Chapter 2
5 Months ago-
In the early evening, after a heated argument with her parents, the 16 year old girl stormed out of her home where she, her mom, dad, and 10 year old brother resided for most of their lives. Her parents had an above average salary and they were able to live comfortably in a nice 3 bedroom apartment. Aimlessly wandering the city without a care where she would end up. She stopped suddenly and looked up with the realization that she didn't know where she was. The girl took in her surroundings and found herself in a park, she took a seat on a nearby bench. It was late in the year so it was quite cold in New York city but the cool, crisp air gave her a feeling of comfort and a chance to calm down. She took a glance at her digital watch and read the time, 10:32 PM, she had been gone for quite a long time. Thinking back to earlier, she realized how insignificant and miniscule the dispute she had with her parents was. The girl had made a big deal of something that wasn't even worth mentioning and ended up being disrespectful to her parents. Her parents were really good people who had always supported their kids. They attended every one of her karate tournaments and her brother's' soccer games. They worked five days a week and still made it home in time to put food on the table for dinner. Acknowledging her fault and unacceptable behavior, she pulled up a map on her phone and began the trek back home.
…
It wasn't until a good two hours later that the girl found herself near the familiar streets and buildings that she sees on a daily basis. A total of three firetrucks with its sirens on had passed her on her way back to her house.
'I wonder what's going on?' She thought to herself. She looked to the sky and saw smoke. Heavy smoke that wasn't too far away.
'No. No. NO NO NO!' The girl began to run as fast as she could down the street hoping and praying that it wasn't her home that is being engulfed in flames. She turned the corner only to be horrified by the sight in front of her. Police were blocking off the street to keep the people back. Firefighters were battling the tall and overwhelming flames. She dropped to her knees, numb to the pain that began to spread through her legs from the force of hitting the road, seeing that it in fact was her home that was being destroyed by those monstrous flames. Everything became blurred. The high pitched sounds of the sirens in the background became was just a small ringing in her ears. A single tear escaped her eye, unable to speak or even make a sound, she forced herself up to the nearest officer she could find.
He was making sure the crowd was out of danger and was not anywhere near this hazard. She asked him, in a very low and hoarse tone, "What happened here?"
THe man turned around to see the young girl in such distress and he told her, "THere was most likely a gas leak of sorts. We aren't able to find the cause right now…" With much reluctance, he told her the next piece of news that crushed her forever. "It looks as though there were a few people inside of the house at that time….They didn't make it out alive."
She broke. Every bone in her body ached of pain. She turned away without a response and walked off. Where? She didn't know. Just like earlier in the night she walked aimlessly into the streets of New York. The bright lights and clear sky seemed too inappropriate.
'How? How can the world keep on spinning? How can people continue on with their lives when my life had just ended?'
Her questions were left unanswered as she found herself lying in an alleyway. Her whole being was numb. Physically and emotionally, she hoped to find some solace in her sleep. Closing her eyes, the 16 year old was engulfed by the darkness of an empty sleep….