Leave What Was Found

1: Never The Same

The leaves were different shades of gold again. Like the sun came down and kissed each and every one of the once luscious dark, emerald-colored leaves and turned them into different shades of red, orange, and yellow. The October air breezed through the trees and swayed the branches left and right. The leaves flew left and right onto the open road. Cars crunched over them and their pieces scattered about.

Avery stared at the trees as they passed by. It had been so long since she had been back in Colorado. So long since she had been in one place long enough to notice the seasons change. She thought about the last time her father had taken her down these mountain roads. Avery was just a kid. So much had changed. So much had happened.

"Where are we going?" Avery asked for what felt like the millionth time.

Neither the police officer nor the social worker answered her question. Avery frowned and rolled her eyes. The least they could do was respond to her. She leaned against the window and sighed. It was cold. Much colder than she thought it would be. They must have been much farther into the mountains now. They were far past the nearest signs of civilization. The last time Avery had even seen another car was miles ago.

She was only half certain they were not taking her off somewhere to kill her.

The social worker didn't like Avery, that much was obvious. Not after Avery ditched her and ran away. The police officer was not her biggest fan either. Not after he had to pull her out of the bushes and practically drag her into the squad car that she was currently sitting in.

Avery looked down at her things. Her entire life had been forced into one duffle bag and a backpack. She wondered what would happen to the house now. Her father's things. His bank account. His car. What happened when a seventeen-year-old lost her father?

Maybe Avery would have had more answers to her growing pile of questions if her social worker was not such a tight ass. The woman barely talked to Avery. She just held her chin up and looked down on Avery as if she was the scum of the earth. After maybe ten more minutes, Avery started to see signals of life. She looked out the window and read the first sign she had seen in miles:

Welcome to Hartfield

Avery looked around. The buildings blended in with the nature of the mountains and forest. Built from wood with big glass windows to look out at the nature around the property. Five buildings in total and more down a path. Was this a school? There were teenagers walking around in uniforms. They all paused to stare at the squad car that Avery was in. She figured they must not see too many cops bringing teenagers here. Avery looked down at her wrists that were handcuffed together. She sighed, this was just perfect. Her entry would be besmirched by the awkward circumstances around her arrest.

Avery didn't even understand why she was being sent to this place. She had thought they were taking her back home. Perhaps even to the police station. But this? She had no idea what to make of it and it began to scare her. 

"Okay, what is this place?" Avery asked with an edge to her voice.

The social worker turned around and glanced at her. "I will explain once we are inside," she said tersely. "For now, for just once in your life can you just do as you're told?"

Avery rolled her eyes. The woman was so uptight. In a time where all Avery wanted was a bit of reassurance, this woman was scaring her more and more. If her father were here, he would have told lame jokes until Avery began to laugh, she wondered if she would ever be able to laugh like she did with her dad ever again.

The officer opened the door for her, but he didn't seem that happy about it. He shoved her out of the car and Avery lost her footing, she steadied herself and glared at the cop. He took her duffle bag and backpack and looked upset to be carrying her things for her. As if Avery, whose hands were handcuffed together, should be carrying them somehow.