I look down at a beautiful girl lays peacefully asleep on her bed.
Who is she?
She startles awake at the loud cracking of wood in a fire. Heat from all sides starts to surround us, and I start to sweat. My throat goes dry, but my focus is on the girl.
Her blond, disheveled curls hangs down to her waist; her startling blue eyes are petrified. As an afterthought, I notice how the nightgown matches her eyes perfectly.
Smoke starts to engulf her and she coughs. The smell of smoke fills my lungs, and I start to choke, too.
She starts crying from the smoke in her eyes. The heavy smoke stings my eyes, and they start to water. I can't see clearly.
My breathing becomes labored and I can't seem to speak.
She throws back her covers and makes a mad dash to the door and tries to pull it open... But she pulls back almost instantly, and I smell the burned flesh of her hands. She looks down at her blistered hands.
I try to kick the door open, but it seems to be blocked from the outside. Who locks people in their rooms and sets them on fire?
I try to get her attention, but for some reason, she doesn't seem to notice me.
"Help!" She cries out.
She coughs again. Tears are streaking down her face and I want to help her... But how?
"Somebody let me out of here!" she shouts.
Her voice is rough, and she begins coughing uncontrollably.
"Let me out! Please! Let me out." She begs.
Then she turns right to me.
"Jason! Help me!" she cries.
I startle awake.
Sweat is dripping down my body and my lungs still burn like they are full of smoke. I try to get my heart to stop pounding and my breathing under control.
I stare over at my door where the girl had just been standing.
What the hell was that?
*****
I sigh exasperatedly as I look over at my boxes. My entire life has been reduced down to three stinkin' boxes! Not to mention, mom wants these boxes emptied yesterday!
Give me a break! We didn't get out truck unloaded until 11pm last night, due to mom's crazy 12 hour shifts at the hospital! We should have waited until the weekend to move like normal people do. But NO! Mom wanted out stuff out of dad's place ASAP! And she couldn't be bothered to wait 4 more days to move.
So, here I am, on a Wednesday morning, looking at my pile of boxes full of stuff that I just don't have time for! I'm gonna be late for school! But does mom even care? NOPE!
Why couldn't I have stayed with dad? I mean, at least he spends time with me! Dad is a lawyer, but still takes time out of his schedule to hang out with me. He spends time after work and plays catch with me. Last year, when my baseball team went to state, he was there watching me. Cheering me on, like I was important to him! And on weekends, he'd make us big breakfasts and we'd hang out! Did mom ever do that? Again... I say NO!
Seriously, if I don't leave now, I'm gonna be late for school! So I grab my backpack and throw it over my shoulder and hustle to the door. Just as I'm about to reach my freedom, mom calls out to me.
"Did you eat breakfast, honey?"
"Nope. Didn't have time," I say.
Mom tosses me a breakfast bar and continues, "It's not healthy for you to skip breakfast! I've left you 20 bucks for you to order whatever you need for dinner tonight. I'll be home late again."
"Kay, mom, I'm gonna be late for the bus!" I groan.
"Love you honey. Have a good first day of school," she says and turns back to her computer.
I tear open the door and dash down the hallway, not noticing anything on the way to the stairs. I rush through the foyer and pass through the sliding glass doors.
I pump my legs as fast as I can and beat the bus by about 5 seconds.
I sigh as I take my seat in the middle of the bus and look around.
This is gonna be a long day
*****
Here I am. 18 years old. Mid March, of my last semester, Senior year. My life sucks!
If I would have stayed with dad, I wouldn't be the New Kid! I'd have my old friends, my old school, my baseball team. Why did mom have to move us to the next time over?
When I graduate in 2 months, I'm going to move away to college, just to become a janitor! Rich people suck!
I walk into my first...