• The little girl in the blue polka dot dress’ hand was warm against my abnormally cold face. The child bore her pearly white teeth as her soft lips curled into a devious smile. The seemingly angelic, little child laughed maniacally. I looked straight into her red-tinted eyes, blue eyes, and I saw something in them that I recognized. I knew it, but couldn’t put a finger on it.
    Looking away immediately, she dropped her small hand to her waist. She turned her body away from me, and my confused glare followed her bouncing, short blond curls.
    She turned back to me, smile more angelic. Her big, innocent eyes bore into mine. “Will you take me to the park so we can play?” Her voice was a high pitched song. It brought me back to reality. I sat on her firm bed in the middle of a large, pansy pink room. I knew this place, but again, couldn’t put my finger on it. She sat across the room from me at a tea table.
    “No. It is raining, and we wouldn’t want to get your clothes wet.” I answered her absently. My mind was far away, busy trying to make the connection in my mind to the girl. Where was her mom? Where was I? I looked around for signs, and the beautiful stranger followed my gaze, hoping I would catch hers. I abruptly stopped searching and looked at the little, blond girl in the blue polka dot dress. She looked a bit displaced.
    “But I want to go! NOW!” For such a young child, she had a very strong and angry voice, but still like music.
    I was oblivious to her demands, “Little Angel, tell me. What is your name?” She looked at me with the devils wrath of fury lining her whole face.
    She opened her mouth to speak, but instead, calmed herself and brushed her shoulders.
    “I will answer all of your questions if you take me to the park.” Her tone was grave, but still calm.
    I gave in to the child’s demands, and I held her hand as I walked out into the pouring rain in a black tank top and jeans.
    We walked for quite some time before we reached the park. She didn’t seem to mind how wet she was, or how the playground was a pool. She yelped for joy and jumped and splashed in the biggest puddles she could find, and the dirtiest. I couldn’t help but smile, for this child’s joy brought me joy. I gave up her hand so she could go down the slide. I took a seat at a nearby bench under a large, sheltering tree.
    She climbed up the stairs to get to the slide, and waved to me as she rode down. I knew this was wrong. I wasn’t her mother, not her sister. Why was I doing this? It didn’t even bother me that I had no idea who the little girl was! I was too mesmerized by her innocent face. It was then I remembered I had questioning rights.
    “Sweet angel, would you come over here for a few minutes?” I asked her in the politest way manageable in hopes that I would not upset her.
    She frowned, upset by the pause in play time, and walked over to me. “Yes?” she said in the most virtuous way possible.
    “What is your name, darling lovely?” I wondered if a name existed for such a beautiful face.
    “Alright, you win. My name is…rather, may I show you?” She smiled deviously.
    “Sho-” I stopped, realizing that she was…showing me already.



    MAKE GUESS HERE!!!!
    My eyes widened as the not so little anymore girl walked toward me. She grew rapidly. Her short curls were now straight and waist long. As her clothes were morphed into a black tank top and jeans, my face hardened.
    The tall, blond girl in the tank top and jeans stopped growing when she reached 5’3” and her angelic smile turned to a very wide, white smile. She had freckles sprinkled along her cheeks and nose like a bridge. She was barefoot, her toenails painted a brilliant red. Her long slender fingers hung limply onto her waist.
    I swallowed the lump in my throat the best I could. I looked down at my toes, which were also a brilliant red. I looked at my long slender fingers, and my black tank top and jeans! That little girl was me! How could I not have seen it? That was my room! I didn’t know what to do, or what the hell was going on!
    We stood in silence as we both stared into mirror images of ourselves. I didn’t even want to know anything, afraid I wouldn’t be able to handle it. So I just stared. Continuously. It seemed like forever, until she broke the silence.
    She cleared her throat, “You probably don’t know what’s going on.”
    “Damn right I don’t!” I choked out, breathless like I had just ran five miles.
    She smiled as thoughts and plans unfolded in her mind. “I have been sent to replace you.” She said it like it was a casual thing.
    “Replace me?” It obviously hadn’t sunk in yet, since I wasn’t crying yet, not that anyone could tell with it pouring outside.