Sun Mote Copse Not your Barbie girl, I'm living in my own world

Miserable didn’t begin to scratch the surface. Alyx had never felt so many negative emotions in tandem before. Irritation with the inevitability of being dirty in this weather. Frustration that nobody else seemed to mind it like she did. Resentment that her siblings found ways to enjoy this. Hopelessness, above everything. The list went on and on, drowning most of Alyx’s good nature under a deluge of disturbing feelings.

It was evident in the way she side-eyed her father and sidled a step away, fearing that he was going to splash her again. He’d never seemed to take her mud phobia seriously. He hadn’t given her any reason to suspect he was going to try desensitizing her again, but all that negativity swirled together into suspicion. It was so uncharacteristic of her that when she realized how tense she was, she was filled with guilt. Phox didn’t deserve reticence from his daughter, no matter the weather.

When’s it gonna stoooop? she whined, facing him and finding she could almost look into his face without craning her neck.