Slowly inching closer to me, the doctor placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and spoke softly.
“But do you really
I sat back down and tried to sort out the confusion clouding my mind. What could it hurt, really? A new school - new people who knew nothing about me or my past. A new start. Wasn’t that what I’d been wanting? A new beginning? I felt the fight go out of me and a brand new emotion took hold. It felt a lot like….hope.
Chapter 4
Friday. The day my life would change forever. I was embarking on a new journey, a completely different direction and I had no idea what to expect. It was as much unsettling as it was exciting. I sank into seat 12C on the plane and said a quick goodbye to Atlanta as well as the life I was leaving behind. I’d gotten pretty good at goodbyes. Maybe a little too good. I had lived with five different foster families before being adopted at the age of thirteen, and I had made sure never to allow myself to get attached to anyone or any place. I never knew when I’d be picking up and moving on to the next place. It was just easier that way. My current situation was a good example of that.
Unfortunately, by the time I arrived at the Whitman’s home three years ago, that self-defense mechanism had stuck and no matter how hard they tried, those walls had been built too tall and too thick to break through. I had so many barriers around my heart; it would take an entire army to break them down. Until that army came, I was perfectly content with my walls. I’d gotten used to the security, albeit dysfunctional, that they had provided me through the years.
I watched the Atlanta skyline shrink below me, as we gained altitude. I reminded myself, once again, that a person was more likely to die in a car crash, than a plane crash. I closed my eyes and tried my best to get comfortable. The sound of heavy footsteps made me open my eyes in confusion.
Smoke swirled in the slanted rays of sunlight coming through the windows, and the smell of old cigarettes mixed with stale liquor filled my senses. I wasn’t on the plane anymore.
Suddenly, I was lifted to my feet. Glaring at me through bloodshot eyes, he held me up with one hand, and shook an empty ice cube tray in the other.
“Why’s there not any ice cubes?” he slurred. The stench of his breath in my face made me gag. “The water ain’t gonna jump out the sink and freeze it’s damn self!”
He threw me back onto the coach and tossed the empty ice cube tray in my lap. “Go make me a drink,” he demanded through yellow teeth. I looked up at him, hoping I didn’t sound as scared as I felt.
“No,” I whispered.
“No!? Is that what you just said?” His oversized hand gripped my scraggly arm and dragged me into the kitchen. Before I could regain my footing, he pushed me against the cabinets. One of the blunt, metal drawer knobs pressed into my back.
“Make. me. a. drink.” He loomed over me with blood-shot eyes.
I crouched down to hide my face, hoping he’d just give up and leave me alone. Instead, he threw an empty beer bottle at my head. His aim was surprisingly good for being so drunk. It shattered against the side of my face and shards of brown glass stuck into my skin. The pain was sharp and immediate. I scrambled to my feet and ran down the short hallway, while he stumbled after me laughing. I made it to my bedroom first, shutting myself inside the small closet opposite my twin bed. My breath came quick as fear constricted my throat. I placed my hand over my mouth. I didn’t know if I was going to scream or cry, but I couldn’t afford to give away my hiding spot. The ringing of the phone in the living room stopped his black boots from breaking the threshold of my small room. He mumbled something inaudible and stumbled back down the hallway. As soon as he was gone, I let the sobs building in my throat spill out. Hot tears instantly mixed with the fresh blood running down my cheek, while my head pounded from the newly formed welt on my face.
The closet door creaked as I peeked out, cautiously, making sure he was really gone.
Expecting to see my bedroom, I was shocked to find the scene before me had completely changed. As I got to my feet, it became apparent to me that I wasn’t the younger version of myself anymore, either. I lightly touched a shaky finger to my eyebrow and noticed the absence of blood. The welt on my cheek had also disappeared. As I tiptoed out into the foreign room, carpet gave way to wooden floor beneath my bare feet. Soft evening light cast long shadows across the room, but I was still taken aback by its size and opulence. I could make out the shadowy figure of a woman sitting across the room in a rocking chair, softly crying as she gazed out the window. She didn’t stir at my entrance, only continued to cry one word over and over with such pain, it broke my heart.
My eyes jerked open and I instantly whirled around, trying to figure out where I had been transported this time. Thankfully, I was still seated in 12C amongst the other passengers. I could feel the frenzied pumping of my heartbeat as I tried to calm my breathing. It was just a dream. Just a dream. If only it could have been a dream those many years ago. I touched my eyebrow and rubbed the tiny scar I’d carried with me since I was nine.
~?~
“Hannah Whitman?”
“Yes?”
“Hi, I’m Kira. I’ll be your personal escort for the next couple of hours.” She swept her slender arm down and bowed dramatically. Wearing short white shorts, a light pink blouse that had fallen off one very tan shoulder, and Rainbow flip flops; she couldn’t have been a day over twenty-one. Her bright green eyes sparkled and a wide smile lit up her face as she straightened. She tucked a piece of sun-bleached blonde hair behind her ear and took my carry-on. “So, how was your flight?”
Probably not the best time to bring up my nightmares. “It was pretty uneventful, I guess.”
“That’s definitely a good thing when all you have between you and the ground is several miles of air,” she chuckled. A nervous laugh escaped my lips as we began navigating through the airport.
Glancing sideways at her, I couldn’t help but think about how normal she seemed. What exactly did Dr. Campbell mean when she said ‘young people like me’? Is everyone here going to be blacking out randomly during the day and screaming through nightmares at night? That didn’t seem very likely.
“I was thinking we’d grab something to eat and talk a little bit before getting to the island.
How do you feel about pizza?” She asked with a smile. She appeared very at ease in her own body and acknowledged each person we passed with a nod or smile. She had a glow of happiness that reached out to others, making them smile with her.
“That sounds wonderful,” I admitted. “I haven’t had anything to eat since breakfast.” It was almost dinnertime and my stomach was growling loudly. I would be surprised if she couldn’t hear it.
My eyebrows shot up as we stepped outside and Kira gestured towards a white Jeep Wrangler with oversized tires waiting at the curb. I didn’t know what I was expecting. Maybe a taxi? Or a van?
“Your chariot awaits madam.” She tossed my carry-on into the back seat and I realized we hadn’t picked up the rest of my luggage. I glanced back towards the doors and turned to say something to Kira.
“The rest of your bags are being taken care of, they’ll be waiting on you when you get to the school.” I had tried not to bring every piece of clothing I owned, but it was difficult. After stuffing four bags full of clothes and shoes, I wasn’t looking forward to carrying them all over Wilmington, so the fact that I wouldn’t have to was wonderful.
I literally climbed up into the passenger seat while Kira put on silver aviator sunglasses and grinned at me. She started the jeep and we bounced onto the streets of Wilmington. Several minutes later, we parked in the lot of a small pizza shop. We found a vintage-looking wrought iron table outside and Kira ordered peach flavored sweet tea. I decided to give it a try too.
