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Description
"Sprite hadn't been happy as of late. By this time, I had known her for almost a year. I was her best friend. Almost family, like her second mother. But even my efforts to lift her spirits didn't keep them raised forever. By the day, her desire to see the outside world only grew. And every night she wasn't able to only increased her inner torment. Everyday she watched me walk out the front door when it was time to leave. I saw her through the window staring at me in sadness and envy while starting up my scooter. I had a feeling she would make a move, but for the sake of not braking my personal record of her innocence, I repressed those thoughts, and told myself she never would. How wrong I was.

It was another late-night job at the Summer's house. The parents were both off-world to wrap up business with an old enemy of theirs, and needed me to stay the night. As per usual, I traded working on my bracelet for playing with Sprite all day. But I could tell her mind was somewhere other than with me. I did my best to make her happy. I told her I would always be there for her. That I would trade my life for hers in a heartbeat. She nodded, but she didn't seem any happier. My own heart was overtaken by sadness as I began to wonder if I had done right by my daughter.

When the time came, I put Sprite to bed. "Goodnight, sweetie." I said to her, still morbid from self-doubt. "I'll be upstairs. In case you need anything, call me and I'll be here." "Actually, Audry? Do you think you could sleep beside me tonight? I peaked into the living room while mom was watching a horror movie yesterday." Sprite told me. Happy to receive another chance to comfort her, I obliged her request. "Alright then. Scoot over, Spritey." I said with a smile that was probably too wide. Sprite smiled, and it built my trust in her. She gave me room and I got into bed with her. It was tricky falling asleep next to a living night-light, but I eventually managed to closed my eyes.

I woke up and could tell it was still the middle of the night. But then I realized something else: The room was dark. "Idiot..." I thought to myself. "I knew this was coming, and fought it every step of the way!" I heard footsteps from upstairs, so I knew she was still in the house. She must have heard my own as I rushed up the stairs, because when I got to the main floor, she was hiding behind a chair. I looked to the entrance of the house, and saw one of the two front doors had been unlocked and opened. All doubt was removed from my mind. "I see you back there Sprite! Come out, so we can talk." I said, trying to hide my frustration at both her and myself. Sprite jumped out of her hiding spot and onto her feet. "HOW DID YOU SPOT ME!?" Sprite asked, with all the lights in the room still off. I did my best to forget that she just said that, and focused my attention on calming her nerves.

"Sprite, the front door is unlocked. Did you just try to go outside?"
"...No."
"Truthfully Sprite, I just asked you that to see if you'd be honest. I know I locked that door before I put you to bed."

Sprite looked downwards in guilt and frustration.

"Sprite, the outside world IS a great place to be. You know your parents love you. And I hope you know I love you. With all of my heart, I do. You have to understand that if all of us choose to keep you away from something so wonderful, It could only be for the best of reasons. You are the most powerful thing on Earth. And while you've been mastering your powers at a quick rate, you just haven't reached the level of mastery needed to ensure you won't harm anyone. Trust me Sprite, hurting someone else feels just as bad as being hurt yourself. We don't ever want you to have to suffer that way...... Sprite, I understand it's hard-"
"No you don't."
"I... what?"
"How could you possibly understand me? You're not the one trapped in this house."
"Maybe not, but I"
"People don't even know I exist! And yet you're trying to tell me you understand my world? Audry Atom, the girl genius, beloved by all? Your life is too easy for you understand me!'
"e-EASY!? How dare you accuse me like that, Sprite! You don't know my life! I had to grow up without pare-"
"You're right! I don't! I don't know mommy and daddy's lives either! I don't know anyone's life! I don't even know my own, because I don't HAVE one! My entire existence is training for the day I get to go outside and be someone!"
"Listen, Spri-"
"But right now, I'm nobody! And that's the only reason you CARE about me!"
"What? N-no... Sprite.... that's not-"
"I saw your face light up whenever daddy paid you in your first weeks! It took days upon days of me wallowing in self-pity for you to finally give me a second more than you needed to! You KNEW I was trapped in this house from the day you met me, BUT ALL YOU CARED ABOUT WAS YOUR STUPID BRACELET! IF I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TERRIBLE MY LIFE WAS, YOU WOULD STILL BE THE SAME HEARTLESS GIRL YOU WERE WHEN YOU FIRST WALKED IN!"
"I... I'm just trying to help you-"
"YOU WANT TO KEEP ME STUCK IN THIS HOUSE FOREVER! I HATE YOU, AUDRY!!"

My eyes began to tear up. Never since my parent's betrayal did I hurt this bad. But somehow, this felt worse. I tried my best to push through. I had to restore Sprite's faith in me. "I'm sorry." I said, through my cracking voice. "I'm sorry didn't care. I'll do anything to make it up to you." I began to walk up to her. Sprite backed away and tripped to the floor, leaning against the staircase wall. "Go away Audry!" Sprite yelled. I didn't give up.

"Sprite, I'm not leaving this house..."
"If I have to be stuck in here, I'm not doing it with you! Now go away!"

Sprite pointed her hand towards me, gesturing at me to back off.

"I won't. Sprite... please."
"GO AWAY, AUDRY!"
"I'll never abandon you"
"GO AWAY! JUST LEA-"

The entire room turned white. Sprite had just discovered a new power of hers. And it tore me open, splitting me down the middle. Half of my face was gone, and my wounds were immediately cauterized by the scorching heat. But by the time I realized any of this, I was already dying on the floor."

Description
"Sprite hadn't been happy as of late. By this time, I had known her for almost a year. I was her best friend. Almost family, like her second mother. But even my efforts to lift her spirits didn't keep them raised forever. By the day, her desire to see the outside world only grew. And every night she wasn't able to only increased her inner torment. Everyday she watched me walk out the front door when it was time to leave. I saw her through the window staring at me in sadness and envy while starting up my scooter. I had a feeling she would make a move, but for the sake of not braking my personal record of her innocence, I repressed those thoughts, and told myself she never would. How wrong I was.

It was another late-night job at the Summer's house. The parents were both off-world to wrap up business with an old enemy of theirs, and needed me to stay the night. As per usual, I traded working on my bracelet for playing with Sprite all day. But I could tell her mind was somewhere other than with me. I did my best to make her happy. I told her I would always be there for her. That I would trade my life for hers in a heartbeat. She nodded, but she didn't seem any happier. My own heart was overtaken by sadness as I began to wonder if I had done right by my daughter.

When the time came, I put Sprite to bed. "Goodnight, sweetie." I said to her, still morbid from self-doubt. "I'll be upstairs. In case you need anything, call me and I'll be here." "Actually, Audry? Do you think you could sleep beside me tonight? I peaked into the living room while mom was watching a horror movie yesterday." Sprite told me. Happy to receive another chance to comfort her, I obliged her request. "Alright then. Scoot over, Spritey." I said with a smile that was probably too wide. Sprite smiled, and it built my trust in her. She gave me room and I got into bed with her. It was tricky falling asleep next to a living night-light, but I eventually managed to closed my eyes.

I woke up and could tell it was still the middle of the night. But then I realized something else: The room was dark. "Idiot..." I thought to myself. "I knew this was coming, and fought it every step of the way!" I heard footsteps from upstairs, so I knew she was still in the house. She must have heard my own as I rushed up the stairs, because when I got to the main floor, she was hiding behind a chair. I looked to the entrance of the house, and saw one of the two front doors had been unlocked and opened. All doubt was removed from my mind. "I see you back there Sprite! Come out, so we can talk." I said, trying to hide my frustration at both her and myself. Sprite jumped out of her hiding spot and onto her feet. "HOW DID YOU SPOT ME!?" Sprite asked, with all the lights in the room still off. I did my best to forget that she just said that, and focused my attention on calming her nerves.

"Sprite, the front door is unlocked. Did you just try to go outside?"
"...No."
"Truthfully Sprite, I just asked you that to see if you'd be honest. I know I locked that door before I put you to bed."

Sprite looked downwards in guilt and frustration.

"Sprite, the outside world IS a great place to be. You know your parents love you. And I hope you know I love you. With all of my heart, I do. You have to understand that if all of us choose to keep you away from something so wonderful, It could only be for the best of reasons. You are the most powerful thing on Earth. And while you've been mastering your powers at a quick rate, you just haven't reached the level of mastery needed to ensure you won't harm anyone. Trust me Sprite, hurting someone else feels just as bad as being hurt yourself. We don't ever want you to have to suffer that way...... Sprite, I understand it's hard-"
"No you don't."
"I... what?"
"How could you possibly understand me? You're not the one trapped in this house."
"Maybe not, but I"
"People don't even know I exist! And yet you're trying to tell me you understand my world? Audry Atom, the girl genius, beloved by all? Your life is too easy for you understand me!'
"e-EASY!? How dare you accuse me like that, Sprite! You don't know my life! I had to grow up without pare-"
"You're right! I don't! I don't know mommy and daddy's lives either! I don't know anyone's life! I don't even know my own, because I don't HAVE one! My entire existence is training for the day I get to go outside and be someone!"
"Listen, Spri-"
"But right now, I'm nobody! And that's the only reason you CARE about me!"
"What? N-no... Sprite.... that's not-"
"I saw your face light up whenever daddy paid you in your first weeks! It took days upon days of me wallowing in self-pity for you to finally give me a second more than you needed to! You KNEW I was trapped in this house from the day you met me, BUT ALL YOU CARED ABOUT WAS YOUR STUPID BRACELET! IF I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TERRIBLE MY LIFE WAS, YOU WOULD STILL BE THE SAME HEARTLESS GIRL YOU WERE WHEN YOU FIRST WALKED IN!"
"I... I'm just trying to help you-"
"YOU WANT TO KEEP ME STUCK IN THIS HOUSE FOREVER! I HATE YOU, AUDRY!!"

My eyes began to tear up. Never since my parent's betrayal did I hurt this bad. But somehow, this felt worse. I tried my best to push through. I had to restore Sprite's faith in me. "I'm sorry." I said, through my cracking voice. "I'm sorry didn't care. I'll do anything to make it up to you." I began to walk up to her. Sprite backed away and tripped to the floor, leaning against the staircase wall. "Go away Audry!" Sprite yelled. I didn't give up.

"Sprite, I'm not leaving this house..."
"If I have to be stuck in here, I'm not doing it with you! Now go away!"

Sprite pointed her hand towards me, gesturing at me to back off.

"I won't. Sprite... please."
"GO AWAY, AUDRY!"
"I'll never abandon you"
"GO AWAY! JUST LEA-"

The entire room turned white. Sprite had just discovered a new power of hers. And it tore me open, splitting me down the middle. Half of my face was gone, and my wounds were immediately cauterized by the scorching heat. But by the time I realized any of this, I was already dying on the floor."