Mother

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU FORGOT?!”

“I mean I forgot to pay the bill!”

“How many times do I have to tell you to automate those things, now the power is fucking out because of you!”

“The website was confusing! There wasn't an option!”

“DO I HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING AROUND HERE!?”

“YOU DO NOTHING AROUND HERE, I DO EVERYTHING!”

The sounds of the argument echoed across the lake, though only one was able to hear them. Yet another evening with her family, the sun setting behind Monica as she dipped her brown toes into the still water. She almost felt like she was violating the peace of the lake water as her foot caused ripples to appear. The dragonflies danced around in the evening sun, preparing for their eventual sleep. A lot of the lake was going to sleep. Except the mosquitoes, but they weren't bad yet. This was supposed to be a vacation, a nice vacation to the lakeside home that her mother inherited from grandma.

“Yeah right,” Monica mumbled to herself, “Like anything with them is nice.”

Her family was like this as long as she could remember. Always shouting, always arguing over something. It just didn't stop. Then they would wonder why Monica always kept to herself, not telling her parents anything. She barely talked to the point that some thought she was mute or stupid. She wasn't, she was just afraid of upsetting people. Upsetting people meant anger and anger meant...

“DAVID!” A crack was heard, she knew what that meant. Dad had punched a hole in the wall. Another to hide away with a collection of framed paintings. No one was fooled, but no one ever said anything. It would be considered rude to mention such things after all.

She stared down into the water as the fish started to come up toward her foot out of curiosity. She managed to keep her tears at bay as she wondered if it would ever stop. Monica's multitude of tight braids danced in the wind as she tried to think of happier things. The fish were helping, and the turtle she found today was rather cute as were the bullfrogs.

“STOP IT!” Her mother's voice echoed, crying across the lake as she heard the familiar sound of her mother's begging, “Please, Monica will hear you!”

“Good, then she will learn not to be such a lazy bitch like you!”

She could have stopped them, but there was very little a ten year old could do to stop such arguments. She was small, and her father was a giant of a man. She couldn't do anything. All Monica could do was wait.

A pale light appeared in her peripheral vision. Monica looked up immediately, thinking the fireflies had finally showed up. Yet what was before her was something completely different and unexpected. A white light that was on the other side of the lake, far in the distance but not too far to travel to. The lake was only a mile in circumference, it wasn't like Lake Erie or anything.

She stood up, looking out from the edge of the dock. What was that light? She had never seen it before, and she had been here many times. Monica heard the sound of something fragile crash behind her, and that made up her mind for her. They wouldn't miss her and she wouldn't be gone for long. She walked to the edge of the dock where her shoes and socks were, slipping them on quickly as she didn't want to walk barefoot on ground full of leeches and the occasional snake. She made one last look at the vacation house, sighing as it sounded like things had finally quieted down.

“It doesn't matter, I'm on my own adventure,” Monica said to herself as she made another look across the lake. The light was there, still and on its own. With that Monica took off, running toward where the light was. She knew these beaches, forests, and such very well and she had never seen a light like that before. It excited her, it gave her hope of something fun coming out of this trip. Something worthwhile instead of all the shouting.

By the time she made it through the wood and brush, she was out of breath but smiling. She couldn't hear them here, and that would have been almost the best part had she not seen what was in front of her. As fog rolled in from off the lake, there was a small lighthouse. She never remembered a lighthouse being here before but Monica had a memory that was like a colander, stuff always seemed to run out of her mind. She walked to it, wondering why they would build a lighthouse on this lake. It was so small, it didn't need to worry about big ships washing ashore. Then again, it seemed to be child sized, so maybe this used to be someone's clubhouse. Anything was possible at this point.

As she took her first steps up the stone stair that lead to the front door, she heard a noise. Touching the doorknob, she wasn't sure what it could be, but as she opened the door, it was getting rather clear. Someone was crying. She hesitated, not taking a step further. It was none of her business yet, the woman's cries could be heard echoing down the simple spiral staircase.

“Come back, come back,” The woman's voice wailed as Monica took her steps carefully up, “Don't leave me here!”

The woman repeated herself, as though she were in a trance as Monica inched closer to the top. Carefully turning her head so as not to be seen, she peered into the room. The woman was white, glowing white and pale and crying as her pale blonde locks went all over in a tangled mess. It was a ghost, or at least that is what Monica thought she might be. She shifted her weight slightly, not realizing there was a pebble that bounced down the staircase after she nudged it with her foot. The ghostly woman looked up, eyes shining an impossibly bright blue. It reminded Monica of the stuff mom had picked out for her supposed little brother that was coming, but never did.

“Who is there?”

“Um...me ma'am,” Monica carefully stepped out of the darkness as the woman looked at her with a confused expression.

“You found me, I thought you never would.”

“Who are you?”

“I am Mother,” The woman stood, her dress shimmering in the faint moonlight, “I have been looking all over for you my dearest.”

“I don't-” Monica started to speak but her thoughts felt hazy. Looking upon the gorgeous woman, she remembered that this was her mother. Yeah, they used to play together all the time until they got separated. She didn't remember good times with the other woman who called herself mom. That wasn't her mom at all. This was her Mother. Her eyes grew wide as she ran toward her Mother's arms.

“Mother, I missed you!”

“I am just glad you found me, come, let's go home.”

With a nod and a smile, Monica did as she was told.

It wasn't until the next morning that they found her again. Her mother screamed as she stared at her daughter peacefully floating in the lake by the shoreline.