#modestasks

Heather was eight years old when it all started but of course, she only knew that. Even by a young age she knew not to pester her parents, about anything especially since this was the time her mother was also pregnant with her little sister. But she didn't know that, especially since her mother was barely showing a bump. It didn't matter though because either way even when Heather would get physically hurt and cry out for help, if her mother screamed for her father at the same time he would immediately go to her mother and not heather, no question asked. 

A year later, just two weeks after Heather had turned nine. Her little sister Sofia was born and after a long time she finally felt happy being around her family because she loved Sofia more than anything in the world. When Sofia first opened her eyes, even if she was being held by her mother she tilted her head and opened her eyes to look at Heather as her tiny little hands made grabby hands towards Heather's direction. 

Two months later, that's when Heather's parents realised something was wrong. Sofia's nursery was right next to Heather's room so whenever Heather woke up and screamed, so did the baby and then so did their parents. So for once, her parents finally took Heather to a doctor to find out what was wrong with their eldest child. That was when it was revealed that Heather had a nightmare disorder and that she would need medication for it immediately since it's been going on for too long but the parents had refused, in denial that there could be anything wrong with their child as much as the doctor pestered them about it. Back then Heather had thought that her parents had actually loved her and didn't want to let her go, but now she has realised that her family were more concerned about their reputation more than their child's well being. 

Another year and a few months after, her parents had finally gotten sick of Heather and as they picked her up from school instead of driving home or dropping her off to her best friend Elliot's house. They had dropped her off at a mental institution, with no warning. They had described to Heather that "it was a happy place for kids like you go to" But as they walked in, she knew that they were lying. It reminded her of a hospital and she had only gotten to see hospitals twice, once when Sofia was born and the other when she was diagnosed. She still didn't say a word about it, instead she sat patiently onto one of the waiting room chairs with her suitcase next to her. Once her parents were finished with talking to the same nurse who she didn't know then was going to be a greater mother figure than her own mother, they had bid Heather goodbye and told her that they'll visit soon. That was another lie that they had made. 

You know, people lied about the fact that mental institutions were scary or the workers were evil because they weren't, they just had to do their job when things got intense and Heather respected that. She never caused anything extreme, she just follows their orders and followed her personal nurse, Rosie everywhere. Maybe that was why she got special treatment from the staff or maybe it was because she was the youngest there. On her birthday or Christmas or even on just a random day, her nurse Rosie would give her notebooks to write in and books to read. Heather's doctor bought her a stereo knowing how much she loved music and the first nurse she met here who's name was Alice bought her Jonas Brothers cds whenever they made a new one. They all knew it was a risk and that was why they gave it to her one at a time in case of any mishap but there weren't any.