A clap of thunder sounded throughout the room. Dana's eyes opened slowly to the darkness. Outside, rain was pounding against the windows. It seemed like it had been raining for years. Summer had only just begun and already it felt like it was over. It was as if boredom, not water, was falling from the clouds above. Dana threw the sheets from her bed onto the floor. She lay there for a moment, letting the lightening outside flash in her green eyes. Finally she got up and checked the time. 3:24.
She paced her room, which for most wouldn't be very interesting, but for Dana it was like walking a mile. Two or three well-sized classrooms could easily have fit inside. And that was only one room of the house. She didn't know what it was exactly that her father did for a living, but it brought good money. Very good money.
She decided to take a stroll downstairs. No one was ever up this early. That's how she liked it; quiet, mysterious. Almost as if she were the only one left in the entire world. She went back into the sunroom, where many plants seemed to be thriving on whatever life they could find. Dana could barely remember the last time she had seen the sun. She looked out the misty windows once again. The grounds were laden with fog. She decided it was time to breath the fresh air again.
The air was thick and hazy, and the rain came down evenly in large droplets. She could feel the cool water seeping through her clothes and hair. For once it was just her and the rain. Her mother was not there to criticize her. Her father was not around to tell her that proper young ladies didn't run around in the rain. She was alone.
Or was she? A twig snapped somewhere near the fence. Dana immediately released herself from the joy of her freedom. She walked slowly along the cobblestone path, passing the fountain, and nearing the five foot fence that separated her from the house behind hers. She had never met the neighbors before, but she thought she had just seen someone with blonde hair. Her numbing hands gripped the bars of the fence. She tried to look through the thick bushes on the other side. She could see the blonde hair again. It was right there.
BAM! Suddenly a great golden Labrador jumped through the bushes, causing Dana to scream and fall backwards. The dog's teeth began gnawing furiously on the bars, and every so often it would stop to bark loudly and growl. Dana trembled from shock, and slowly got to her feet. She turned around and looked up towards the windows of her parent's room. A light flickered on inside them.
She sprinted for her life. The dog was still going mad behind her, but she was running like never before. The rain was hitting her eyes, but she didn't care. Her sopping hair was tossing from side to side. Her clothes were sagging off her body. More lights began to glow in the house. She reached her arm out as far as possible, clutching the slippery doorknob. She twisted it and pushed the door open with tremendous force. She could hear someone walking around the house.
She bolted up the back stairway, trying not to get the floors wet. Had anyone heard her? She prayed not. Now she was cautiously creeping around the halls, trying to get to her room. A voice was soon heard. It was her father's.
"God damn dog, not even 4 in the morning and it's howling like it's bloody judgment day."
Dana stood completely still in a nook of the hallway. She heard her father's footsteps fade away towards his study. A door closed in the distance, and she waited a moment before quietly running off to her room. She swung the double doors open, gave a great sigh, and then closed them silently. She was so tired now, she could barely breathe. She made her way towards her bathroom, didn't bother to turn on the lights, and sunk down into her bathtub. She began thinking about the dog. There had been a collar on its neck, but what did it say? A last name, maybe? Beginning with an M. Malloy? Maltoy? She became lost in her thoughts; a minute later, she was asleep. And next door, someone with blonde hair was giving their dog quite the scolding.
She paced her room, which for most wouldn't be very interesting, but for Dana it was like walking a mile. Two or three well-sized classrooms could easily have fit inside. And that was only one room of the house. She didn't know what it was exactly that her father did for a living, but it brought good money. Very good money.
She decided to take a stroll downstairs. No one was ever up this early. That's how she liked it; quiet, mysterious. Almost as if she were the only one left in the entire world. She went back into the sunroom, where many plants seemed to be thriving on whatever life they could find. Dana could barely remember the last time she had seen the sun. She looked out the misty windows once again. The grounds were laden with fog. She decided it was time to breath the fresh air again.
The air was thick and hazy, and the rain came down evenly in large droplets. She could feel the cool water seeping through her clothes and hair. For once it was just her and the rain. Her mother was not there to criticize her. Her father was not around to tell her that proper young ladies didn't run around in the rain. She was alone.
Or was she? A twig snapped somewhere near the fence. Dana immediately released herself from the joy of her freedom. She walked slowly along the cobblestone path, passing the fountain, and nearing the five foot fence that separated her from the house behind hers. She had never met the neighbors before, but she thought she had just seen someone with blonde hair. Her numbing hands gripped the bars of the fence. She tried to look through the thick bushes on the other side. She could see the blonde hair again. It was right there.
BAM! Suddenly a great golden Labrador jumped through the bushes, causing Dana to scream and fall backwards. The dog's teeth began gnawing furiously on the bars, and every so often it would stop to bark loudly and growl. Dana trembled from shock, and slowly got to her feet. She turned around and looked up towards the windows of her parent's room. A light flickered on inside them.
She sprinted for her life. The dog was still going mad behind her, but she was running like never before. The rain was hitting her eyes, but she didn't care. Her sopping hair was tossing from side to side. Her clothes were sagging off her body. More lights began to glow in the house. She reached her arm out as far as possible, clutching the slippery doorknob. She twisted it and pushed the door open with tremendous force. She could hear someone walking around the house.
She bolted up the back stairway, trying not to get the floors wet. Had anyone heard her? She prayed not. Now she was cautiously creeping around the halls, trying to get to her room. A voice was soon heard. It was her father's.
"God damn dog, not even 4 in the morning and it's howling like it's bloody judgment day."
Dana stood completely still in a nook of the hallway. She heard her father's footsteps fade away towards his study. A door closed in the distance, and she waited a moment before quietly running off to her room. She swung the double doors open, gave a great sigh, and then closed them silently. She was so tired now, she could barely breathe. She made her way towards her bathroom, didn't bother to turn on the lights, and sunk down into her bathtub. She began thinking about the dog. There had been a collar on its neck, but what did it say? A last name, maybe? Beginning with an M. Malloy? Maltoy? She became lost in her thoughts; a minute later, she was asleep. And next door, someone with blonde hair was giving their dog quite the scolding.