Going back home, Darra never expected this feeling. She thought she would be excited, knowing her alcoholic brother is gone. But as happy as she is, she didn't realize how upsetting it would be, being back in the same place where she would get hit and abused, both mentally and physically. She always wanted peace, and happiness, but she realized now how grave of a mistake it was to want her brother gone. More than a grave mistake, it was very selfish since her parents didn't know anything about the beatings, yet they were the ones living with him. She always wished he would go away, maybe to a “better place” she wanted him to go to hell, but never said it. Darras 20th birthday is approaching and even though she wanted to go home to celebrate, there isn't going to be much of a celebration. 

She never expected him to die this soon although this might have been the miracle she was hoping for as a birthday gift from the gods. She’s sitting on the subway, waiting for the train to reach, the big sign says it will take another three hours, “let me just rest my eyes” she says softly. She walks in the door to see both her parents on their knees, crying. “Mom, Dad! Am I glad to see you” she exclaims, her parents take one look at her and say “get out, this is all your fault, we heard you praying last night you were here”. Darra looked horrified, your parents hearing you pray isn't a big deal right? Wrong. For Darra, every night she lived in this ‘hell hole’ as she called it, she prayed her brother died, knowing it couldn't happen overnight, she prayed that he passed before she turned 20. It was a huge mistake to say all of that out loud! Her mom saw her lost in thought, “I thought I said get out” Darra suddenly woke up with a huge gasp, a stranger had awoken her, noticing that she was sweating and struggling in her sleep. 

It all feels so surreal knowing that my wish came true exactly how I wanted it Darra thought to herself. Her parents weren’t ones to dwell on the past she realized, and neither should she. The second she walked into her parent’s house, she saw the most unrealistic thing ever. A party! “Mom, Dad, what is all this?” Darra questioned. “Silly, you think we forgot your birthday is coming up” her dad said. “But… What about Toby?” That was her brother's name, her parents named him after a Moorish idol. “Who’s Toby?” Why did they seem surprised? Uh oh “Toby as in my brother Toby, you know” Then it hit her, she has never seen her parents and ‘Toby’ talk.

He's only ever been available when they're not home, and he looks nothing like any of the family.

He didn't even have a room… She realized he didn't die, just tricked her…

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