Locked Away

This weeks story for the 1000 Words Meme.

Alisa sat looking out at the dreary afternoon. Rain pelted the window, the teardrops washing the grime away. How she wished to be outside! She only felt alive when she got to leave this room. Inside, her spirit was weak and her thoughts ran away with her. She feared what might happen if she were locked inside too long.

“Alisa, are you still sitting at that window?” her mother called from the kitchen.

Alisa didn’t answer. Her mother knew she was at the window. She was always at the window when she couldn’t be outside.

“You know, they said it might rain all week. You can’t sit there and do nothing all that time,” her mother went on.

“All week!” Alisa squeaked.

There was no way she could go a whole week cooped up inside. She’d go crazy! She had to be outside and breathe the fresh air. See the birds flying, and hear the squirrels scampering. Her soul would wither and die if kept inside that long.

“We need the rain, Alisa. We’ve been in a drought in case you haven’t noticed.”

Alisa had noticed. She loved the drought. It meant she got to go outside every day! She didn’t have to come in until supper time. For a whole month she’d been able to sit beneath the trees and smell the grass. She loved taking her shoes off and scrunching her toes in the grass. She knew there’d be no grass without rain, but somehow that wasn’t as important as going outside.

“Can I go play in the rain, Mom?” Alisa asked plaintively.

“No, you’ll catch cold.”

“It’s not cold outside, Mom. I’ll wear a coat.”

“Alisa, you know how your dad feels about you going out in bad weather. He thinks you spend too much time daydreaming outside anyway.”

Alisa knew what her Dad thought. He’d told her often enough. He didn’t understand the pull of nature. The only time he wanted to go outside was if he was going to a ballgame. Her mom wasn’t much better. She only went out to do the grocery shopping.

Alisa remembered the time she’d asked if she was adopted. The stunned expressions on her parent’s faces were comical. They really had no idea why she’d asked. When she tried to explain, talking about all the differences between them, they just got more confused. She finally gave up; although she still wondered from time to time.

“Ok, Mom,” Alisa sighed, turning back to the window.

The rain continued to hit the window. Alisa watched as the drops slid down and disappeared. Disappeared just like her soul was. Slowly, one drop at a time.