A/N: Woooo! Three reviews! Gash I feel so good! My mom read the first two chapters of my story and she said it was good, so I hope that y'all enjoy this next installment. I'm updating quickly because the story is so close to being finished.
Chapter 5: The Angst Begins
Dear Anticipation,
I don't know what to expect when you are around. My palms get sweaty, my breath is short, and I feel the adreniline rush through my body, nothing seems clear and I don't know how to react to anything anymore.
I hated going to the city. It was too crowded and the air was thick with smoke from cigarettes. I liked to believe that the world really was not like that. I convinced myself that everyone was miserable living in a huge congested area with skyscrapers that never end.
The car we had was very old. Every time it started it made a noise like a grinder. Mother always complained about it needing to be fixed, but she never took the time and effort to do it. As we came to a stop light, the car popped loudly, causing me to jump at the sound.
Did I mention th at I also hated the backseat of the car? It smelled like moldy cheese and some kind of scented spray. I could barely breath - even with the windows down. It was also stuffy, they always forgot to put the air on in the backseat for me.
"When will we be there?" I asked politely. My mother turned around and gave me a glare for a response. Her mood swings were beginning to get to me and I held back a smart remark. I took a glance out the window and watched people walking on the sidewalks, looking like they knew where they were going.
The car turned down a shady road and it came to a hault at a run-down building. I opened the door and put my guard up. Open spaces in the city usually meant trouble.
"Hurry up." my mom said. My mom assisted me to the door along with the man I dared to call my step-father. I followed along side them and they slowly walked into the decrepite building.
The inside looked just about as bad as the outside. I could have sworn I saw a rat scuttle across the floor as mildew fell off the wall. I forced myself to breathe only when necessary because the decaying walls ranked.
I followed them further in to the room and I found myself face-to-face with a greasy haired man. He wore all white and had a sinister smile on his face. I made myself not look into his eyes out of fear that he would put me under some kind of spell.
"I understand your sticky situation." he hissed. He looked at my mother's stomach with a sick gleam in his eyes before picking up a stack of papers. "However, I'll need for you to read our terms and policies before any further biddings."
My mother hesitantly took the papers and sat down in a broke chair. He joined her in the opposite chair and took a hold of her hand. I saw him whisper something in her ear, but I could not quite make out what it was. There were no other chairs in the room, so I had no choice but to stand.
I watched as fear, anticipation, and excitement washed over my mother's face at different times. She took a glance at her husband and pointed to something in the document. He nodded his head and she continued to read on. It felt like forever until she finally pulled out an ink pen from her purse. I sighed in relief as I watched her sign the legal document.
"Thank, thank, thank you darling." the grease ball said with a smirk. He stored the document in his desk and gave us all a quick look before speaking again, "Now, the precise procedure will take about six hours. You understand this correct?" he saw them nod their heads. "Good. Now, the appointment is set for next week. If you feel like it is not what you truly want, don't be afraid to deny it."
I was the first to get up and leave the room. I hurried through the congested corridors and found my way to the open alley. Exhaling deeply, I opened the backseat door and sat in it comfortably. My patience began to run thin for my mother and her husband as I twiddled my thumbs.
"Get out of the car." I heard a rough voice say. I jolted up to come face to face with a bearded man. His eyes were filled with anger, but I did nothing except make certain my door was locked. "I said get out!"
He was holding an object in his hand, and I had some logic to realize that he might use it to force me out of the vehicle. So, I ducked down on the floorboard just in case he decided he would.
Sure enough, he did. I felt little pieces of glass pierce my back as he took a hold of my body. My small figure was pulled out of the frame of the window as he forced me to the ground. I tried to catch my breath, but he put his hand over my mouth.
"Don't say a word."
I kicked him in the gut as hard as I could. There was no way he was going to take me anywhere else. He grabbed his stomach and in the process let me go. Just as he was about to pick up his blunt oject they finally came out of the building.
My mother knew how to react. She screamed as loud as she could before aiming her foot directly between his legs. He doubled over in sheer pain and we all bolted toward the car before he could recover.
"What were you thinking?" My mother exclaimed. "You could have got us killed!" it was obvious she cared more about her health than mine. She hadn't even noticed the broken window. I shook my head and felt a cool breeze. "And roll up your window."
"I prefer it down." I stated dryly.
The drive out of the city was rather quiet. My mother disliked radio stations - she was convinced the devil created them - so I was subject to silence. I wasn't too bothered by it.
About half-way through the drive I noticed a slight change in my step-father's driving. Every once in a while he would kind of swerve to his left. I assumed he was drunk until I realized he had not consumed any alcohol.
A car was coming toward us and I held my breath. I felt knots form in my stomach. Something was not right with him. I kept an eye on him as the car approached faster. Sure enough, just as it came within a few yards he swerved, hitting the car full impact.
My body flailed forward and my breath escaped me. I watched as he struggled to breathe. The airbag was covered in blood and glass, my mother had a shard of glass in her left arm and I could see the pain on her face. I felt the seatbelt dig into my skin as my breathing became shallow. The colors began to fade around my head and all I could see was a mass of blood. I struggled to keep my eyes open, but I failed in the end and I blacked out.
-
"There is no internal bleeding, she is free to go."
"You are certain of this?"
"Yes."
"What of the mother?"
"She had a few internal problems, and after the surgery she should be ready to leave."
"Should we tell her about him?"
"Of course, she's young, I'm sure she would want to know."
I opened my eyes to see a man and a woman standing on either side of me, both of them were wearing blue scrubs. I blinked my eyes a few times in confusion until I realzed I was in a hospital.
"Good morning Miss, how are you feeling?" the woman asked. I tried to sit up, but groaned in pain in response. My body ached all over. "I see that you are in mild pain, however you should be okay."
"What happened? Why am I here?" I asked groggily. I watched as the woman's eyes glanced at the doctor's. I raised an eyebrow and waited for someone to answer my question.
"There was an accident. A car accident." she finally spoke. "After doing a scan on your step-father, we saw that he suffered from a stroke in his left arm. He was the cause of not only the accident, but of his own death."
I blinked. It was all I could do in response. I had no feelings of hurt or longing toward the man because, in all honesty, I didn't care about his fate. I shook my head and pushed myself up. I was strong, and I knew that this barely affected me.
I wondered how my mother reacted when she heard the same news.