As Red Light Strikes

1. As it all starts

The skype signal was making it known that someone was calling her on the computer as she sauntered around in the mess. Her room looked like something had exploded in it. A mess she had managed to make during the past few days of packing and unpacking, then packing it all again. It was a brief process that somehow had taken three whole days as she kept doubting herself and her taste of clothing, herself mostly. Frantically searching for the hair elastic Aileen Mesman made her way towards the computer, tumbling down once, falling over the now packed suitcase she had left lying in the middle of her room. Making it finally over to the lit-up computer screen, she connected the call and left it to work its magic as she found what she was looking for beside the device and hurried back to her little bathroom. The continuing lack of any questions kept her aware that the call was still connecting. The messy brown hair was now up on a ...well messy ponytail, some dark pieces already fallen out of it, framing her pale face. It looked presentable, Aily noted as she grabbed her toothbrush and coated it with toothpaste just as the tiny noise alerted her that the call had connected. In no time, Aileen Mesman was standing in front of the computer screen, toothbrush still in her mouth scrubbing away, meeting the familiar pair of flaming blue eyes and the familiar smile that started to build its way up from the corner of the callers' lips. Huffing annoyed at the teasing smile, Aily pulled open the window beside her and spit out the toothpaste before taking a big clunk of water.

"I see it was a bad time to call, I know you are not a morning person, love but this takes it to a whole new level." The teasing smile was not only visible but clearly audible in the voice as well, making Aily roll her eyes at the situation as a whole.

"Hello mother" She managed to sound at least a bit annoyed at the woman but felt almost unable to fight her own smile building up. Her tone called another laugh from the older lady and Aily watched in fascination as the brown locks of hair danced around her mothers beautiful face. She was stunning, looked young but like she had lived still.

"I missed you baby" Rozalynn Pace's tone grew more serious as she let her eyes take in the sight of her only, now fifteen year old daughter.

"You called me three days ago mom, stop with the dramatics." Aily knew she was whining but it didn't really matter. The signal was breaking again, the image flickering on the screen and she groaned out loud but then it stabilised and her mom was smiling brightly from the screen.

"So what is going on in your life sweetie, tell me everything..." It was something between sincere and ironic, something that was very typical when it came to Aily's mother. Rozalynn Pace was a strange woman, always finding humor in the most everyday things. Little statements sometimes made her laugh hysterically and in her darkest moments Aily had not only doubted herself but also her mother's sanity. Then again who could blame Rozalynn Pace, her life had been far from the simple happy life everyone dreamed of. Aily felt blessed seeing and knowing that her mother was still breathing and happily making her weird humourless jokes. "Aily..." Roz's eyes connected with Aily's again, a worried look taking place in them as bright blue met the much more subtle blue tone in a silent question. Her dark brown eyebrows furrowing and the defined nose scrunching as she was impatiently waiting for a soothing answer to her motherly worries.

"It's nothing mom, I am fine...." Aily replied hurriedly trying to calm her mother down again. "I... I just really miss you." She added hoping not to sound too desperate. It was the truth though and no one could hide the truth from Aily's mother. Concentrating her focus on how insanely beautiful her mother really was it was easy for Aily to let another adoring smile build up on her face and replace the unsure one.

"You would tell me if something had..." Roz started off.

"Of course...Oh Dad and Angie said hi by the way" Aily cut off Roz quite hurriedly as she didn't want to dwell on the subject.