Bonds Throughout Time

Amelia - Burning House

I leave the library in a daze. Every time I do something that involves leaving home and fighting for a destiny I want, something ends up happening that forces me to return to that wretched place. Every. Single. Time.

Why me?

Why can I never leave that place and those memories behind me?

I grip the strap of my bag tighter and fight through my inner turmoil of emotions. Anger, at the thought of having to go back home and deal with my parents. Fear of the punishment that they're going to give me because of leaving. They don't care how old that I am as long as they're in total control of my life. Anxiety about my parents finding the journal that they've probably been looking for and taking it away from me before I have a chance to fulfill Lady Cordelia's dying wish. And curiosity, in wanting to find out why it is that the journal wants me to return home, out of all places in the world that I could have gone it chooses there.

Before leaving the library, I took a good look at the most recent map of the town and surprised myself to learn that I'm not as far away from home as I had originally hoped that I would be. I'm glad to have a photographic memory right now. I follow the directions that I remember looking at on the map and see a nice little fast-food joint that I have been wanting to go to for ages.

Throughout my life, my parents have been trying to control every aspect of my life, starting with what dolls to play with and going as far as attempting to choose the man that I will be spending the rest of my life with. The only times that I've been able to have any say in my life is if I do it behind my parent's backs. It's how I was able to go to the college of my choosing. I made sure I had enough of a packed schedule that they would expect me to have so that they wouldn't ask any questions. But what I wasn't expecting was for them to be guest speakers at one of my lectures.

Needless to say, the only thing that allowed me to stay and graduate with the rest of my class was the endless praise I received from my professors. 

From then on, my parents made sure to keep a closer eye on me again. They even went as far as controlling what I ate and where I got my food from.

But now I'm in a town without them knowing my whereabouts, and I am going to try eating the unhealthy food from this place before I leave and am forced back into Hell again. The restaurant was everything that I was told about by my friends. And I don't blame them now for making it their everyday hang-out spot, even if it did mean ditching me all the time because of my overbearing parents.

It wasn't a large area by any means, but it was a comfortable space where nobody would bug you unless you pressed a button on top of the table. I found the closest, secluded space and pressed the button as soon as I sat down.

"What can I get for you out of towner?" I look up and my eyes widen in surprise as I recognize the waitress as the same one who got me away from the police officer the other day.

"You work here too?" She winks at me but never verbalizes an answer. Instead, she continues with the conversation as if I never spoke.

"I'll give you some stuff on the house, but you might want to keep an eye on the time. After you left, that officer wasn't impressed and has been keeping a close eye on that old house of yours. He and his partner make rounds around here frequently, too."

"Damn, alright, I was hoping to see it one more time before I left town." It took me a second before I realized something. "Wait, a second, how did you even know about the house?" She ignores the second part of my question.

"If you want to do that, then your best bet would be to go during the night. There's a small B&B a few places down the street from here where you can stay the night. I'd suggest leaving around 1 a.m., though."