Katie turned her young angelic face to her mother. Her once beautiful happy face had totally transformed over the last couple of weeks. Black rings circled her bright blue eyes and her thick blond hair was matted against her face. Mary hadn’t seen these changes early enough. Katie attempted to plaster a fake grin on her face that didn’t even reach her eyes. She straightened her rugged shirt and started to fiddle with her hair. It was her trademark sticker. Everybody knew Katie did this when she was happy. That’s why Katie did it now.
“I’m fine!” she insisted looking at her mother in frustration.
Mary scanned her daughters face in search of answers. She shook her head in disbelief and stared into her daughters eyes.
“Katie, don’t lie to me!” Mary snapped sternly. As soon as she’d said it she wished she hadn’t. Was this what she had been told exactly not to do? Mary knew very well she wasn’t supposed to yell at Katie.
Katie opened her mouth to say something before closing it again.
“Katie, I’m no good at this… this… whole thing you’re going through right now! I just didn’t think you’d turn to this… this… filth!” Mary held up the empty bottle of cheep booze in disgust. She quickly walked to the bin and dropped the bottle in a delicate manner. Katie flinched as the bottle hit the floor of the cylinder. Shakily Mary walked over to the sink and started to wash her hands. Katie watched her mother as she poured the hot soapy water over her hands numerous times. Mary walked back to Katie and gestured for her to sit on the couch. Katie didn’t move. Why should she have to sit down? Mary blushed and walked back towards the kitchen. She grabbed the kitchen bench for support and looked back at Katie.
“I think… I think you should talk to somebody Katie. I think you will benefit from a talk. You haven’t talked to anybody in a while. I mean poor Grandma and Grandpa were…”
“Why should I care what you think?!” Katie could feel reoccurring tears welling in her eyes. Nobody understood her. Nobody knew why she was upset! Why should she care about people that don’t care about her?!
“Katie this has got to stop. You are to go out with your friends and enjoy yourself. An eleven year old girl shouldn’t be moping around the house drinking…what ever that was you were drinking!” Mary grabbed her car keys and handbag from the other side of the bench. “Go get your coat Katie, we’re leaving!” Mary’s cold hands coiled around Katie’s left shoulder as she tried to direct her daughter outside.
“Get off me!” Katie yelled as she pulled away from her mother. “You don’t care about what I think! You don’t even know anything about me! All you care about is your work. You never notice me. You never praise me! Why would you care about me now?!” Heavy tears were streaming down Katie’s cheeks as she ran through the open door.

Katie’s cheeks were flushed and her breath was becoming hoarse as she sprinted past all the houses she’d grown so familiar to over the past eleven years.
“Go away!” she mumbled as she leapt into the shadows of a dark forest. The branches welcomed Katie with open arms as she stepped further away from the life she had become so sick of.