The Wishing Well | Teen Ink

The Wishing Well

October 6, 2015
By 18Mawene BRONZE, Cleveland, Ohio
18Mawene BRONZE, Cleveland, Ohio
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

There was a legend of a well; of the secrets which lay inside the walls. She stepped into the garden many times always staring into its depths, sitting beside the stone as if waiting for something to happen to the waterless well. But she grew up next to the well, it was brimming with her tears, the endless pages of homework and books, filled with smiles and laughter. Filled with little paper stars.
Each one dropped a different emotion, a different feeling. A blue star dropped for the time she sat alone at lunch. Yellow stars dropped for when she made her first friend, for when she finished her first chapter book on her own. Dropped for when she got that first A on her first test, for when her father pushed her on the swing in their garden. A pink star dropped for her high school love, followed by a blue one when he decided he wasn’t hers anymore.
The long dark hole filled with three different colors just scarcely peeking through the dark abyss. She stepped into the garden today, carrying with her a jar filled with sadness. She walked to the well, her head down as she looked at her emotions. The jar turned upside down over the well, stars rained down, covering the small yellow ones in a sea of blue. Most of the yellow that she heaved in belonged to him, those no longer mattered. They became overwhelmed by blue; it seemed as if the stars had changed color. She hugged the jar to her chest, holding tight fearing if she let go, everything would unravel.
She sat down next to the well and leaned her back against the cold stone. Not caring if she got her black dress dirty, and she cried. Cried until her eyes were puffy and her nose was red, cried until it became hard to breath. She placed the jar down, stood up, and situated her hands onto the side of the well. A glazed look over her eyes. She tapped her fingers steadily over the grey brick, contemplating what she should do next, if she should do anything at all. Her thoughts jumbled in her mind, running into one another, silence has never been this loud to her. She slammed her fist onto the brick and walked away, pacing, her hand poised over her mouth, glancing back at the well.
Her personal bubble burst as a voice entered her mind. “Scarlett, sweetie, calm down it's ok”. The words slurred together as her mother reached out and pulled her into a hug, she could smell the alcohol on her breath, “We’ll get by, I promise”. Her mother wrapped her arm around her shoulder and led her away from the garden and into the home the girl never wanted to step foot into again.

The sun faded from the sky long ago and was replaced by millions of twinkling lights. A Million miles from Earth, the house, and the girl at the gate of the garden. The door slowly creaked open, and the girl emerged from the dark shadows and into the light of the full moon. She propped her foot upon the ledge of the well and pulled herself up until she was standing on the edge fully. Suspended in the darkness, holding so tightly onto the stilts which held up the tall roof. Tears ran down her face as she stared into the blackness until it overtook her, until it became her. The darkness beckoned her, whispered her name, the wind seemed to push her forward as if telling her to go. She turned around, no longer facing the darkness that called out to her instead facing the house that pushed her away.
The house which felt too big. Overflowing with thousands of memories of someone who was no longer there. A mother who drank away her tears, a little sister who didn’t fully understand why everyone was so sad, and a note. A simple note that explained everything. It started with dear mother,  continued to a middle which told her to stop drinking and be a better mom, and finished with three words that told her ‘I love you’. With her final breath she let go. Falling, falling, falling into the depths of her soul, into her sadness, happiness, and love, falling into herself.
Falling thru the stars, thru memories filled with sorrow. She could feel her emotions all around her; she felt the ground as it connected with her body. Then nothing. Nothing left of her except tiny stars that filled a wishing well and the single wish of one girl who wished she wouldn’t feel anything at all.



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This article has 1 comment.


Kumori BRONZE said...
on Oct. 16 2015 at 11:20 am
Kumori BRONZE, New Britain, Connecticut
3 articles 0 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I don't think I can I know I can."

Quite an interesting story. You should make a sequel or prequel to it.