the rusted path to closure

may 21, 1995

I lay in my bed staring at the ceiling with the dreadful thoughts of what the day would bring. I never celebrate my birthday anymore I never saw a point to it because now this day has been marked for nothing but bad memories of the past. Every birthday I have now all I do is sit and grieve with my parents as my best friend Landon, who I call "L" tries to make me happy. The door to my room flies open "Happy birthday Lily pad" Landon screams as he bursts through the door " it is your eighteenth birthday and you are still in bed?" he seemed a little upset we always talked about the day we turned eighteen and the way we would be able to leave this terrible orphanage we were forced to call home until we were old enough they end up throwing us out like yesterday old news. landon and I spend the morning packing our things even through landon turned eighteen a week ago they let him stay until it was my time to leave so we could head out into the world together. I don't know if I would have survived without Landon. He held me together and helped me through the worst. "hey lily pad do you want to keep these files they were outside your door they seem a little how do i put this umm.. outdated" landon tried to explain the best he could I turned to see what he was talking about and my heart jumped when I read the first page in the file it was my parents information and the location they were last seen. "Holy crap L, do you know what this is?" I ask shakenly as he shakes his head in confusion. "It's the last info they have on my parents with their last witnesses." His mouth dropped open. We didn't speak much the rest of the day.