AEON | Jacob Black [1]

It All Started With A Storm

Looking back to my happiest memories I can only find a few that completely enthralled me. This one has stayed with me for many years. I'm walking outside into the garden one late summer morning and I take notice that in the normally groggy London weather the sun is shining. Not only is it shining it's rays are beating down on me at every corner.

These specks of fire make me look up to where they're coming from. All I see is this brightness that completely encaptivated me. I felt so content I never wanted to leave that spot. It's not till I feel the weight of reality set in and the priority to not burn my scalp takes form. I hated priorities.

Now is one of them priorities. I must go to America to live with an estranged grandfather. Since I could remember England was my home. I liked the rain and the city style. I liked the nights on the town causing mischief and drama and then coming home to the castle of the Pierce's and being the precious granddaughter of King John Pierce and Queen Catherine Pierce. I was a royal by blood and up to this week I was raised to one day be given the throne.

It was never what I wanted though. I wanted adventure and I wanted to explore the world a bit more before settling down with my given duties.

But my parents made a deal with my grandparents that apparently I had no say in since I wasn't born yet. It goes: I live with my fathers side the pierces for my young years then at 16 I am to move in with my mothers father which means dreaded America. Who I by the way have never associated with. Not that I haven't tried I just never thought he'd given the time so why should I?

I sat on the top of the lefor building of London, the races were about the start and James, my cousin, was putting a lot of money into this one. But 10 grand to him was 10 bucks. I never bet on street racing only was the one everyone handed it too. I kept count and I watched the race with good eyes.

However tonight I wasn't up to just counting for the race, no I wanted to be in it considering it was my last night here. Why couldn't I? I jump off the building, walking over to Edgar as he's suited up for the race.

"Hold out on this one, I want to race." I say. It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

Edgar laughs, "There's a lot of money in on this one Effie, I don't know if you can handle it." He was right but I ignored that, and crossed my arms.

"I don't care, I want in. It's my last night here don't you know?"

He looks at me for a moment, considering it. I grin at my persuasive nature when he nods his head. I knew I had to hurry before James walked over, he wouldn't have let me set foot in this thing.

I hurry to take the helmet from him, moving to get in the car before he changes his mind. I line up with the rest of the cars down on the street, I was determined to make a show of this one. I was always told I had a thing for the dramatics, but mostly this was out of spite for being made to leave.

It all is an instant adrenaline rush as soon as 'go' is yelled, I don't let go of the gas pedal I have pushed to the floor. This was nothing like I imagined it, but I also wasn't expecting to crash into a wall in the next few seconds either.

"Beth, Bethany are you awake?" I get yelled at and I wonder who's speaking, more like yelling to me this. I open my eyes to see none other than my grandfather leaning above me, I looked over to see maids and a doctor standing at the food of my bed. An IV was attached to me and my arm ached.

"What happened?"

"You got into an accident is what happened Bethany, James said you flipped your Jeep. I scoff in my head at the lie, they obviously couldn't let grandpa known of our secret affairs even if it meant my life.

I honestly thought this would keep me from having to go to the states, but here I was a couple days later with my bags in the back of a limousine.

"Promise me you will stick to your academics Bethany." Grandmother says. "I will do what I usually do: the best of the best." I say back in sadness that I am leaving the only family I have ever known to live with a complete stranger.

I didn't have any friends I was leaving behind well not counting my cousins I would play celebrity on a weekend with. James, Edgar, and I would run the town strip finding all the fun activities a teenager could do. I never touched any substances though something about them and my status never felt right. That was a constant in my life for the most part: status and taking care of it.

I asked one time why my parents had a vote on this anymore since they are dead which should cancel out the vote I thought they'd laugh but all I got were somber looks and my grandmothers usual judgmental looks. "A lady should never talk in such disappointing tones." she would tell me.

I take one more look at the town as I am flying away from London. It took care of me for what time it did. I could have been worse off without it.

I know deep down that this town is what I need. This change without it I feel I would be feeling okay with the usual depressed outlook I get on life sometimes. Like if I stayed it would have succumbed me to it completely.

The last thing my grandfather said to me before departure stuck with me, "Go find what you were meant to do all along, we have kept you from it long enough." I look back on it and am haunted to know that what I would find would change my life completely.