Through Generations

Chapter 1

I woke up in a cold sweat. My window curtains had been left ajar, which left a trail of soothing moonlight across my room, gliding over my silky white bedsheets, and curling up my wall.

I quietly walk through the hallway wincing at every creak in the old wooden floorboards. I try desperately not to wake the dog, I shuddered at the thought.

Once I had safely made my way to the kitchen I pour myself a small glass of water dreading that the tap would wake anyone up.

It's funny how loud an inanimate object can be when you wish it to be silent. I can't wait till I can live in my own home. In my own home I wouldn't have to dread that I might wake someone, In my own home I could spend my whole day reading, In my own home I could sing at the top of my lungs and no one would be there to scold me. But alas I do not live in my own home and then again probably never will. 

My mother was always talking about how excited she is for the day I get married. I think that is insane seeing as I'm only fourteen, and don't even have a boyfriend let alone a fiance. I hope I never get married, but that won't happen due to the fact that if I'm not married by fifteen my father will give me a way to a man of his choice. At this rate, I'm going to be stuck as a boring housewife. Don't get me wrong, being a housewife is pretty cool and I'm not saying all housewives are dull, it's just that I dream of traveling the world.

When I am old enough to leave home I plan to travel to Rome, France, Peru, Japan, Grease, Hawaii. And I plan to become fluent in every language. I want to soak up all the culture they have to offer. Although I may just look like an annoying tourist.

Suddenly I hear a bark shattering the beautiful silence that had once been.

The dog is up, I think solemnly. I try to quiet him but it's no use. I need Margret. Margret is my older sister, I remember when she was little and she and I were walking by the dog pound. I saw a small puppy and tried to tell Margaret of my triumph but suddenly a hand was clamped over my eyes. I could hear Margret begging and crying for the pound owner to give Margret the dog, after that the memory is hazy, but that was how we got Charlie, my sister's dog. Now that I'm older I understand what was about to be Charlie's fate but I'm still glad I didn't have to watch what happened that day. Maybe Charlie understood that Margret saved him that day but whether or not he did, Margret was still Charlie's favorite. I ran up the stairs praying I didn't wake my mother or father but especially my younger brother Jack. If Jack was awakened all hell would break loose. I cringe at the memory of my mother screeching about how long it took to get him to sleep. And I fully understood that, seeing as it's usually me and Margret that have to do it. I slowly open Margret's door and begin to shake her in a panic. "Margret! Margret! Please wake up! You need to help me!" By the time she awoke, I was in tears and my father was banging on the door. "Maria, what happened?" Margret said in a sleepy panic. " I just wanted some water, but I woke the dog!" I stuttered with tears streaming down my face. "Maria! Open the door" Father bellowed. "Come with me!" Margret grabbed a large blue bag with torn white lace and started to climb out the window and onto a large red maple tree. I rushed to the window and carefully made my way to the tree without even a second to think things through. 

Margret locked the window and began climbing down the tree.

"Margret," I said in a soft voice, "where will we go?"

"I don't know yet, but isn't that the fun part?"

Margret flung her bag into the carriage and sat upfront to guide the horses. As I sat in the back nervously picking at the red velvety seats. 

Unlike others, we were fairly wealthy so we are able to buy only the finest things.

I can't help but stare longingly at the house I used to live in, it was never home and it never would be, but still. It's hard to run away from the place you grew up in, I guess it's the same with moving houses.