“You don’t understand.”

“I think I understand perfectly clearly.”

“No, you don’t. She made me do it. All of it. None of it— not one single part— was me.”

I watched from the shadows as the two mysterious women traded harsh words with each other, wielding them like blades.

“But you were still fully conscious, were you not? Privy and active with your own thoughts, feelings, and actions?”

When the other woman— the blonde one— said nothing in reply, the brunette continued, stepping over a seesaw in order to stare her companion directly in the eyes.

“Then you will take the blame, and the fall, for your own actions.”

I frowned. This was not how today was supposed to go. This was not how today was supposed to go at all. On account of several things, of course. I’ve never been one to become overly upset about one simple misunderstanding or mistake. But this was simply much too far, and much too out of line.

Daddy had promised to take me out for ice cream, but instead, Mommy took me to the playground. Which was fine, except for the fact that I had already been to the playground twice that week, and I hadn’t had ice cream in over a month. And that Daddy was never home, but that couldn’t be helped, Mommy said. Mommy said that all the time. That can’t be helped.

So I was playing on the playground, somewhat gloomily, with Mommy napping on a bench under the tree, when two women in black dresses walked up. Naturally, I did what any child would do when an unfamiliar adult invades their space. I hid.

It was unusual for an adult to be at a playground. It was practically unheard of for two adults to be at a playground, together, without any kids in tow.

So, as you can see, I was quite shaken up as I sat in the turf under the blue slide and listened to the two strange and unusual women converse. And even more so when, from what seemed out of nowhere, a dozen cop cars appeared and arrested the blonde woman and told my mommy she was to come with them. No objections, that was it. The brunette left with them, and soon enough, I was all alone.

This was not how today was supposed supposed to go at all.