Breathe

April 17, 2005 6:47PM

Gentry Household Echola, AL

Ina pushed her meatloaf chunks around on her plate, trying to make it look like she had eaten it. Her mom didn’t cook often, since she wasn’t home much, but when she did cook it didn’t really taste good. Ina preferred her grandma’s cooking but didn’t want to hurt her mom’s feelings.

A knock on the door interrupted the silent dinner. Ina’s mom excused herself and went to answer the door, instructing Ina to stay seated while she was gone.

The minute the door to the dining room swung shut behind Mrs. Gentry, Ina was out of her chair and moving to the kitchen to bury her meatloaf in the trash. The kitchen trash can was closer to the front door than the dining room table, and Ina could hear her mom talking to whoever was at the door.

“I’m telling you; I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Mrs. Gentry was saying. Ina set her plate on top of the trash can and snuck closer to the living room to listen in.

She couldn’t hear what was said back, but it was a man’s voice and he sounded angry. It must just be her boss, Ina thought to herself before turning to retrieve her plate. Her mom’s job was cool, but she wasn’t interested in the parts that took place when she got home.

“I’m telling you, there is no pendant here! I gave everything to my organization when we returned stateside!” Her mother sounded terrified, which immediately halted Ina’s steps. She changed direction and decided to get closer to investigate.

Being small wasn’t always a bad thing, as Ina could sneak into areas without being noticed. She used this to her advantage and snuck into the living room. She hid behind the arm of the couch and peeked to the door, trying to see who was standing on the other side of the entryway.

It was an older man, bald with a long grey beard reaching his knees. He had a strong, angular nose and olive skin, which blended with his brown robes. He wore sandals on his feet, which were dirty and calloused. Ina wasn’t sure why, but something about this man made her hair stand on edge. She was scared of him, and when he moved she reacted on impulse.

At five, Ina was small enough to move in and out of spaces without being noticed. Unfortunately, she was not quite in control of her body. When she jumped back from the man’s movement, she bumped a vase her mother had on a bookshelf. The vase teetered, back and forth, before falling and smashing at her feet with a loud crash.

Her eyes shot up to the door, where her mother and the strange man were both staring at her. Her mother’s face was one of panic, while the strange man had an expression Ina couldn’t figure out.

“Who is this?” He asked gleefully.

“Nobody, just a little girl I babysit.” Mrs. Gentry replied. Ina wasn’t sure why her mommy had lied, but something about her voice said not to correct her.

“Come here, little girl.” The man didn’t acknowledge what Mrs. Gentry had said, focusing entirely on Ina.

Ina didn’t want to go near the man, but her mommy had told her to always listen to adults when they tell you to do something. She slowly made her way closer to the door, aiming to hide behind her mommy’s legs for safety. She had almost made it, when the man reached out and grabbed her.

Mrs. Gentry screamed, Ina screamed, and the man cackled. He placed a crooked finger to Ina’s forehead and said, “Os timoría gia ó,ti éklepses, desmévo ta láfyra stin psychí tis me dikaiosýni os telikó stócho gia na epanélthei to pnévma tis!”

Suddenly, everything went black.

It couldn’t have been more than an hour or two, but Ina felt as if she had been in the darkness for days. She didn’t feel anything other than loneliness. She imagined it would have been comfortable for some people, but definitely not for a four-year-old.

Looking around was pointless; there was nothing but darkness no matter where she looked. She tried to yell, but no sound would come out. She could see her hands, complete with the chipping purple nail polish, and her dirty sneakers that she wouldn’t let her mommy throw away.

She could see her jeans with the patch on the knee, but she couldn’t remember if it was her left or her right. The colors on her t-shirt were muted, like how things look right as the sun goes down. Other than that, everything was the same.

With nothing left to look at, Ina was left thinking about how alone she still was. She had never really been alone before, even when her mommy would go on work trips she had Sara.

Sara! Sara had a way to chase the scary feelings away when it was too dark, maybe that would help now! Sara always said the darkness was just an adventure waiting to happen, she just had to use her “magination”. Ina didn’t know what magination was, but Sara said it was the strongest magic in the world.

Ina decided she was going to find the adventure in this darkness, at least until her mommy came to get her. She took off in a random direction, holding the bottom of her shirt in her hands like it was a map. She pretended there was a dark jungle surrounding her, and she had to find the doorway to take her home.

Suddenly, Ina noticed a light coming from somewhere in front of her. Maybe that was the door home? She checked her map, and it said the door was just ahead. She could do this, she could be an adventurer just like her mommy.

Ina began to run towards the light as fast as her little legs could carry her, and the light seemed to be getting closer. The colors on her shirt still looked dull, but she didn’t notice as the excitement of going home filled her heart.

She could see the door! She ran up and wrapped her little hand on the knob, and suddenly everything went dark again.