U - Unicorn #AtoZChallenge

My A to Z Challenge: Micro fiction, using 300 words or less, inspired by selected words along with a photo for inspiration. The words were chosen in reverse order from this lesson plan page.
(For example, for the letter A it was the 26th word on the list, for Z it was the 1st word on the list)

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All little girls love unicorns, right? Even some big girls do. But eight year old Suzie wasn't a fan. She never told anyone why. But then again, no one bothered to ask. After all, kids will be kids, right? Some love koala bears, others love cats. Teddy bears or dogs. The list goes on and on.

But Suzie was different. She used to love unicorns, back when she was little. Real little. Like maybe four or five years old. She really, I mean, REALLY, loved unicorns.

So why did she stop? What could cause that?

Suzie had lived in several foster homes before she was placed with her new parents. Their first year up, plans were underway for adoption. She'd never been happier. Well, until they gave her a stuffed unicorn for her eighth birthday. She'd screamed, thrown it across the room, and ran upstairs to her bedroom. Surprised at her reaction, her parents weren't sure what to do. Make a big deal about it? Talk to her? Ignore the incident?

They opted to ignore it. That might have been a mistake. After that encounter, little Suzie wasn't the same. She stayed in her room except for meals and school. She lost what few friends she had. She started having nightmares. They realized it was time to discuss things.

After much prodding, they got their answer and no one could have prepared them for it.

"He did it."

"Who did what?"

"My foster brother took my favorite unicorn and put a spell on it."

"A spell?"

"Yes, so she had my face. Then he speared me with a big stick and stuck me in the yard looking into my bedroom window."

"Couldn't someone take it down?"

"I tried." She wiped her face. "But it hurt me inside when I did, like it was really me. I hate unicorns!"