At age 12, Maliah's twin brother Malik drowned. Eight years later, she's still coping with the trauma of her loss. Though she visits their favorite beach for fond memories, she is yet to enter the water.
When a familiar stranger offers to help comba...
"Ugh! No!" I turned over on my soft and comfy bed.
The pillow wasn't working as it should because three more bangs penetrated it and invaded my ears. Scratching my arm, I checked my phone on the bedside table. It was 5:27a.m, and the sun wasn't fully visible as yet. The sky had a grey-blue hue, but it was bright enough for you to see outside.
"Ugh! Who would be at the door this hour!" I croaked.
Before I could get up, another knock sounded. "Maliah? Maliah it's me. Open up." Ms Flint said.
I rolled my eyes. Ms Flint never bothered me at such early hours unless it was an emergency. I slipped my feet slowly into my fluffy slippers while summoning the willpower to move off the bed.
"Maliah?" Ms Flint called again.
"Coming..." I grumbled.
The front door seemed much further than usual. My body betrayed my mind because it took me approximately two minutes to meet the door.
"Good morning Ms Flint." I said rubbing my neck. The tension from the horrible couch positions earlier in the week still lingered.
"Goodness!" She held her chest. "Did I wake you?" She eyed my scruffy hair and dim expression.
Was she for real? She practically ran a lawn mower through my apartment with all the knocking she did.
"No not really. I was dreaming."
"Oh..." Ignoring my sarcastic comment, she said, "Is that your mattress in front there?" Her blazing purple acrylic finger pointed towards a cream wall where the floppy mattress laid.
The mattress had turned from cream to brown with small patches of black. I followed Ms Flint as she carefully walked towards it. As we met closer, my nose tingled and itched. A vile smell oozed from it.
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I blocked my nose with my hands. The black patches were mold. It was almost two weeks since it had been outside. I forgot about it after Rion brough my new mattress. The weather had really done a number on it.
"Look!" Ms Flint called. "There's something inside it."
I walked around to the side where she stood. A rat had buried itself in the sponge and died.
"Just great!" I folded my arms.
"So... When are you going to remove this thing from here?" Ms Flint asked.
The thought never crossed my mind. I just assumed it would disappear or Ms Flint would have hired someone to take care of it.
"Uh... I don't know." I really didn't know what to do with the unsightly thing.
"Well you need to figure it out. I don't want it too long in front my house. It's a sore sight for good eyes."
Ms Flint made an about turn and climbed her steps. I just stood there in front of the mattress. Then the sudden hum of an old van startled me. The neighbor opposite the street was backing out of his yard.
