Burn (Finished! Working on sequel!)

The First new moments: Ages 1 - 11

"Push..!" A woman urged, placing pressure down on the woman's stomach. The woman laying on the bed dripped it sweat as it dribbled down her face. She clung onto her husbands hand who was coaching her through this, just as scared and as in pain as she was.

The woman gave out a long unwilling push, and a deep exhale after hours of this process. Finally, Emerson was brought into the world. The woman smiled, letting out a sigh of relief and let go of her husbands hand. She was then able to take hold of her new baby girl, staring into her deep brown eyes, a strange tint of reddish gold to them.

Emerson babbled at her mother, then beginning to cry, realizing that it was bright and cold, outside of her mother womb, the nurse took Emerson away and cleaned her up, checked her blood pressure, the normal things you would do for a newborn baby.

The husband kissed his wife, and the wife was wheeled away into a recovery room while Emerson was being prepared for her new harsh moments away from her mother.

Now, for the second time in Emerson's life, she was able to feel safe again in her mother's warm and treasured arms. This was only for a few short years.

***

Emerson trudged in from the outside, covered in mud and looked at her mother. "Ack, go clean yourself up this instant!" Her mother ordered. As the years went by, Emerson and her mother became less close or 'attached' to one another, the problems of aging older.

Emerson was now reaching the age of Eight, now thinking back all those years ago, her mother kept a baby-book in her closet in the back corner. She kept it updated to this very day, knowing she was unable of bearing another child, so she wanted to make this one memorable.

***

Now, Emerson was in the 3rd grade. She had new friends, and anything she could want. She treasured her friends and her father had passed away a year before.

Flashback:

"Sweetheart, wake up." Daddy kept shaking me, wanting me to get up. I finally woke, looking at him with tired eyes.

"Come with me, Emerson." He coughed many times before picking me up and swaddling me with his strong arms. I cuddled up against his chest, a bit scared. "Daddy, where are we going?" I sounded curious.

He didn't answer me, just kept walking. Finally we made it to a ravine. Many rocks were down below, rushing water at high speeds zipped past. My daddy set me down. "Daddy...?" I started to cry. "No, daddy. Don't jump-"

"Emerson," he interrupted me. "I am very ill and your mother doesn't know. It's better we keep it at this." I started shaking my head side to side violently. "N-no...!" But it was too late. He had jumped down, into the river and was swept away.

I screamed, looking around and screaming for Mommy to come and get me. I was only 6 at the time, and still tired so I was freaking out inside. I remember the cold air rushing past me when I heard a police car rushing by. My mother had called the cops, realizing that her husband and her child were missing.

The car parked, grabbed me and shoved me inside without question or hesitation. I was brought back home and sent to bed. I stayed up for hours thinking about Daddy, while police cars were still out looking for him.

A few months later, he was reported dead. My mother flipped out and has been holding a burden on him ever since, for suicide. It's never been the same ever since then- but I choose to look past that.

End of Flashback, Three years later:

As I wrote in the journal thoughtfully about what I wanted, I started to plan things out in my future, too.

I think of my mom as my Mother and my Father and a sister, but it's complicated. I'm now reaching my 11th birthday, and I'm looking forward to 6th grade next year. I think I'll make many new friends, and moving on. When I'm older, I think I might try being an artist, or something like that. I now weigh 78 pounds almost 80. I don't have anything else to really write about, so bye! -Emerson K.

The first day of middle of middle school was horrifying. There were so many taller children and older kids, all looking down on me. I gulped, holding my stuff and walking into the first classroom.

I can't stop thinking about that first moment when the fire alarm rang and everyone went running around and screaming.

There was a large flame that burst, coming out of the science room next to us, and it was heard a few weeks later that most of the kids in that room never made it out alive. My mother thought that since the school had burned down, it was time to move.

"Mom, I don't wanna go...!" I pleaded and begged but she wouldn't let me. My life seemed to be moving so quickly- much faster than I wanted it to.

***

I brushed back my hair as I got out of the car, eyes gleaming thousands of colors.

I never wanted to move, not one bit- but Hawaii was amazing, and this was where we were to settle, and that was that. We got one day to move in before it was back to school for me.

That evening, I looked around, and left the house to take a look around the neighborhood. I never really wore shoes anymore, because they seemed a bit useless. I put a big smile on my face, bounding around the neighborhood. A strange face passed by me in a car. The car stopped.

They slowly turned around and followed me, although I didn't notice. Finally, the car did the stupidest thing a car could do- It started speeding up really fast and I looked back, and the car drove onto the sidewalk and started chasing me. Now, this was a pretty big sidewalk, so they needed to make this much, much smaller. I thought to myself.

The car was gaining on me, so I started sprinting as fast as I could- the fastest I could ever run. Knives felt as if they were stabbing into my legs and my hands began to get very sweaty. I started screaming my mothers name: "Mommy! Mommy!" over and over again, but no help came. The car began pushing me to the edge of a cliff that looked a lot like the ravine from my younger years.

I screamed out for help, but it was late and people would just think it was some kids playing with her friends. Looking down right before the car edged me off the cliff, the memories came flooding back. Little pieces of the event came back to me:

"Daddy...?" I started to cry. "No, daddy. Don't jump-"

"N-no...!" But it was too late. He had jumped down, into the river and was swept away.

The memory was too vivid, still. I did the only thing I could do to save my life- climb over the car and run. I did just that. I turned quickly, surprising the driver and leaping onto the metal. I climbed over the top and slid down. I started racing into the big city, not even thinking to go back home, I just went where my legs took me.

My legs were numb by now and tears were flying past me as I raced down to downtown Honolulu. The lights blared in my face, where I finally found a place to rest. Then I remembered- I was lost. I gave myself a little breathing time, when I realized- I was in the middle of a highway, on a green light. Cars honked and brakes squealed as they tried to stop- most of them did, but one hit me.

All I remember were these blinding lights and a beeping noise. From my memory, people were crowding around the smashed car, and me. I lay limp and barely alive in the middle of the street. I was extremely lucky only to have broken my arm and fractured a hip bone, but that driver found me, (The one who chased me to the cliff) at the hospital and demanded to see me.

Blaring lights and loud voices surrounded my hospital bed. I shut them all up with: "Where is my Mommy?!" They all looked at me in shock. A camera flashed in my face, taking a picture for the paper. "Go away, and get my Mother." My voice was tense- yet scared. Everyone left, and one person entered. Not my Mother. The man approached me, where he put a hand on my shoulder. I flinched from the roughness from his skin.

"Hello, sweetheart." I froze. The voice was rough and scary, yet calming. The mans voice sounded identical to my fathers. I looked up at him with watery eyes and studied his face. "D-daddy...?"