Menage Monday 4-9-2012

This is my entry for Cara Michael's weekly Menage Monday flash fiction contest. I hope you enjoy it!

Menage Monday can be found at: http://www.caramichaels.com/defiantlyliterate/2012/04/09/menagemonday-challenge-week-28/

This week's three prompts:

Phrase: "Too much damage"

Theme: pretending

Photo:

“Why are we moving, Mommy?” Lilly asked for the nine thousandth time.

“Because of the fire, sweetheart.” Her mother put more clothes in a bag without looking at her.

Lilly’s head carried visions of smoke, black clouds, darkness, but it all looked so far away. The nightmares of calling for her mom when she was scared didn’t come last night, though she’d expected them.

“But why?”

Her mother flitted around the room grabbing things and throwing them in the suitcases.

“Too much damage. Too much…”

Lilly’s eyes scanned the walls. Everything looked the same. “Where?”

Her mother’s eyes met hers for the first time. Purple and green were dark beneath her skin.

“Oh. I see it.”

Her mother sat beside her on the bed, gathering Lilly into her lap. She kissed the top of her head. “I guess you do, huh?”

Lilly climbed off her mother’s lap and picked up the biggest bag she could carry. She stood at the door and waited.

“What’s say we go somewhere we don’t have to pretend any more?”

“Does that mean I can’t be a princess any more?”

“Of course you can. That’s for real.”