The Library

We're Screwed

HelloMy name is Tanya McCord, and this is my story.

I live in a small town in Northern Idaho, quite literally the middle of nowhere nearly touching the Canadian border. My older sister has dated three of her friends' ex's within a week of their split, but for some weird reason I am the only one in my family who thinks this is a little abnormal.

I guess I should mention my family. In a word, concrete. Our Great-Great something bought the land and our built families farm back when there was no electricity, and trains and barbed wire were "brand 'spankin new" inventions. Every generation since has grown the same crops, raised the same animals, and brought up the same big families with tough farmer boys and home maker good girls.

Until my generation.

See up until the 2000's, it was pretty easy to live the 'old fashioned' life without sticking out like a sore thumb. When my parents were teens, a huge and rare rebellious phase went rampant through town. The teens were "so controversial" and "moving" that the small town of Kootenany decided to move on, excluding my family, of course.

My parents are insanely strict, and have been trying to ingrain the old lifestyle upon my sister, my three brothers, and I ever since we could walk. The problem is that we all found this lifestyle suffocating.

We all started to rebel in secret, starting with Henry and Sophia, my oldest brother and sister. Henry bought a laptop with money he earned from odd jobs in town when he was only ten. Sophia got a boyfriend at twelve and was wearing clothes that would give my parents a heart attack at thirteen. These two became a gateway for the rest of us.

It was easy for most of my siblings to hide their rebellion from my parents. Thomas and I were a different story, and we were punished frequently for it. That's where our story begins.

It was a rare warm early September afternoon and I was running through the woods to a small hunting cabin in the woods between my house and school. It’s where my siblings and I keep our modern clothes, technology, and other assorted objects that my parents would disapprove of, like makeup and books that aren't the Bible.

I had ten minutes to get to the cabin, change into a 'more appropriate outfit,' and get home. If I was home even a minute after 3:00pm I would be punished till hell froze over and pigs learned to fly. And yes I speak from experience; one time Sophia was only fifteen minutes late and we were unable to sneak out and wear comfortable clothes to school for three months, THREE MONTHS. No computers, no jeans, no junk food, and no good books!

I was running late for the fourth time in a week because Laura had decided to play pick on the freak after track practice, again.  I ran into the cabin and find my twin Thomas waiting. "SHIT!" he yelled as he check his watch for the time. "You don't have to tell me that!" I shout back sarcastically.

I threw my bag to Tommy and he immediately started removing any items deemed inappropriate (my library card, phone, and this week’s book “Mockingjay”) from it while I quickly took off my hoodie and slipped a dress on over my tank top and shorts. I ran to the sink and started to scrub off the eyeliner and foundation I used while Tommy took my hair out of its pony tail and put it in a bun. God bless his soul! I have no idea what I would do without Tommy. We had a pack where we would always wait for the other before heading home so that if late, the punishment would be lighter.

We grabbed our backpacks and started sprinting home. I checked my watch. We had seven minutes to cover a distance that took twenty minutes to hike. “Shit! We have to take the creek to get back in time!” I shouted at Tommy. We were fast, made the varsity track team and everything, but we weren't that fast, especially on the mountain side, in the woods, with no beaten trail. We took a different way to the cabin every day to minimize the chances of dad finding it. Tommy and I veered toward the creek and I readied myself for the change of turf and wet feet. Last time we did this Tommy got the flu and couldn't get out for a week. I had to sneak him our books to occupy his time. Needless to say it was very stressful.