Eating

By Debangee Ganguly

Aria Locke was sitting blankly staring at nothing.

‘Sweetie,' her mother called worriedly.

Aria jumped out of her stupor as she asked innocently, ‘Yes mom?’

Her mother, bewildered, questioned, ‘Darling, you have been staring at the wall for the past few minutes, is something wrong?’

Aria looked at her mom emptily.

‘But mom, I have been eating since the past 10 minutes.’

Her unfinished cereal lying at the table, Aria looked confused.

******************

‘Aria what are you doing,' her mother screamed as she snatched the dead cat from her daughter’s hand.

Aria stood with the kitchen knife, which was now stained by blood.

She stared at her mother, her eyes dull and unfocused as she advanced towards her mom.

‘Aria don’t,' her mother pleaded as she watched her daughter come closer.

‘Aria NO.’

*****************

‘I did not do this, I did not do this,' Aria chanted continuously as her voice wavered, tears leaking from her eyes.

Her clothes were tainted with blood as she cradled her mother’s limp body in her arms, three fingers being missing.

‘I was eating,' she whispered as her voice broke, a thick iron-like liquid inside her mouth.

By Debangee Ganguly