Blissful Dream, Part 1 (v1)

Wow. It's really been awhile since I wrote anything, and I felt really bad for neglecting to do so. I really wish I didn't feel so taxed from my classes so I could write more, because I really do want to. Anyway, I've decided to try and work on something shorter for now so it doesn't feel so overwhelming, and I've wanted to write this short story for awhile. Hopefully it'll turn out pretty decent, but I'm rather unsure about it. Anyway, here's the first part of it.

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“Rinny! Mommy is teaching me how to cook stew, look!”

Nina gave Karin a big smile. Karin was always jealous of that smile. It was the kind of smile you wish everyone could have; a smile without a hint of sadness. It was because of that very reason that it made Karin angry that Nina could smile like that.

Nina stirred the empty pot with a long wooden stick. Karin forced a cheerful facade. “It looks yummy.”

She set her pouch on the floor and pulled out half a small loaf of bread to show Nina. “I brought something that’ll go good with the stew.”

Karin stared at the piece of bread. It was hardly larger than her bony hand, and despite being dirt-stained, she couldn’t help but salivate every time she looked at it. It was always a struggle to keep herself from eating whatever food she managed to acquire, but every time she saw her sister the urges would fade into a dull ache.

Nina’s stuffed bear sat atop a worn stool, watching her as she continued stirring her stew. The left shoulder of her tattered dress, now too big for her haggard eight year-old body, dangled loosely half way to her elbow. She continued her humming, paying no mind to the bread in Karin’s hand.

Karin frowned and stood beside her sister. Despite being five years older, she stood only a few inches taller. She gazed into the pot. “It looks like the stew is done. You don’t want to overcook it, you know.”

“Oh, you’re right!”

Nina rushed to the shelf and grabbed three bowls and spoons. She scooped her stew into the bowls and placed them on the floor where the table used to be before last winter. Karin watched Nina’s arm tremble as she lowered herself in front of her bowl, then sat down facing her. Nina mumbled to the bear settled beside her, sipping empty spoonfuls of her stew.

Karin tore off a small piece of the bread and offered the rest to her sister. “Here, Nina. Try this with the stew, it’ll taste good.”

Nina continued her inaudible conversation with her bear.

“We always eat bread with Mommy’s stew.”

Nina’s face lit up. “Oh, right, the bread!”

Karin’s heart tore as she watched Nina rip the piece of bread in half with great difficulty. She knew Nina would do it, but every time it pained her to watch it. Half of it would hardly be eaten, and the other half left untouched. Her once healthy little sister, trapped in a blissful dream, had slowly withered into an emaciated girl over the past three years. Karin managed to keep Nina fed for the first six months, despite protests, but her own hunger left her too weak to continue trying.

“Here’s some bread, Mommy.”



Full: Blissful Dream, 1st Draft
Next: Blissful Dream, Part 2 (v1)