☆～Wings of Dreams～☆

Chapter 1: The Amulet

      She pulled the vine curtain open, eyes wide in fear, and screamed...

      "Rory! Time to get up, you can't be late!"

      At that moment, I, fourteen-year-old Aurora D'Toresky, opened my eyes. I jumped out of bed, after being rudely awakened by my mother, but even that couldn't spoil my mood. I was walking among the clouds, anxious to get the permission slip from school that could change my entire summer. The permission slip was for the hang gliding trip that my school was offering. I always loved the sky. I don't know why, but I enjoy it enough, and that's the best reason ever.

      "Coming, Mom!" I shouted, and then proceeded to quickly brush my teeth and hair, put on my school uniform, and rush downstairs for breakfast.

      "Did you make me anything?" I asked.

      "No. Grab a granola bar or starve; I need to get to work. You can walk to school, right?" Erica asked. My mom, Erica, is always too busy to make me breakfast, because she is always working hard to provide a life for us. While Mom's job as an executive at a large technology corporation provided enough money for me to attend my private school, I just wanted to spend time with my mom. But it was always work, work, work for Mom.

      "No, Mom, I can't. School is too far for me to walk."

      "Really? Fine, I'll drop you off." Erica replied. "Get in the car."

      I got in the car with my mom and she drove to school. I leaped out of the car when she stopped in front of the school, yelled "Bye, Mom!", and rushed into school. I am going to get that permission slip, I thought to myself.

•☆•【<◊>】•☆•

      School went by in a blink of an eye. I had an English test, which I probably aced. English is my favorite subject. However, the English test wasn't the highlight of my day. I got the permission slip! Now all I needed was my mom's signature. I took the bus home, and got off the bus at the bus stop.

      "Mom, I'm home!" I yelled to an empty house. My mom is usually at work until four o'clock, so I always got all my homework done without any noise in the background to distract me. I quickly finished my homework and waited for my mom to get home. About 5 minutes later, I heard a noise at the door.

      "Mom, is that you?" I yelled. Silence. No sounds came from my mother, or what I thought was my mother.

      "Mom? Is that you?" I yelled again. I was met with more silence. I walked to my front door to check what was going on. My mother wasn't there, but I noticed a strange necklace on my doormat. It looked kind of like an amethyst, but I wasn't sure. I decided I would look that up later. I was anxious to show it to my mom, but then I realized that she would probably want to sell it. I didn't want to sell it. I wanted to keep it. I felt a strange calling to this necklace, like we were bound together, like it was a magical amulet in a fairy tale. So I made the decision that I would keep the necklace. What could possibly go wrong?

      "Rory, I'm home!" I heard my mother shout. I was still holding on to the necklace, and I quickly slipped it into my pocket before running to my mother.

      "Hi mom. How was work?"

      "It was fine. How was your school day?"

      "It was okay. So mom, the permission slip for the field trip came out today, and I was wondering if you would sign it?"

      "What is it for?" Erica said. "Let me read it."

      I handed the permission slip to my mother and let her read it. There was a long pause before she finally said, "No."

      "No? What do you mean no? By 'no' do you mean 'no, not this week?' Because I can get the permission slip for next week, I just thought this week would work better."

      "I mean 'no' as in 'Your not going at all,'" She replied.

      "What? I can't go? Why not?" I said. I was so confused. I thought this would be good for my mom. I would be out of the house for an entire week. She would have had all the time to herself. I just thought that this would be better...

      "You can't go because I said so. Anyway, is your homework done?" My mother asked.

      "Wait, hold on. Yes, my homework is done, but I think we need to revisit the subject of the trip." I said.

      "There is nothing to revisit. You are not going. End of discussion." She replied.

      I was furious with my mom. I couldn't believe what she said. Why couldn't I go? "I can't believe this. I just don't understand. Why not?"

      "Am I speaking a different language? I said no. I said no because of the fact that this trip is simply too dangerous. Hey, I have an idea. Why don't we drive out to the beach? Just us, or you could bring along a friend."

      "All my friends are going to be on the field trip, mom! I just can't believe what I'm hearing. I think we have parachutes on the trip. See? Safety problem solved!"

      "It's still going to be a no, honey. I'm very sorry, I just can't afford the stress of this trip right now. Maybe next year."

      "They won't have it next year, mom! It only happens every other year, and by that time, I'll be in high school."

      "I'm sorry, sweetie. The answer is still going to be a no. Why don't we go take a walk and discuss that beach idea?"

      "Sure, I'm going to take a walk. Not you. I get where you are coming from, but I'm still upset. I'll be back for dinner." I quickly walked to my front door, and exited my house, slamming the door behind me.

•☆•【<◊>】•☆•

        I just still couldn't believe I couldn't go. I was enraged. I felt as if I were going to explode. I hoped that this was all a nightmare, and that I would wake up tomorrow morning and my mom would say yes. "Please be a nightmare, please be a nightmare, please, please, please!" I chanted.

        I felt something warm against my hip. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the necklace, just as I saw some stray cats disappearing into the undergrowth. I then realized that now that I was out of the house, I could put it on. I slipped it over my head, and felt a sense of panic, which then turned to calm. I looked at the area where I saw the cats, and remembered my fight with my mom. I bet other animals have it so much easier, I thought. Just as that thought came to my mind, I felt that same sense of panic over me. Suddenly the world was blurry, and I felt as if the sky and the ground had switched places. I collapsed, and the laurel crown and feathers from my dream resurfaced in my memory as the world turned dark and I lost consciousness.