The Crystal Shoe

A Story by N. S. Chromic

Ally Falster is tormented by her mother, she has now received a letter from the only university she could get into, but they rejected her, what will happen now?

Everyone possesses something special, if this disappears, our hopes and dreams may be lost and in some cases, we may even lose sight of ourselves. Ally Falster had something similar; a crystal shoe. The little shining object in her pocket was the only good memory she had of her mother. All the others had been rather violent and harmful memories. She didn't blame her mother, since it was all her fault, after all she was a nuisance.

Ally was strongly considering suicide now, since she was the cause of her mother’s suffering, and she had overheard this from her once whilst she was on the phone. ‘I can’t stand her presence, that child is a nuisance. Besides, wasn't it your turn to be with her today? Wait… What do you mean you have to work again?! Dear?!’

All this was heard by the 7 year old Ally Falster. From then onwards, the thought of her being a nuisance to anyone, tormented her. And although she tried to stop her parents from divorcing, it was already too late. A few years passed and she had transformed into her mother’s slave.

***

She was now in a bridge, looking down at the road below it, imagining how quick her death would be. She wasn't accepted anywhere anymore, her friends, the university, nothing seemed to accept her anymore.

As she closed her eyes, ready to jump, she felt a strong grip by her shoulder that stopped her. "Stop! Don't jump" exclaimed a voice.

She was glad someone had stopped her. Ally glanced at the person standing before her; it was a passer-by that had spotted her. A man in a black suit that had been staring at her the whole time “What were you thinking?" exclaimed the man.

Ally looked away from his face and answered coldly. "Why do you care? It's none of your business, besides I wasn't going to jump…. yet" the last word was said in a whisper that the man could not hear.

She felt the man’s eyes peering through her. “Look, I don’t know what happened to you… But… don't give up; you mustn't give up no matter what" advised the man, Ally glances at his expression wide-eyed one more time.

"You know nothing about me! She would certainly prefer to see me dead!" She answers as she tries to get away from his grasp. The man is surprised at her sudden confession, but didn’t quite know what she meant. "She?" asks the man in confusion.

Ally notices a woman getting out of a car and walking towards them. The woman is elegantly dressed and holds her head up high. Ally's eyes widen at seeing the woman and shivers in fear. “Ally, my dear... What sort of attitude is this?’’

The woman exclaims, and as this happens the man observes everything. Ally gets out of the man's firm grasp. He stares at both of them in confusion. The woman was dressed in black, in her late 40s but wore red lipstick which combined with her red hair, styled nicely whilst Ally was dressed in a more casual and comfortable way.

"Nothing... Mother" her answer was cold, and her eyes were of the same coldness.

Ally felt herself being pulled and was eventually dragged into the car by her mother. Ally saw the man left all alone very confused. Mrs Falster entered the car, and as this happened Ally froze. She shivered at the acknowledgement that she had no escape. She was trapped. Ally was frightened as to what was going to happen. Her mother would start undermining her with harmful words once again. “What did you intent to do this time?" asked the woman.

Ally didn't say anything.

"You're such a bad girl, you ran out of the house as soon as you read that letter-" She stops talking after realizing something and releases a certain chuckle. "Oh? Don't tell me that was the confirmation letter of the university... Was it?’’.

Ally glanced down in remorse.

"I see, so they didn't accept you? Well, what a stupid girl! You’re just like those poor kids that wander the street, the little beggars, no one wants them. You’re a monster, just like them!" said the woman furiously.

"I'm sorry..." Mumbled Ally with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry.... I'm sorry ..." She kept repeating this until they got home but her mother just never listened.

The whole way towards that house her mother kept insulting her and undermining her intelligence, words like ‘Ah! But aren't you retarded?’ and sometimes ‘How I wish you weren't my child!’ could be heard by the people walking by the streets of the city at times where the car stopped by the traffic lights.

Once they arrived home, Ally’s arm was pulled by her mother, who dragged her all the way inside the house to her room. She pushed her towards the floor, locked the door and left her in the dark room.

When Ally stumbled on the floor, she felt something shatter in her pocket; her crystal shoe. She put her hand in her pocket to check whether it really had broken. Ally’s fingers felt the smooth edges of the shoe, it had been a gift of her mother, the only gift she ever received from her. She felt a light pain in her finger, she had cut it.

And it bled, but she did nothing to stop it. “It’s broken… it’s over… She finally broke me.’’ A hysterical laugh could be heard from the corridors of the house.

Ally had finally broken, but no one cared; not even her.