Clara 4: Her Shadow

  "You are worthless!", a slither-like voice whispered in the depths of Clara's subconscious. She saw shadows of the creature skulking back and forth--taunting her. "Show yourself!", Clara shouted bravely. The scene took place in the same forest as before. Clara, in paranoia, retrieved a long stick and began waiving it around her, thinking she would somehow disengage the beast. Soon the cackle from before continued and immediately she was surrounded by a cult a hags closing in on her. They all chanted, "Worthless! Worthless! Worthless!" Clara began to see a small resemblance of herself in the face of these creatures. Closer and closer, they came. "Clara!", she heard, and the claws of the creatures grabbed her and were shaking her. "Clara! Clara!..."
  "Clara!" Clara was jolted awake by the shaking and shouting of her mother. Putting a pack of ice on Clara's forehead, her mother said, "You were having another nightmare weren't you?" Clara nodded slightly. "Well, it's all right I'm here." Clara realized the excessive amounts of sweat she produced from her dream, soaking her body, leaving her in an uncomfortable stickiness. She watched as her mother caressed her thick-hair, and noticed her mom was humming an old lullaby from when Clara was just an infant. She felt comfort and love, something she's been without for a long time.
  Clara scanned her surroundings realizing that she was back in her apartment on her bed. Her mother had obviously cleaned her messy apartment, for she noticed the clear floor and the washed dishes, but the walls and furniture still reflected pale and boring, bringing Clara to her state of dissatisfaction. She began sobbing. Her mother, Jocelyn, embraced her daughter, whispering soft phrases in her ear that proved intimate and between the two of them--mother and daughter.
  Jocelyn was called by loved ones, Jossie. Clara saw her mother as a beautiful, strong, loving black woman. Jossie's presence would brighten up any room. Everywhere she went she always had joy, not a facade, but a genuine glow about her. Growing up Jossie would not "snatch up" her children as her own mother had when she was young. "Snatched up" simply means getting a beating or spanked. No, Jossie instead taught her children a lesson by the three Ls: Listen, Lecture, and Love. Listen to understand their perspective, lecture them their faults and what can be done to improve that, and show tough love. The tough love was basically her stern character. One knew in the Daniels family the "look". One "look" from mama, and that was enough to know when to stop whatever mischief or disrespect was commencing. Clara loved her mother and she felt the strong-loving spirit begin to descend on her as Jossie was humming their song.
  A peace settled over Clara Daniels, one that she hadn't felt in years. She fell back into the state of her carcass, as her soul fluttered out and about the room, splashing vibrant colors on the walls and furniture. Clara wished that her mother, whose soul is reflected by her body, could see the scene of her soul executing the same. Secretly, Clara Daniels strives to be like her mother; charming, funny, gorgeous, loving. Clara sometimes even thinks her mother isn't really her mother, only an adopter who only takes in blob-like children. Clara resorted to calling herself just that--a blob.