Driving along the winding roads of Grafton, New England I despised the ever so long drive home. The tall pine trees shadowed the road making it seem extremely musky for a summer's day, as I started passing small traditional crooked houses placed in the middle of lonely golden fields and tall maple trees, I knew I was almost home. I was dreading facing my dad who knows what bullshit he'll release when I walk through the door, ever since I left home he has always appeared to have this grudge against me as if I just everyone the same as my mom did. It's been 2 years since she disappeared without a trace, I've never wanted to stay in this town, working a dead end job, becoming a typical mother works all day when my husband expects me to put dinner on the table. No, that wasn't the life I wanted, it's like I never even grew up in this town.
I followed the road before turning into a side road leading up to a street of house, all of different sizes, styles and colors. I drove right to the end to a traditional Victorian house but my dad had made it slightly modern with a light baby blue paint job, the old oak tree on the right side of the house was still standing over it, I remember trying to sneak out of my window that faced the tree; making easy access to climb down but one night when it had been raining heavily for three days my foot slipped and I ended up with a huge scar running down my leg where I'd caught myself on a particularly sharp branch. I liked memories like that, made me realize I used to have an adventurous side.
I pulled up just outside of the house, I untied the hair band from my messy bun letting my strange silvery ash blonde hair fall down into a wavy mess, I took a deep breathe and sighed; my skin had always been a strange paleness even though I spend most of my time in the sun. I dragged myself out the car, slamming the door shut behind me and walked slowly to the large stained glass door of the house. Thankfully they hadn't changed the locks and my key still worked, the door was just as heavy as I remembered it I felt like I entered a new dimension, everything was modern the dark mahogany floor boards were so shiny I could see my reflection perfectly. Just in the hallway it had it's own theme modern but traditional, classic old Victorian furniture but painted and polished to perfection; strangely my dad was able to help keep everything so prim and proper since mom had gone.
"Hello?!" my voice echoed through the house. "Dad?!... Jake?!"
I found myself in the study, a man hunched over a large mahogany desk covered with paper and books pulled from the large bookcases filled with old classic and modern reading, I stood in the doorway but I could smell the burnt wood on the fire reminding me of heart warming Christmas' in this room.
"Dad?" I said, the man jumped in the chair facing me; his hair a wild mess of brown and tints of silver with his glasses halfway down his nose, his eyes were baggy obviously he hadn't slept in days.
"Avery! You startled me... I thought you weren't here till Friday?" My dad said breathless.
"It is Friday dad..." I replied bluntly.
"Oh... right... erm... how was the erm.. drive?"
"The usual... long... erm... where's Jamie?"
"Oh... erm... sleeping... I think... erm... do you want some... erm... coffe? Or... erm... water?"
"It's twelve in the afternoon dad... I'll make you some coffee..." I awkwardly left the doorway and glided to the kitchen, my dad seemed so lost like time didn't matter anymore. I went into the large spacious kitchen to find Jamie my younger brother, we never looked like siblings, Jamie was six foot tall with dark brown messy hair and mud colored brown eyes and a slight bronze tone to his skin. Many people spread rumors stating my mother had an affair and Jamie was their love child... another reason I hated this town... too many people like to know your business or even make up your own business if you have nothing to tell.
"Hey..." I quietly said as I stood in front of the island in the middle of the kitchen, strangely there was an awkward tension between me and Jamie.
"Hi..." Jamie replied sternly I was a bit taken a back by this.
"How's things been?" I tried to act as if nothing was abnormal.
"The same... Dad's not slept for three days, found some new evidence about mom... you wouldn't know that obviously because you're not here."
"Jamie... You know why I left, I'm back now... I'm here to help." Jamie was the only one who knew why I left but even now he seems to be taking a grudge at me.
"For how long? A couple of weeks? We need you here more than that Avey, you have no idea..."
"For now... it's permanent... I lost my job... and then my apartment... I'm here to help dad and to help myself get back on my feet. Until then I'm here to help..." Some how I knew just by looking into Jamie's eyes he didn't believe me slightly, his jaw was tense but his expression was sort of pleading with me.
"Whatever..." Jamie tried to brush the conversation off and with it he quickly left the room, I was shocked my younger brother was the only one who didn't hate me for leaving but now I guess; my dad's grudge has brushed off on him...
I drove into the small town to pick up some groceries, there was a slight cold pinch in the air even though it was still slightly sunny. I skimmed through the small store picking up obvious essentials, strangely I felt like someone was following me but every time I checked there was no one around I told myself it was all in my head. I placed my basket on the old styled cashier desk, the woman was tall, hair was wrapped in a colorful head wrap, her skin was dark like chocolate no imperfections in sight, she wore wore a variation of colored beads around her neck. I felt slightly uneasy as I should be afraid.
"Thirty four dollars and sixteen cents please..." she had a slight accent to her voice and a rude tone to her.
"Here you go, thank you." I politely replied before scooping the brown paper bag up.
"You're Marina's daughter, yes?" the woman held her hand up to stop me staring me straight in the eye.
"Yeah... I'm-"
"Avery, yes I know." the woman looked curious about me as if I was a witness to a crime. "Have you made your decision yet?"
"Decision? What are you talking about?" I was extremely confused who this woman was and what she wanted.
"So you haven't," a small appeared in the corner of her mouth. "Well... the time will come when you must choose, and this time you cannot run away from it, or it will follow you everywhere you go, always a step behind you." The woman stared at me tensely, I quickly scurried out the door without looking back. I had never seen that woman before but it seemed she knew more about me than me... I tried to shake the experience, sat in my car looking in the rear mirror I could see how pink my cheeks had went which made them burn even more. I was startled by a knock on my car window.
"Avery!" A girl I believe to be the same age as me was standing outside my car waving at me with a huge smile on her face, her hair was all wavy and the color was a very dry blonde, she had small freckles dotted across her nose and cheeks these went under her piercing blue eyes.
"It's me! Charlotte!" I still had no idea who this crazy girl was. I just sat and stared at this girl while she looked back confused at why I didn't recognize her. "It's me?! We went to school together?!" I slowly wound my window down cautious incase she stuck her head through my car window.
"I'm sorry I don't really remember you..." I felt really guilty for not remembering this girl who clearly knew me.
"I can't blame you for not recognizing me, we all change after you know." She did a typical girly girl giggle.
"Erm yeah..." I guess she was talking about puberty.
"So what did you end up choosing?" Charlotte smiled a great big grin I had no clue what she was talking about.
"'Scuse me?" I asked confused.
"You know... the decision..."
"I'm sorry I don't know what you're talking about..."
"Oh... you haven't made the decision have you?" Her face dropped from the stupid grin to an expressionless face.
"What decision? College?"
"You'll find out soon enough, everyone has to go through it... I've got to go hopefully we can talk after it..." The strange girl litrally speed walked away from my car leaving me sat confused, what the hell was this girl's deal? I shook my head and wound my window back up before starting my car.
I forgot how far away from town our house was, driving through a secluded road surrounded by trees anyone wouldn't want to break down out here. I couldn't get what Charlotte said out of my head it just fustrated me the more I thought about it, as I turned a bend I slammed hard on my breaks snapping out of my train of thought to find a dark haired wolf standing directly the middle of the road. I was breathing heavily as I felt my heart pumping through my chest as I was only a couple inches from hitting this wolf, it just stared at me not moving an inch it was quite large for yoour average wolf I could see the condensation forming from its breath. I tooted my horn and it didn't even flinch, what the hell was up with it. After a couple of minutes staring at me it just slowly walked off into the woods not looking back.
"What the hell?" I whispered to myself, I covered my face with my hands trying to breathe normally again today has not been normal... I shakily started my car up again and slowly drove home, I'm sure there are no wolfs around this area... but then how could one end up in the middle of the road?!
I finally got home with the groceries I put the paper bag down on the kitchen island before pouring myself a glass of water, rethinking about what had happened.
"Hey kiddo..." I jumped when my dad interrupted my thinking. "You okay? You look a little shaken up?"
"I'm fine erm... Dad is there any wolves around this area?" I tried not to sound stupid.
"Wolves? There hasn't been any wolves around here for centuries... why?" My dad grew a small smirk in the corner of his mouth as he answeredme.
"Well I nearly ran one over..." I started to unpack the grocceries as I didn't want to face any mockery.
"Are you sure it wasn't a big dog? Anderson who lives over near the river he has a huge wolf hound that wonders around these parts."
"Nope I'm sure it was a wolf... It could have been his dog... maybe..." I tried to sound rational.
"Probably kiddo, so you found the store okay?"
"Yeah... and this girl I ran into called Charlotte, she seemed to know me?"
"What did she look like?"
"Blonde hair, extremely over happy. She said something about a decision?" I looked atmy dad who didn't even seem phased at my strange day.
"Probably about college or moving back here, you know."
"Maybe..."
"Your brother has gone out, didn't say when he'll be home why don't you head on down to the bar you might see some people you know there maybe make some friends?" My dad who moaned I left the family is encouraging me to go out... something wasn't right.
"Erm yeah... maybe..."
"Great I'll be in my study." My dad glided out of the kitchen with a strange smile on his face, what the hell was going on?
I ended up driving to this bar it was just a simple movie scene setting, old duke box, pool tables, selling barely anything but whisky... typical for a small town. I took a seat on the bar stool too high off the ground making my feet dangle down. The main crowd that gathered in here were forty odd year old men wearing checkered clothing, hairy mustaches and either wearing a rugged old cap to hide their receding hair line or showing off their bald patched heads.
"What can I get cha'?" The bar made stood in front of me slightly not phased by me sitting on my own, probably just another customer to her. She was young probably a little older than me, her auburn hair tied in a messy pony tail and dressed extremely casual but she could actually pull it off.
"Just a coke please."
"No problem." The girl turned away down the other end of the bar, I looked around at the bar there were only a acouple of people around my age maybe a little younger in here and none I recognized. A loud smash made me jump and two guys wrestling with each other caught my eye, one of them had the other pinned on the pool table ready to lay into him and then I realized it was Jamie. I quickly jumped up out of my seat and ran over.
"Son of a bitch, who the fuck do you think you are?!" Jamie shouted as he raised his fist ready to punch the guy's face, I used all of my strength to push Jamie off of the guy.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" I shouted at Jamie getting in his face.
"Get out the way Ave." Jamie demanded still full of rage and obviously drink.
"No, get your ass outside now!" I pushed Jamie again but he was fixed on the other guy. "Leave it." I demanded through my gritted teeth, it took a couple of minutes but eventually Jamie stormed off outside making me chase after him.
"What the hell was that all about?!" I shouted at Jamie as I caught up to him in the parking lot.
"Mind your own business Ave..." Jamie was still walking off not turning around to look at me.
"If my business is stopping you from beating someone's face in then I need to know!" I caught up to Jamie and spun him round by the arm making him stop.
"You don't know..." Jamie was extremely frustrated obviously keeping something from me. "You need to know to understand..."
"Then why can't I know?"
"Because you...you..."
"I what?!" I was extremely confused at what the hell he was talking about.
"Doesn't matter..." Jamie just stormed past me back to my car, I swear this town just causes more secrets and it's even got to Jamie...
Jamie took himself to bed obviously too drunk, my dad was asleep and a very heavy sleeper so luckily didn't hear Jamie stumbling in his room. I took myself to bed I didn't bother getting changed I just took my shoes off and wrapped myself in my duvet.
I had no idea where I was everything was dark, the trees were like silhouettes and the ground was covered in dead leaves I realized I had no shoes on so I could feel the cold wet ground beneath me. I looked up to the sky to see nothing but the full moon shinning down on me, I walked around a large tree stump probably the width of a car; it had large root sticking up above the ground then diving back into a sea of blackened leaves. When I around the tree I froze, the wolf that was in the road was there... staring back at me with blood red eyes... I noticed something dripping from it's mouth but what I didn't notice at first was the dead body lying next to it. It was a girl, I didn't recognize her, her hair blended in with the ground but her blood stained clothes were the only color that stood out in these woods. I didn't know whether I was frozen with shock or fear, I felt a hand grasp my shoulder making me spin around.
I sat straight up in bed my heart beating extremely fast making me breathe heavily, I looked around my room was all white nothing like compared to the forest i patted my bed making sure everything was real. I sighed with relief when I was satisfied I was awake however, I noticed my large window facing my bed had been opened. I quickly got out of bed and scurried across the cold floor to look, I have no idea what I was looking for but I leaned out of the window looking out onto the large farm fields everything was quiet for a typical autumn morning. I shut my window making sure the latch was locked tight I never open the window unless it was hot in the summer, everything seems to be strange around here unlike before... I had no idea what was going on...