What happens when a finger painting prodigy hitches a ride from a disfigured biker? Why chaos of course!
Quirky, oddball Georgie is anything but normal. For years she hasn't only suffered from a lack of filter but she also has "episodes." She can't...
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"Happy Birthday America!"
Amber and I as kids run around the backyard with sparklers, chasing after one another. This childlike version of me is dainty in a little blue girlie dress with bows. She looks like a pageant child and her big blue eyes shine with her smile in such an easy way it makes my chest hurt.
Mom is bringing stuff inside the house and dad is sitting quietly in a chair looking blankly at nothing. The day is drawing to a close as the night starts to settle, making our sparklers glow. The humidity is thick in the air as everyone in the neighborhood is out and setting up chairs in their backyards as if they're preparing for a show.
"George, time to get inside. The fireworks are about to start!" Mom calls out to him.
Why would he go inside?
Dad gets up and stares at us girls as we have fun twirling our sparklers. He has a glum look with blank eyes and deep frown lines. It's a hollowed younger version of the dad I know.
He gets inside and mom comes out with some snacks. She's wearing a long white skirt and deep blue top tucked into it with her long hair curled to perfection.
She's beautiful.
A loud boom makes me jump and everyone cheers as the fireworks start. My heart starts skipping in nonrhythmic ways as I watch myself sneak into the house as mom and Amber clap at each firework.
My feet are cemented into the ground. My hands start shaking and there's a ringing in my ears. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, then follow after her. When I get into the kitchen I'm behind myself.
"Daddy? Are you okay?"
I look to where seven-year-old me is staring and see my dad hunched under the table like he's hiding from something. He brings his finger to his lips.
"Shhh, Georgie. They're coming."
"Who is, daddy?"
A loud firework roars sounding like a cannon and dad lunges toward us. It's slow and then in a burst all those shadowed vines that have haunted my mind my whole life manifest all around, coming at me, just like how my dad's big body comes after myself as a child.
He slams into me hard and it's horrifying to see someone so big hit someone so small. My little head kicks back and strikes the corner of the counter and I hear it, loud and clear.
It's the same noise my fractures make.
The same noise of bones breaking. The sound of a head injury that should've caused instantaneous death. It echoes in my head until my ears start to ring that piercing sine wave taking over all physical sound. Sudden blistering pain detonates in my brain and my hands immediately dig into my curls at the back of my head and I screech in pain.
