A Piece of My Childhood
I strolled down the well-worn path and inhaled a breath of fresh autumn air. A chilly breeze passed through the oak trees on both sides of the small path and I pulled my thin jacket closer against my body. October wasn't supposed to feel this cold. The trail seemed to be just as I remembered from so many years ago, winding from behind the last house on my street to my destination. After a few more minutes, I arrived at a secluded clearing with a deserted playground.
I walked over to the small merry-go-round and brushed my fingers against the cool rusted metal of one of the handles. I pushed it gently and watched as it began to revolve ever so slowly, like a video being played in slow motion. Some of the rough brick red rust had come off on my hand when I started spinning it and as I carelessly wiped it off on my jeans, a short blast of nostalgia hit me.
The three-year-old girl squealed in joy alongside her best friend as a smiling young mother spun the merry-go-round. The piercing squeaking of the circular structure was drowned out by the crescendo of exclamations from the two young children as they were spun ever faster in a blur of color. "Faster, faster!" the little girl screamed, loving the feeling of the wind in her short hair and the dizzying feeling of going round and round yet knowing she was safe with her mom there.
Smiling from the short flashback, I headed over to the swings. There were two swings there, one normal swing and one toddler swing, which looked sort of like a plastic diaper. I remember being pushed on the smaller swing as a baby, but I didn't truly have fun until I learned to swing by myself. I sat down on the swing and thought about the first time I went swinging.
Perched precariously on the curved piece of plastic was a four-year-old girl patiently waiting for instructions from her godfather. He patiently taught her how to bend her legs when going backwards and how to straighten her legs out when going forward. After she managed to get the timing just right, the girl soared, feeling the air "whoosh!" past her and drowning out everything around her. She had never felt this free before, like she had the ability to do anything she wanted.
Laughing as I felt the familiar rush of adrenaline from being so far off the ground, I daringly jumped off the swing and started trekking back the way I came. As I walked across the coarse gravel of the playground floor, I winced in imaginary pain as I recalled how much it had hurt to fall when I was trying to learn how to ride a two-wheeled bicycle. Then I reminisced how accomplished it felt to finally be able to ride the bike and I was okay again.
The small hot pink bicycle wobbled dangerously as the six-year-old girl attempted once again to move forward but ultimately fell again on the rugged floor that was supposed to cushion her fall. She was unfazed though, and got right back on her bike. Her exasperated dad stood behind her and steadied the bike as she put her feet on the pedals. They pushed off at the same time, and this time, miraculously, she kept on going even after he let go. "I'm doing it, Daddy! I'm doing it!" she exclaimed gleefully as she rode off happily.
Before I left the small park that held some of my most precious childhood memories, I looked back and reflected on how much the place has changed in the seven years after I had left. I remember the playground as a lively and boisterous place, filled with kids shouting and fighting over the limited playground equipment like teenage girls fought over the last pair of designer shoes. Now, there wasn't even a shadow of a person at the park and all of the equipment was practically unusable because of the lack of maintenance.
I was crestfallen and remorseful for a moment at how abandoned the place had become, but then I realized that just like anything else, the park had gone through its natural life cycle. It had its time to shine and glow with life, and now it was time to give some new places the chance to be in the spotlight. Knowing that I probably wouldn't be back for a long time to come, I said a silent goodbye to the park that would always hold a special place in my heart and started my journey back to reality.
A/N: I haven't written anything in a while and I thought I'd post this (: It's actually something I wrote for a descriptive writing assignment for my English class, but I think it would work in the point of view of one of the Clique girls too. You can make it whoever you want it to be. :D Also - check out the 2011 Clique FF Awards at forum . fanfiction . net/forum/The_2011_Clique_Awards/101708/ and maybe nominate some of my stories? (;