Tainted obligation

BAD BLOOD

Which is the true nightmare, the horrific dream that you have in your sleep or the dissatisfied reality that awaits you when you awake?

-Justin Alcala

The creaking of the wooden swing attached to the tree, swung slowly back and forth. The young eight year old girl humming the nursery rhyme of 'Mary had a little lamb', while she stared up into the sky, picturing a life that was not her own.

The nightmare suddenly ended with the loud ringing of an alarm clock. Hale jolted up with urgency, frightened by the nightmare of her childhood. It seemed to be getting worse lately, Hale couldn't even concentrate without violent visions floating back from her past. She swallowed some aspirin with some cold water, hoping to calm her anxiety. Staring into the mirror, Hale's chocolate brown eyes looked tired and her muscles ached from exhaustion. Lifting her hand she traced the scar of her bottom lip, watching her hands tremble in the mirror as she remembered how it appeared there. Lately it was all she could think about, the violence, the screaming, the constant fear, it was driving her insane.

It was her first day at her new school. Hale's mother moved them around a lot, she had been extremely busy with her new book being published and all the signings she had to attend, she didn't even have time to notice Hale's cries for motherly attention.

"Fresh meat", Hale heard a muscular curly haired jock yell, as she shyly made her way to her class, Biology 101. She had only been in the grounds for an hour and already she felt a panic attack coming on. When class started, Hale began to calm down, she enjoyed Biology, she excelled in the subject, finding today's lesson to be a piece of cake. She would have even felt more relaxed, if her lab partner didn't continuously stare at her. He also looked to be a jock, he had light brown hair that appeared to fit the characteristics of that messy sexy look all stereotypical girls craved for. His eyes were light blue and calming like the ocean. Hale thought he was very attractive, but shook her head to discourage the thought.

"Hi," he finally said after what felt like years of constant staring. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Hale", Hale spoke nervously, never really have had a conversation with a teenage boy.

"Like the weather?" he asked tying to be funny. Hale was confused, as to why he found her name humorous.

"No," Hale responded shaking her head. She wasn't good at this whole communication thing.

"I'm Embury," he said breaking the awkward silence. Embury was fascinated by this new girl 'Hale' he found to be very attractive and interesting, not like all the other girls in his school. He felt this electricity, this overpowering need to be near her. Hale gave him a sweet half smile as the bell rang, packing up her books and heading out of class, Embury couldn't take his eyes off her, watching her until she was out of sight.

It was five in the afternoon and Hale noticed that her mother wasn't home yet. She had been returning home a lot later these days, she was just becoming too busy and preoccupied with other matters, forgetting to cook dinner or ask how Hale's day was. This was making Hale feel ignored and worthless, it made her feel that her mother no longer cared for her or even loved her. Knowing that her mother wasn't going to return home any time soon, she pinched one of her mothers cigarettes from her room, and headed outside her bedroom window to sit on the roof. She enjoyed the peacefulness of the outdoors, slowly inhaling the cigarette smoke, it calmed her. It took her bad thoughts away and made her feel more normal. The smoking had became a quick habitat, she was smoking three cigarettes a day, and she had a feeling that number would grow to four in a number of days. A figure in the distance caught her attention, it was her new neighbour, they had just recently moved in and her mother hadn't yet greeted the neighbours, she had a feeling her mother never would, her mother was vary weary of people, especially new people, who she didn't know anything about. The figure in the distance waved to her, she was also smoking and looked to be around Hale's age. Hale didn't wave back she felt too nervous, she quickly finished up her cigarette and headed back inside.