I (Don't) Need Your Forgiveness
Twiggy's POV
I curled up more tightly on the hard ground, shivering with cold, fear, and hunger. I’d been living outside, in the winter, for what felt like a month by now. I was dirty, starving, and hopeless. I would’ve cried, but I didn’t have enough moisture left in my body for any more tears to come. I’d been living on dirty gutter water and food from the garbage. I would’ve gone home, after Marilyn had thrown me out, but I didn’t have a home to go to. Or, for that matter, any money with which to get there. All I had was the few articles of clothing he’d pitched out the window- a pair of boots, a pair of tights, and a few dresses.
Since I wasn’t really eating, I’d lost so much weight that the tights were too big for my hips and legs. They sagged down, but I was too cold to take them off. For the first few days, I’d tried to find shelter of some sort, but I was in the middle of nowhere. Now, I didn’t have the energy to move much. I knew that I was going to die, but somehow, the idea of death was more appealing to me now than the reality of what I was going through now.
A chipmunk dangled from a tree branch above my head. It climbed down the tree, and sat in front of me, chattering away. It darted close enough for me to touch, but I didn’t. I wasn’t afraid, but I was too weak to move. It ran back to the tree, dug into the ground, and came back, a nut in its little mouth.
“Lucky you,” I said softly, watching it with interest.
The little animal came up to my arm, and nudged me with its head. It dropped the nut beside my hand, looking at me as if it was waiting for me to thank it. Of course, I couldn’t get my teeth through a nut shell, but the poor little thing was trying to be kind, so I popped it into my mouth, and patted the chipmunk on the back very lightly. When it was gone, I spit out the nut.
I slept, waking in the night with a heavy pain in my belly. I used my little energy to pull off some pieces of bark and shrubbery, trying to eat them. I wound up sick, with even worse pains in my stomach. I lay back down, hoping that I’d just close my eyes and never open them again. Death had to be better than this.
Since I wasn’t really eating, I’d lost so much weight that the tights were too big for my hips and legs. They sagged down, but I was too cold to take them off. For the first few days, I’d tried to find shelter of some sort, but I was in the middle of nowhere. Now, I didn’t have the energy to move much. I knew that I was going to die, but somehow, the idea of death was more appealing to me now than the reality of what I was going through now.
A chipmunk dangled from a tree branch above my head. It climbed down the tree, and sat in front of me, chattering away. It darted close enough for me to touch, but I didn’t. I wasn’t afraid, but I was too weak to move. It ran back to the tree, dug into the ground, and came back, a nut in its little mouth.
“Lucky you,” I said softly, watching it with interest.
The little animal came up to my arm, and nudged me with its head. It dropped the nut beside my hand, looking at me as if it was waiting for me to thank it. Of course, I couldn’t get my teeth through a nut shell, but the poor little thing was trying to be kind, so I popped it into my mouth, and patted the chipmunk on the back very lightly. When it was gone, I spit out the nut.
I slept, waking in the night with a heavy pain in my belly. I used my little energy to pull off some pieces of bark and shrubbery, trying to eat them. I wound up sick, with even worse pains in my stomach. I lay back down, hoping that I’d just close my eyes and never open them again. Death had to be better than this.