Mommy's A Liar

Leah comes home and can't find her mommy anywhere. She looks everywhere until she comes to her parents' room. Inside she finds her mommy with a gun to her head.

"Mommy!" I shrieked happily skipping into our house. I could not believe it. Mr. Narcy gave me four stickers today! Four! I was as happy as a bee working in its hive...wait. Were those even happy? I dunno, all I know is that I was happy.

"Mommy!" I yelled louder looking around. Silence answered me. "Mommy where are you? I have some important news for you!"

I scrunched my nose and walked into the kitchen. I dumped my polka dotted bag onto the counter. Mommy always wanted to see what I had in my bag. She wanted to be super duper sure that I wasn't lying when I told her I had no homework. I wondered why. I would never lie to Mommy! The thought gave me the shivers.

"Mommy are you here? If you are blink once! If not, blink twice." I paused. "Did you blink?"

I tapped my foot spinning around. I was beginning to get nervous. Mommy was always home when I was home. If she wasn't then Daddy would be home. If Daddy had been home he would be answering me explaining it was he that was home and not Mommy. This was super duper weird.

Maybe Mommy was taking a nap. I walked over to the fluffy maroon couch and stuffed my face in one of the cushion. Maybe Mommy fell in the couch.

"Mommy are you visiting with the dust bunnies? You told me the dust bunnies were mean! Why would you do that?" Mommy wasn't with the dust bunnies.

I ran up the stairs that would lead to the bedrooms. Where was Mommy? I yelled her name over and over again.

"Mommy why aren't you answering me?" I hollered.

I can to stand in front of Mommy's and Daddy's bedroom. I paused before moving into the room. Mommy and Daddy told me I had to knock before I walked in. If I didn't I would be in big trouble. Oh well, if Mommy wasn't home I wouldn't get in much trouble now would I?

I stopped and stared at Mommy in horror.

"Mommy why do you have a gun to your head?" I asked. Mommy opened her red rimmed eyes to stare with melancholy eyes at me.

"Go to your room," she whispered. My eyes widened. I had seen this when I snuck in to a show Mommy and Daddy were watching one night when I was supposed to be in bed. The person had put the gun to their head and there had been this huge bang...the person never got up again. If Mommy did that...

"No!" I screamed beginning to cry. "Mommy I don't want you to go bye bye forever! Don't leave me! Don't do it!" I ran over to her and tried to rip the gun from her hands. Mommy pushed my away. I rubbed my elbow crying harder. Mommy had pushed me. She never hurt me! No matter how bad of a girl I was, Mommy and Daddy never laid a hand on me.

I breathed heavily staring at Mommy and she settled in her spot between the wall and her bed. She brought the gun back to her head closing her eyes.

"Mommy! I'm gonna get Daddy okay? Yeah I'll--" I scooted up and ran toward Mommy's bureau and grabbed her cell phone. What was Daddy's number? I didn't remember! Poopies.

"Don't you dare call your father!" Mommy yelled hoarsely. "Listen to what I say. Close that phone right now." I paused thinking about what Mommy said. If I didn't listen to her I would get in real big trouble. But if I did . . . .

"No Mommy, I'm going to get you help."

"Leah, sweetie, put the phone down," Mommy said again in a calmer voice. I shook my head stubbornly and tried to work the phone. Totally confused, I clicked a random number. All of a sudden I saw, Calling John. That was Daddy's name!

I quickly brought the phone to my ear.

"Hey honey I'm on my way h--"

"Daddy, Mommy's in trouble!" I shouted into the phone.

"Leah honey, what?" I could hear the concern in Daddy's voice.

"Mommy's sitting next your bed with an ucky gun next to her head. I don't want her to go to sleep forever!" Daddy's breathing seemed to stop.

"Honey try to distract your mom alright. Be careful, that gun is dangerous. Don't let it point at you." I nodded.

"Okay." I heard a clicking noise. "Daddy what was that clicking noise?"

"Oh gosh," I heard Daddy whisper. I watched as Mommy's face tensed. I could just tell she was going to pull that thingy her finger was on.

"No Mommy don't play with guns! It's dangerous. Daddy I have to go. I have to protect Mommy!"

"Le--" I hung up the phone and ran over to Mommy.

"Mommy put the gun down," I said softly putting my hands in front of me. I gulped. I was so scared I thought I was going to pee my pants. But I held it in. I was a big girl. Mommy shook her head.

Giving a small scream which I recognized from Narnia, I charged at Mommy. Mommy gave a small shriek and tried to toss me off. I screeched as Mommy's nails pierced my skin. Owie it hurt!

"Mommy you're hurting me!" I cried.

"Get off, honey!" Mommy screamed. "It'll be okay."

"Put the gun down! You'll hurt yourself." I tensed as I felt a cool metal dig in my side. It was the gun. I heard Daddy's voice in my mind telling me not to let the gun point at me. I shrieked in fear and pushed away from Mommy. That gun would make me go to sleep forever.

I heard a loud bang. I screamed and covered my ears. I squished my eyes tight. Mommy taught me that when I was scared, closing my eyes would help. I peaked my eyes open and saw Mommy laying on the ground with her eyes open in a pool of blood. Why was she bleeding? Why were her eyes open? When you're sleeping, your eyes are supposed to be closed.

"Mommy!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "Mommy wake up!" I ran over to her and began to shake her super hard.

"Mommy you said it would be okay!" I shrieked. "You lied Mommy . . . and you told me never to lie." I stood up and stared at Mommy. "You told me lying was horrible. You lied Mommy! You're a liar!" I kicked and screamed at nothing. Mommy had lied to me. Mommy was never coming back. She was asleep forever. Just like that man in that show.

I heard the house door open and I ran toward the stairs.

"Leah, Mallory?" Daddy shouted.

"Daddy!" I cried. I scurried down the stairs and into Daddy's arms. "Daddy, Mommy lied to me. She said it would be okay." Daddy hugged me tightly.

"Yes she did lie, honey. Where is Mommy now?" I pulled away and wiped my nose. Yucky, it was runny.

"Mommy's sleeping Daddy. Sleeping on your floor. Why are her eyes open Daddy? Eyes aren't supposed to be open when you're asleep . . . right?" I watched as Daddy's eyes became watery. "Daddy, Mommy's not coming back. Just like that man from that show."

"What show honey?"

"The one you told me not to watch with you and Mommy. I didn't listen. I snucked out of bed and watched the ending. It was scary." I began to cry.  "Mommy's not coming back!"

Daddy took my hand and we began to walk up the stairs. I held it tightly, squeezing my hand so tightly that it began to hurt.

Daddy and I stared at Mommy for a long time. We didn't talk. Just stared. Then Daddy moved to the end of the room and grabbed our home phone off the stand.

"Daddy, what are you doing?" I asked. Daddy sniffed and answered,

"I have to call someone, sweetie."

"Can I call Allison and Bryce, Daddy?" Daddy looked at me for a long while before nodding.

"Yeah, make sure you all stay outside."

I nodded and grabbed Mommy's cell phone from the floor. I dialed Allison's number and walked from the room. Mommy's sleeping body was disturbing me.

"Hello?" came Allison's mommy's voice.

"Hi Mrs. Washington," I said softly.

"Hello, Leah dear, what's up?"

"Can I talk to Allison please?" I asked softly.

"Sure, dear, hold on." There was a pause and then Allison's voice could be heard.

"Hi," she said simply.

"Allison," I said tears beginning to fall.

"What's wrong?" Allison asked with concern in her voice.

"Mommy's going to be sleeping forever. She's never going to wake up."

"Whatd'ya mean?"

"She brought a gun to her head. I tried to stop her but . . . can you come over?" I listened as Allison shouted the question to her mommy.

"Mom said yes," Allison replied. "I'll be right over."

"Okay," I said, my voice breaking. "Bye." I hung up the phone and dialed Bryce's number.

"Hello?" It was Bryce who answered the phone.

"Brycey," I said softly.

"Hey Leah what's up?"

"Can you come over?" I asked, pointing my toe and scratching at the floor randomly.

"Yeah, I'll be right there."

"Aren't you even going to ask your mommy?" I asked putting my free arm on my hip.

"No, there's paper. I'll leave a note." I rolled my eyes not able to stop myself.

"Okay, I'll see you in a few minutes," I mumbled, hanging up the phone.

I headed down the stairs and set Mommy's cell phone on the kitchen counter. I didn't want to go back in Mommy's and Daddy's room. No, not at all.

There came a knock on our door. Was Bryce or Allison here already? That was fast . . . . I ran over to the door and opened it. There in the doorway was a tall man with a weird looking beard a uniform.

"Daddy there's a complete and utter stranger in our doorway! Do I get a bat to protect myself?" I screamed. The man laughed and knelt down in front of me.

"Don't worry hon. I'm here to help the family."

"Are you the one Daddy called?" I asked with narrowed eyes. The man nodded. I pushed the door open and walked past him.

"Daddy's in his and Mommy's room with Mommy. She's going to be sleeping for a long time." I ran outside and didn't look back at the strange man that showed up at our doorway. I walked over to my special swing set that I got for Christmas. I sat on a swing. I didn't feel like swinging. Just sitting.

I closed my eyes and thought about what we were going to do about Mommy. She wasn't going to wake up. I knew that. She was going to be so sleepy that she would never wake up. And I never got to tell her about my stickers . . . .

I began to weep so hard my stomach ached. My nose was stuffy but I didn't care. Mommy was gone. What was I going to do? What was Daddy going to do? Mommy always made the meals. Daddy didn't know how to cook. Mommy did most of the cleaning because Daddy was the one at work. Mommy was the one who watched me and played with me when Daddy wasn't home. Was I going to have to get one of those ucky babysitters? There was a girl at our school who had a babysitter and she was a complete meany head. She thought that she could have everything. Kyla was her name. Ucky meany Kyla. She was the only one in the class that I didn't like.

"Leah," came Bryce's voice from behind me. I turned and watched as Bryce walked slowly toward me and sat on the swing beside me. I rubbed my eyes furiously trying to get the tears away. Bryce always made fun of me when I cried.

"What happened?" Bryce asked in a worried voice. I turned to look at him with watery eyes.

"Mommy's gone," I whispered. Bryce's eyes widened. I knew he knew what I meant. Any other person would have been confused and thought that I meant she finally got a job. Mommy didn't want a job. She wanted to be home with me. At least that's what I had thought. I guess I was wrong.

"Mommy's gone forever Brycey," I said softly. Bryce got up from the swing and walked over to me. He held out his hand, and I took it instantly. He pulled me up and into his arms. I hugged him tightly weeping into his shirt.

Bryce didn't talk. He simply hugged me. I gave a small smile in his shoulder. It was the most emotion I had ever seen of him. Of the whole two years I've known him, he's never shown this much emotion. Even on my recent birthday when I turned six he barely smiled. I had been very annoyed then.

"Leah," Allison's voice came from behind us. I looked over Bryce's shoulder to see Allison staring at me. I gestured for her to come over, and she joined the hug. We stood there all in a group hug.

"What happened?" I heard Allison whisper to Bryce.

"Her mom died," Bryce whispered back. I wondered what "died" meant. I'd never heard the word before.

We pulled from the hug and Allison said, "We'll always be there for you, Leah."

Mommy may have lied, Mommy may have left me, but I knew Allison and Bryce wouldn't. They would stay by me forever and ever and ever. I would have Daddy, Allison's parents, Bryce's parents, and my bestest friends in the whole entire world with me. Even though Mommy would be sleeping forever, I would be okay.

I just knew it.

Author's Note

**Content Not Edited**