Embracing the Future

Prologue

I sat on the porch smoking a cigarette as I watched the sun set. It was a new neighborhood; A new life. I blew out a puff of smoke lost in thought, thinking about what might lay ahead. Good or bad I was going to have to take it. I could take anything now, or so I thought. Nobody knows about my old life and nobody would have to, I thought closing my eyes for a second, then I quickly opened them again, afraid of missing one minute of the setting sun. I watched as the sky changed different shades of pink, red, orange, and yellow. Finally the sun sank behind the horizon, I sighed putting out my cigarette as darkness fell around me. I started climbing down the gutter making my way off the roof. I had to be careful doing this, there was a chance that the gutter could break off and I could fall and get hurt, but I still went up to see the beautiful sight of the setting sun and think. Not about anything in particular, it was just a good time to let my mind wander.

"Arri? You out there hon?"

"Ya Ma," I yelled back as I rounded the back of our new house, which I wasn't very pleased with but I knew better than to say so out loud. "I'll be there in a sec."

I came to the front door to find my mom smiling down at me, her bright blue eyes shining. "You start school tomorrow sweetie, why don't you come in so we can make sure we have everything worked out."

I couldn't help but smile back; my mom had that affect on people. She was also a little bit of an organization freak, well, that's probably the understatement of the year. She was totally obsessed. I wasn't the least bit surprised we were going through this. "Sure Mom, whatever you say." Probably best to just go along with it, I thought.

"Good," she said clapping her hands. How she kept so perky all the time, especially after what happened, I would never know. "Now I believe I left your new school schedule on the kitchen table, I'll go grab it."

I watched as her dark brown, almost black, ponytail disappeared behind the swinging kitchen door.

I plopped down on the couch which sagged under my weight and surveyed the room as I listened to her shuffling around in the kitchen. The ancient T.V. across from me, the old wobbly end table Mom had placed next to the old couch. What a life of luxury! I thought sarcastically.

My mom came back in and talked on and on about something I was trying my hardest to follow until who knows when, all I know is I was getting tired.

"And you're old enough not to need a spare pair of underwear right, Arri? Well maybe just in case-"

"Mom!" I said, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice, as she stopped short blinking at me slightly surprised, "That was once and I was in the first grade! I'm sorta starting to get tired, I'm gonna head up to bed, OK?"

"Oh, of course! Can't have you falling asleep on the first day of classes."

"I'll be sure to save sleep for the rest of the year then!" I called back over my shoulder as I headed up the stairs, smiling slightly as Mom opened her mouth to say something, probably a lecture on responsibility and how I need to get good grades for a scholarship, when she saw me raise my eyebrows, and then realized I was kidding. Her mouth opened in a silent "O" before she blushed lightly and disappeared once again behind the swinging door to clean something. I giggled and continued up the stairs.

I changed then went into the bathroom to brush my teeth. After I finished I glanced up in the mirror, I was about 5'4, had my moms dark hair, but my fathers deep green eyes. I stared at myself for a minute, hating those eyes, before going across the hall and laying down on my bed and closing my eyes thinking to myself Tulsa, here I come...Before drifting off to sleep.

DREAM SEQUENCE

I was falling, I'm not sure what off of, or of what I was heading for, but I just kept falling. I was gonna hit the bottom any minute, I could feel it; I didn't know what to do so I started screaming and squeezed my eyes shut tight. Any second now...I braced for impact when suddenly, I stopped falling.

"Hey," said a male voice softly into my ear "You're safe now you can open your eyes." I clutched the stranger tightly, afraid to let go, and opened my eyes...

WHAM! I smirked satisfied as the beeping alarm clock was silenced by the wall.

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