Dusk

Chapter 1 - Welcome

The wind gently blew through black locks as the girl walked along the river bank. Blue Ridge, Georgia was a nice town with lots of green surrounding the landscape. The river ran for miles, gently rolling over itself. The sound produced from the soft waves was soothing, humming like a lullaby. Everything was peaceful. Perfect. Like a picture. The girl wished the scene could stay like an image, never moving, never changing. Life didn't work like that though.

"Birdie!"

The ravenette turned around to meet her mother. Rose Staton. She had shoulder length black hair that fell in wild curls. Her skin was mocha brown with chocolate eyes. She wore a white shirt that was tucked into mom jeans. Her wedding ring glittered in the sunlight.

"We're leaving in an hour. I know you've packed already, but please make another run through of the house. Especially your room."

Birdie nodded at her mother's request, and followed her into the house. The walls were empty, the rooms bare. It was unsettling to see the home she grew up in look inhabited.

She walked down the short hallway and entered her room. The walls were painted purple with tan carpeted floors. Memories flashed through her mind, from jumping off the bed into pillows and blankets, to watching a movie with her old best friend, to having comforting talks with her mom.

Something shiny sliced into her field of vision. Approaching the object, she knelt down to find a small ring. The band was cheap metal and the gem wasn't real. It was just a stone wrapped in colored string. Jay gave it to her. She saw him every time she visited her nana, but that had been years.

Slipping the ring on the only suitable finger, her pinky, she gave a soft smile in remembrance, before giving her room one last look. Seeing that nothing else was left, she walked towards the door, before running into her dad. Cade Staton. Unlike Birdie's mom, he was white. Messy brown hair adorned his head with hazel eyes. A light stubble covered his face and framed his lips. Adding to the look, he wore a gray shirt and jeans.

"Got everything you need, kiddo?"

Birdie gave a nod. Her dad's eyes fell to her hands as she fidgeted with her ring. "Excited about seeing Jay again?"

"Of course."

"Good. Because we have a plane to catch, and we all know Nana Grace is impatient." Isla looked at her mother and smiled while her father chuckled. The family headed to the car, loading in their last bits of luggage, before hitting the road. The drive to the airport was about an hour. No major airports were near the small town. Arriving at Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport, Cade parked the car in a respectable spot. Their current car was a rental since they sold their last one.

"Ready?" Birdie looked at Rose. She held an excited smile. "Heck yeah."

Several hours passed, and soon, they were landing in Anchorage. Though it wasn't their destination, they had a two hour layover before jumping back onto Alaska Airlines to Sitka.

Sitting down with a bag of chips she bought from a store, Birdie began to pop them into her mouth. Cade had an earbud in while he watched some news video. Rose was enthusiastically talking to Nana Imani.

Pulling out her phone, she flipped open the device, before going to her pictures. A few months ago, Birdie's mom sent her almost a whole album of her with Jay when they were little. Her favorite one was when they were hugging each other. Her dark skin mixed with his native tan, and his black hair ended at his shoulders. Her hair was pulled into frizzy pigtails. The two 4 year olds squished their chubby cheeks together as their giggles were frozen in time. Gosh, she missed Jay.

The speakers crackled as a woman announced the Statons' flight. Cade grabbed their things as Rose followed Birdie to the entrance. The plane became quickly crowded and soon, the pilot stated that take off would be soon.