Taken to Underbriar Academy

Flaire

(Two Years Later) Present Day

"Dad's going to be home tonight" My mom smiled as we came up to our house finishing our long run. "Do you think he is going to bring me something?" I asked panting as we slowed. She shrugged but eventually nodded her head acknowledging he probably did get me something. My father had been in California for business and whenever he leaves out of state, he brings something back for me. Normally, he brought back something silly like a pen with the name of the state on it. California was one of five I was missing from the fifty possible pens.

 "What's for dinner?" I asked as our footsteps pounded up the porch and we entered the chilly house. "I'm ordering pizza. Bailey and her family are coming over for dad coming home" She said, but I didn't here her. My stomach did a flip of excitement when I heard the TV on I hurried into the family room. My father, at six foot three, stood up and I gave him a hug. "Hey sweetie how have you been?" He asked returning the hug. "Great, how was the trip?" I asked. "Work" He said and I smiled. He hated his job because it distanced our family at times. "You need a shower" He said wrinkling my nose. I glanced around out of habit for a smart comment from my little brother but remembered he was at a week long summer camp still.

Taking my dads advice, I walked up to my room and closed the door. I walked to the bathroom and turned on the hot shower. Steam filled the room quickly as I peeled off my sweaty clothes and threw them on the floor. I stepped into the shower and washed my hair and scrubbed the grime off my body. I didn't waste time and turned the water off and stepped out. Because of my rush, my foot slid on the floor and I tumbled to the ground with my towel draped around my body. With a groan I sat up rubbing my shoulder that had roughly connected with the edge of the shower. After drying off, I stepped into my freezing room and threw on a pair of athletic shorts and an old shirt.

I sat on my bed for a minute pulling out my phone and opening a music app. My ear buds were laying on my nightstand by my bed and I put them in. Music began to play and I closed my eyes resting. My legs were still sore from the longer than usual run I went for today. I daydreamed, imagining impossible things that I both desired and rejected. My mind raced with daydreams and random thoughts until my breathing deepened and the images took control forming actual dreams.   

I remained in my dream world until my phone buzzed to life. My head jerked up and I looked around quickly. It took me a moment before I was able to comprehend what I heard was my phone. When I did, I opened the message and fell back onto the bed with a groan. My mother was informing me dinner would be ready in thirty minutes. Why she had to wake me up for something so far away, I didn't know. Instead of falling back to sleep, I forced myself to stand and carry my exhausted body down the stairs. I passed by the kitchen where my parents were having a conversation on travel and how it was getting expensive. "Be ready to eat soon!" My mom called as I headed for the back door. "Alright" I said groggily trying to open the door without falling asleep where I stood.

I took a step outside the house and breathed in the air of an oncoming thunderstorm. The clouds had already begun to darken and the air was getting thicker. I walked across the backyard to my little spot in the woods behind our house. It was just a high up tree limb that was growing to the side rather than up. The limb worked as a makeshift hammock. I had picked this spot when I was little. I had run out of the house crying when my dad was in a car accident when I was little and I wasn't allowed to see if he was ok. I sat on this tree branch picking off the bark with the effect of tearing up my nails. My mother attempted to convince me to come inside but I stayed put. I rested there until the first howl of a coyote rippled through the woods.  Ever since then it had been the spot I had claimed for myself to think.