The Portal To Life
It is said that before we die we see our life flash before your eyes. But what if you had seen what really was to come?
Each day I drive through the same streets, the beauty of fall no longer strikes me anymore. I see no beauty in each unique leaf. I find no happiness in the smile of a passing stranger. I have been forced to live in Seattle for 17 years now, and I wanted nothing more than to leave and start leading my life. No parents. No rules. I pulled up onto my drive to see the same manicured lawn and my father peering out of the kitchen window to wave at me. I was greeted at the door with the high pitched laughing of my younger sister Lucy and the same smile of my mother, sat neatly on the old leather sofa inside the living room, partially hidden by the crooked stairs. I dumped my bags on the glass table, slightly worried whether the whole thing would collapse. I feared getting on the wrong side of my father greatly. My father was always a friendly gentleman but he could loose his temper very easily. I rushed upstairs grabbing my laptop from underneath my pillow and began checking any news on a string of murders happening around the town. Usually nothing went wrong, occasionally the random act of vandalism would occur but the police believe pair of serial killers are on the loose.
"Rebecca your tea is ready" my father shouted from the stairs before hopping into the living room to join my mother. I quickly closed my laptop and ran downstairs to dine.
My diary and my laptop were two of my most important possessions. My diary contained most of my rambling on my family and my plans that someday I would run away, head off into the night with no guilt and no regrets. I just had to wait for the right time. That special moment. My homework seemed to have taken up all my spare time in the afternoon and so I went straight to bed, contemplating my plans, whether today I should leave. Never to return. As my brain was crammed with more and more thoughts I slowly drifted to sleep and before I knew it I was out.
"Lucy get out! GO!" father yelled. I woke up smelling an odd burning smell. I looked around and ran out into the hallway. Flames had flooded the entire nursery where my new born brother lay helplessly. Lucy had the trouble of having to share a room with him. All his crying and the various puke inducing smells he created.
"Dad. What is going on?" I shouted. He looked at me, with tears in his eyes, holding my brother in his hands.
"Take Logan get out and don't look back!" He passed the baby to me and dived into the deadly burning room. I did as he commanded, much to my own regret. I never thought that one night could take away everything. That one night, would be the last night I saw my mother and sister again. My father only barely managing to escape almost swollen by the roaring fires and choking fumes. The three of us sat helplessly on the bonnet of my father's old rusted pickup truck, watching desperately as the emergency services worked frantically to over-power the fire. Only to loose, and consequently loosing my mother and sister in the battle. A week later we were ready to move states; however we had to face the funeral of our family, the ones we had grown to love. We didn't have the money to have a big ceremony, and our family were not exactly the most popular neighbours so we didn't want to be upset by the lack of people attending. We decided to bury them both under the cherry tree myself and my mother had planted on my 4th birthday. Oh how I already missed her.
We packed everything into the back of both my father's and my own car and set off to Lawrence, Kansas. Everything in Kansas was different. Better in a way, the thought of a fresh new start was like coming up for air. Neighbours stood greeting each other petting the occasional runaway pet and adjusting their brightly painted porches. Kansas was the one place I had always dreamed of visiting, smelling the air, admiring each unique person. It was the place I had dreamed of running away too. I never thought the reason I would be coming here was to escape the pain of Seattle. I tried my best to remove the negative thoughts from my mind, but I was over-whelmed by the new thought of having to soon explain to Logan that he had no mother and that his adorable sister wasn't around. Dad wanted to tell him they had gone on a never-ending holiday, to an island beautiful and warm. He was only 6 months old. Either way he wouldn't understand and so we decided it would be better to stick to Dads plan. We arrived at the location. An average size American house, fine blue wood with a small garage attached to one side. I hopped out of the car, grabbing Logan from his chair in the back and trying my best to keep hold of the suitcases in my other hand. My dad had already entered, dropping the suitcases into the hallway and going off to explore. The house was lovely inside, the kind you see in fairytales, everything so bright and colourful. Logan seemed happy enough, running around calling for Mom. My father headed back out and we decided to unpack.
A few weeks later
"Well...Im thinking of going to this college. Looks pretty nice!" I giggled pointing to the odd looking photo on the brochure page.
"Rebecca...you wanted to be a lawyer...why don't you just go there?" my fathers finger was placed on a fine looking, expensive college not so far away from here.
I agreed. It did look like an excellent place to help boost my education so I could attend law school. I was about to reply as Logan interrupted us. Slamming around on the floor. I set the brochure on the small wooden coffee table that stood next to the sofa and walked over to him. Placing my hands around his waist I lifted him into my arms swirled him around and placed him comfortably in his pram.
"You ready to go explore our new home?" I quizzed. I swung the door open said my farewells to Dad and went out onto a new kind of adventure. I managed to get to the old mailbox before Logan began screaming for attention. I ran around to face him in the front of the pram and began thinking what he wanted this time.
"Hey, Rebecca right?" a voice boomed behind me. I jumped around mid sentence and looked curiously at the man in front. I stood up to greet him, I moved awkwardly wondering how to greet these strangers. A hug, a kiss on the cheek? Maybe even a handshake. I opted for the handshake and he laughed at my awkwardness.
"I'm Sam" he nodded. I smiled and looked around nervously.
"Well…you already know my name…so uhm…this little guy here is Logan" I pointed to him still staring at the very handsome man stood in front of me. He childishly waved at him and then returned his gaze to me.
"Well..." he pointed to the house next to mine "I guess were neighbours then?"
I looked back at the beautiful house that stood elegantly next to ours, making it look more like a shed than a home.
"I guess so" I coughed. Sam looked back at Logan then me again before nodding silently and walking by. Laughing I continued to push Logan through the streets admiring the view. As we came back I noticed again Sams house. The unbelievable beauty of it. Heading into my house I removed Logan from his pram and set him down in the hallway. I called for my father but heard no reply. I set Logan down in his crib then headed into the hallway.
I saw a yellow post-it note attached to the table and looked curiously at the messy writing scribbled on it.
"Had to leave, I'm sorry. Take care of Logan for me"
I read it repeatedly trying to understand what was happening. My father wouldn't just pick everything up and leave, especially when I was just about to go to college. Who would look after Logan? Who would pay the rent? I eyeballed the phone and wondered to myself whether there was a possibility this was just a lame joke he wanted to play. I grabbed the phone and began dialling his number. My fingers jumped rapidly around the number buttons then my finger hovered over the dial button. Dropping the phone I sighed and slumped onto the sofa. I cooked some food with what little ingredients we had and fed Logan as much as I could. The moon was beaming through the window soon enough and I decided to take Logan on another walk. I loved the warm breeze that night and as I was travelling down one of the dusty streets I felt a sudden wave of what I can only describe as my life leaving me. I stopped, frozen for some seconds before shaking it off and returning to my normal self. Logan began screaming, a scream I had never heard before. Quickly I rushed to him trying to calm him, stroking his hair and pulling faces to him. He continued to scream and waved his arms, bashing them on the side of his pram.
"Logan. Stop it!" I said, worried. His small fingers pointed behind me and I turned to see a tall man standing silently. He placed a finger to his lips and Logan stopped screaming. He reached in towards him, I quickly swiped his hand away. He looked towards the ground for a few seconds, chanting some sort of spell before looking up, his eyes glowing yellow. I began to speak but was interrupted by a deep pain in my side, then I found myself against the wall. I looked helplessly as the man reached in towards Logan, grabbed him then dissipated into the air with him. I dropped to the floor when I heard the loud boom of a gun being fired. I was hoping it was rescue, hoping this ordeal was over. I looked around to try and find any sign of Logan but nothing, as I panned the area I noticed two figures stood a few metres away. One, holding the gun I had heard only seconds ago. A familiar voice boomed from the shadows and I stepped back in fright.
"Becky?" he called. I looked at the shadows in confusion and then they stepped under one of the beaming street lights.
"Sam?" I ran to him, half wanting to just hug him, he seemed to know me more that I knew myself but I managed to control myself. I wiped a tear from my eye and stared at them both.
"Where is Logan?" he quizzed.
"He took him…the man with the yellow eyes!" I cried. I stopped and looked at the men warily then focused on the gun.
"Wait. You guys…your not those serial killers are you?" Sam and the man next to him shared an awkward look then looked back at me.
"I think we need to talk" Sam stated, he carefully wrapped his arm around my shoulders and the men guided me to a black car. A Chevrolet impala.