Enter Serena
(Somewhere in Wisconsin)
"I'm holding on your rope, got me ten feet off the ground"
Serena Lansya sang into her hairbrush the final notes of the song as her sister knocking on the dividing wall.
"Do you ever shut UP??!!! "
"Sorry, Maggie. "
Maggie's irratated low tones could be heard grumbling, "Whatever, Seri. "
Seri swung into her sisters room, her long curly black hair frizzy as per usual. Maggie was hastily putting on lip liner in preperation for her date, short brown hair brushed and shining, shouldering her purse and tapping her foot impatiently.
Her gaze slid over to her little sister, bounging on the bed with an expression of joy on her pale face and blue and gold eyes. Maggie had never envied her sister for anything, exept those eyes. Bright blue, with rings of gold around the iris. Much better than her mud brown ones.
"Don't you have something better to do? "
"Weeeell, you won't let me sing, my homework's all done, and Dad sold my DS, sooooo... " Seri sighed. Stupid father. Her one prized possesion, sold. Jerk.
Maggie smacked her lips together, examining her makeup one last time before getting up and making a dash for the door.
"See ya when I get home, babe. " Maggie winked at his sister, smiling cheerfully.
Lucky, Seri thought. You can drive. You can escape. She kept these thoughts to herself, however, and said aloud, "have fun on your date, Maggie! "
Maggie nodded, hit the gas on the old Hyunda, and sped off, leaving her sister, the small 5 room house, and their father in the dust.
I X I X I X I X I X I
Seri winced visibly as her father called to her from inside. "Stop twidding your thumbs, girl! Get in here! "
"...yes Dad... " What choice do I have?
He curled his lip scornfully at her as she passed him, green bloodshot eyes burning into her under the scraggy black eyebrows in his pockmarked face. Lazy bitch, like her mother.
"And be quick about it! I want you to go to town and buy me a couple hamburgers whne that's done. Then you've got the sinks to scrub, and your room-! Don't get me started on that. "
Seri bit back her tears and sharp retort that burned behind her lips, filled with helpless rage. Still, she thought, I'm doing this for Maggie, not him.
He slapped the two dollers into her hand. "That's just enough, so don't go wasting our precious money on anything else now, y'hear? "
"...yes, Dad... "
I X I X I X I X I X I
Seri sang quietly as she walked, incresing in volume and good spirits the futher away from home that she got. She loved to sing. It was her escape.
"If I could write a letter, to me and send it back in time to myself at seventeen,
first i'd prove it's me by saying, llok under your bed there's a scope can and a playboy no one else would know you had
Then I'd say I know it's tough whne you break up after seven months and I know you really liked her, and it just don't seem fair All I can say is pain like that is fast, and it's rare "
She begand to skip, black shing hair boucing behind her like curls of ebony satin ribbon. She whirled around, leaping in the air as she sang with all her heart
"You got so much up ahead,
You'll make new friends You should see your kids and wife And I end by saying,
Have no fear, these are nowhere near the best years of your life "
As she hit the last note, she decided to see how high she could sing. She took in a deep breath, and hit the highest note she could hit. No noice came out. She scowled, then took in a deeper breath, and tried again.
Some far away, a dog barked as the streetlight closest to her shattered.
Seri suppressed a high scream of shock, then looked around urgently to see if anyone was around. The street was empty and lifeless for as far as she could see. She walked faster, shocked at her own voice.
What happened? Seri walked on, lost in thought. She remembereda conversation her father had with a man a few years ago.
"You've noticed nothing.. special with your daughters? " The man had said, peering behind his horn rimmed glasses. He claimed to have known her mother.
Her dad had laughed in the man's face. "Special? These two girls are as ordinary and worthless as they come. "
The man's jaw had seemed to tighten slightly, like hers did when she was upset with her father, but he simply handed her father a card, and told him, "Well, if you notice anything, give me a call. " Then he left.
I X I X I X I X I X I
Mitch McCullum leaned against the wall, eyes narrowed, in the shadow of a decaying building, hands in the pockets of his tattered jeans, waiting for someone, anyone to walk by alone. He was a drinker, one who had drank his money all away, left with nothing but pain and a longing for the numbing, careless feeling of his habit.
He pulled in closer to the shadow of a building, chuckling inwardly. Ahah, a young girl, looking to be around 14 in age, walking quickly, head down, not looking for trouble.
She had found trouble. And Mitch had found a traget.
I X I X I X I X I X I
Seri heard footsteps slightly behind her and to the side. She pushed away the fear clutching at her stomach. This was not a good part of town.
Oh, I'll be fine, she thought. I won't get mugged or anything. It'll never happen to me-
A hand clamped on her shoulder, and she was drug into the shadows.
Seri screamed.