CHAPTER
1
Today it is cold, everything is dark and gray. She swings back
and forth on a tire swing that looks 100 or more years old. The old
tree looks like it is screaming, reaching high, trying to escape the
earth. Alysha Hope is sitting on this swing, on this cold day, alone.
The night before she lost everything.
Her and her parents were coming home from Pizza Hut of all places. It was raining hard, hard to see, hard to control a moving car. Her father who was driving looked down for a milisecond and hydroplaned. He lost control and the flipped 5 times and rested up against a tree. A man drove by, he pulled over and ran to the car. Alysha was screaming, her parents weren't moving, weren't breathing. The man knelt down and helped her out. She was the only one wearing a seatbealt. He took her to his car and gave her his jacket.
Alysha didn't care who this man was,
Alysha layed her head in his chest. He consoled her. "Are you
ok?" The rather large man asked. "I think so, are
they...dead?" she asked sobbing. He shook his head, "yes"
his voice was cracking. He felt he knew this young terrorized girl.
"What's your name?" he asked.
"Alysha, Alysha
Hope." The man questioned himeself then asked, "Is there
anyone you can call?" She shook her head, no. For some reason he
knew there was noone. "The Hope's had just adopted me, a year
ago. I've been in a foster home since I was born, I really don't want
to go back to foster care." She said.
"How old are
you?" The man asked. "10 and a half" she said. Just as
Alysha said that lights began to appear on the hill. "Stay here"
he told her. He got out and flagged them down. A police woman came to
the car and took Alysha to her car. She began asking Alysha a ton of
questions, she really didn't seem interested in Alysha's well
being.
Alysha would have rather left with the nameless man who saved her life rather than go to the police station, she knew what this ment. Another foster home. Then another, until some desperate family who can't control the 5-6 six foster kids they already have takes her, grows tired of her and puts her back into the system until she's 18 when she do what she wants. The case worker wrote down everything Alysha did said and everytime she went to the bathroom took a drink. Alysha wanted to escape. When she was waiting in the cop car she saw two body bags go by. She didn't cry, she didn't know them well. She was used to loosing people. Alysha, even though she was only 10 was very mature for her age. I think she'd have to be with everything she's been though. She was about to fall asleep at the case workers desk when she asked. "Where is that man that helped me?" The case worker, who's name was Judy said. "He's being questioned by the police." Why? Alysha thought, he didn't do anything wrong, just send me home with him. The case worker took her to a shelter. She knew the swing of things she'd go from one to the other, so on and so on.
The wind began to blow which brought Alysha back to reality. Here she was on this rickity swing on this depressed tree. She feels like she's invisible, which in some ways she kind of is. She will begin to fade into the system, just another name, just another kid without a home a family, a life. She looks up at the tree and feels the pain the tree feels. She wished the tree's limb would break and fall and crush her killing her instanly. She looked up and saw a large man coming up the driveway. It's him!! She thinks. She runs to him and hugs him not letting go until he pryes her arms off. He knelt down to be on her level. "Are you doing ok?" He asked. "No, I don't want to be here." Alysha said. "What's your name?" She asked him. "Glenn, Glenn Jacobs" He said.
