."

"I'm so sorry that happened to you, did you tell your parents?" Pam asked, solicitude seeped from her voice.

"I tried but I soon lost contact with them." I stared over Pam's shoulder at the pattern of wallpaper she had chosen. It was a strange, light, peach pink color I've never seen before. I told myself if I got over this, I would give her some fashion tips.

"I'm sorry." I suddenly felt a head flatten on my shoulder. Her voice was just a whisper.