A Prologue of Events
(Life before The Outsiders)
Rating: PG13 for some violence and language
Disclaimer: Sadly, I only own Scarlet Judith Curtis. I don't own any of the true characters….but I'd pay big money to own Sodapop Curtis. He-he!
Prologue: The Dreadful Morning
The early morning sun glistened through the tiny rips in my bedroom curtains as a strong gust of wind rattled against the mangled window. I lay comfortably under the sheer sheet of my cozy bed. Sleep was slowly leaving me, my body slowly regaining consciousness just in time to feel the aftermath of the chilling breeze. It tickled my warm bones like pure ice to bare skin. Shivering, I rolled over onto my side praying to god that mother wouldn't be screaming for me to rise any time soon.
Please let it be five or six in the morning. Don't let it be seven. Please, God. If there really is a God, please don't let it be seven in the morning. Please! If you let it be six in the morning I'll do anything you want. I'll quite smoking, even!
As I continued my pleas to the heavenly father, my ears noticed the eerie silence throughout the house. For some, silence is entirely normal. It's something they're acquainted with and are not completely terrified of. For my family, it is a rare and frightening thing that makes one feel vulnerable. It's an awkward sound that makes life boring. In other words, it does not exist in my family.
Quickly opening my eyes, I found the numbers 7:21 blinking back at me from my alarm clock. Jumping up with a start, the sharp coolness of the morning air attacked my warm body sending chills throughout my body. Goose bumps popped up against my fair skinned arms and I felt my teeth began to dance chatter. God, why did I always insist on leaving my window slightly cracked? It only left me freezing by morning.
Normally in the wee hours of the morning, the sound of bacon sizzling and pancakes flipping is heard throughout the house, along with the water in the shower, mother hollering for us to wake, and people running about the rooms looking for clothes. The smell of eggs and toast can be smelt throughout the hallway and was often my wake-up call.
But this morning was different.
There was no sound of bacon sizzling or pancakes flipping. There was no scent of eggs or toast to greet my nostrils. My stomach gurgled in anxiousness as I noticed that the shower water was not running. Mother's voice was nowhere in hearing range…shocking. This was the first morning that she hadn't been hollering at us to wake. The house was completely still as if everyone were still sleeping.
Perhaps my clock is off. Maybe I set it for the wrong time. It could be four in the morning and I could not even know it. That's it. I set my clock for the wrong time. It's a logical solution—Darry did it a couple times back when he was in high school. Perfectly logical.
But my thoughts weren't exactly convincing me as I walked down the small hallway. From my view in the tiny narrow pass, I could see that the kitchen was in perfect condition from mother's cleaning the day before, no frying pans or plates congested the tiny table and stove. As I reached the living room I could feel an awkward tension setting in. And just to my dismay, my three brothers were sitting in the living room. Sodapop and Ponyboy had tears flowing down their cheeks, while Darry sat in Dad's mangled green armchair. His face was so somber and cold that I almost didn't recognize him. Instant fear fell through my belly.
What happened? Where are Mom and Dad? What's going on here?
"C'mere, Scarlet," Darry's voice was hoarse and much deeper than what I had expected. Usually his sweet voice was comforting, something to rely on for assurance and guidance. But today, it was the exact opposite. The sound of my heart racing could be felt within the insides of my body. I thought perhaps my chest would be visibly vibrating at the rate it was going.
"What's going on, Darry?" I asked quietly as I stood before him. The sight of Soda and Pony was something awful. The two sat on the small brown couch, tears streaming down each of their faces. Soda held Pony in his embrace, slowly rocking him back and forth. It sent chills up my spine.
"Where are Mom and Dad?" I asked once more, apparent fear showing through in my tone.
His cold blue eyes stared into mine—complete emotions flooding them. I could see the tears in the ducts of his eyes pleading to fall. I knew Darry wouldn't dare let them slide. For all his life, Darry thought himself as the "second man" in the house. He fancied himself a miniature version of Dad. He never cried when he got hurt or something sad happened. Instead he played manly man and stuck out the bad days. I used to look up to him when he was in high school. I liked to brag that my brother was the star football player on the Tulsa High varsity football team. People would always be in awe of the fact that I was related to him. Now, nobody really cared. Darry lost his stardom when he graduated from high school. My parents couldn't afford to pay for him to go away to school so he had to stay here in Tulsa and get a job to pay for schooling. Sad. I know.
"Baby girl, I don't know how to say this," his voice quivered as he looked away for a few seconds. "Mom and Dad aren't going to be coming home. There was an accident…."
Darry's lips kept moving, but nothing seemed to be coming out. My ears were ringing. I thought I might throw up. "Say what?" I could see Soda standing up from the couch out of the corner of my eye. His face was filled with worry as I stood there before Darry.
"They're dead, Scar."
He made it sound so unreal—it was almost harsh the way he told me. I couldn't believe it. The tears didn't seem to come because I honestly thought they'd be walking through the door within a few seconds.
It's a joke, a sick, nasty joke. This isn't real. Mom and Dad will be home shortly. Dad probably took her out for breakfast or something nice like that. He does that sometimes. Usually it's on a Sunday, but maybe he really wanted to treat her. Perfectly logical…
I looked over at my brother Pony. It seemed like he was crying a river. I never knew he was such a good actor. He should be in the school play rather than on the track team. He could get an Oscar for how well he's doing in fooling me right now. I almost believed him for a second there…
I looked to Soda's face. He was coming towards me, his eyes swollen red. The feeling of anxiety swelled up in my stomach. Somewhere inside I knew this was no joke. My family would never be so cruel—and Ponyboy is not that good at acting.
Soda brushed off his tears, placing a hand on my shoulder. His sweet elegance was so soft and serene I almost lost the anxious feeling in my stomach. He was an honorable young man who I was never embarrassed to brag about. Girls were constantly going nuts over his wheat blonde hair and sweet charm. What can I say? He was a real flirtatious charmer with the ladies. A real joker too, he had a way of making my parents laugh. They would just die over the littlest saying. Man, Mom sure was proud of him. Sure, he wasn't too bright with school, but Mom found the better qualities in him. It was Dad who didn't see him for what he was. Darry was Dad's golden boy. He played football, make Honor Role, always strived to do well. Soda was just a go with the flow kind of guy. So what if he didn't play any sports or make the Honor Role? Sports and grades weren't really his thing. Mom understood that. Dad didn't.
"It's okay, small fry," Soda choked out, embracing me in his arms.
"No!" I shook my head, escaping the hug. "You're lying! You're all lying!" I looked to Darry. Deep down inside I knew that he truly wasn't lying. This was no lie. My brother's would never do such a terrible thing…
A.N.: So, just so y'all know, this was just a little introduction to the storyline. Chapter one should be up shortly and will take place a few days after this event. Hopefully it looks enticing, though I know there is a sister involved with this one (crowd sighs in boredom) but please give little Scarlet a chance. She's got a good story to share…reviews greatly appreciated!