SYNERGY

Taken 2.

"Astrid sweetie it's time to wake up." my mother's voice sounded.

I was in my bed, the familiar feel of my lavender colored comforter in my hands.

"But mom its Sunday!" I grumbled.

"Astrid!" She yelled again.

"Okay, I'm up!" I yelled before tossing my cover off, letting my too tired legs flop out of the bed. Ugh my head.

What a strange dream, I thought shrugging on a dark blue sun dress and some slip-on sneakers. It was going to be warm out today warm for WA anyways. It was early June and the rain had just started to subside. I took a glance in the mirror and sighed, taking in my reflection. Shoulder length blonde hair and brown eyes. I suppose I could throw on some makeup or brush my hair to make myself pretty. But that always took too much time and WA states seasonal depression had a hold on me so I decided against it sauntering out of my room. I passed a hallway filled with smiling faces of my parents, my older brother Rollin, and myself. As I entered the kitchen the smell of waffles and bacon filled my nose.

"Hi sweetie how did you sleep!?" My mom asked while pouring me a huge glass of OJ.

"Fine," I lied.

She gave me that look she always gives me when she knows I'm lying. Her blonde curly hair wiring everywhere. She had on a purple dress, slippers, and a red apron. Her eyes filled with concern.

I sighed, "I'm fine, just a weird dream."

"Well okay.... I just worry! Since you and Brandon broke up you've been moping around a lot."

O god she just had to bring HIM up...

"You never hang out with your friends anymore." She went on. "What ever happened to that one girl, Oh what's her name Emily?"

"Mom! Her name's Emery and like I said before she decided to join soccer and has just been too busy for me." Another lie.

The truth was That Brandon and Emery have been together for the past year behind my back and neither of them nor any other of my so-called friends had the audacity to tell me. Now the two of them have made it a point to completely ignore me and as for that friend group, yeah forget them. Three years I spent with this guy completely down the drain, I was such an idiot.

"Well, your father and brother are coming home today around four. I think Arizona state went well for Rollin he said he's very interested."

"That's nice mom." I nibbled the corner of a waffle, suddenly lost in thought. I couldn't help but feel defeated. I was in my own way, but not knowing how to fix it.

I looked at my mom's earnest gray eyes and decided to head back to my room, I no longer felt like chatting. It was my senior year, and I knew the topic of college was just about to be brought up.

"Where do you think you are going?" She said, crossing her arms and huffing some hair out of her face.

"To my room. I have a date with my guitar, and I want to be alone."

I walked to my room and closed the door behind me cutting off something my mom was saying about breakfast, hormones and family. The silence was eerie and amazing. It was always so quiet in my room with no music playing. I grabbed my Cat Power record and put it on. Sea of love started to play, and I slowly began to strum my guitar to it while humming. Strumming slower and slower, getting lost in my mind until I leaned back and drifted to sleep.

I awoke to my mom's scream, my parent's voices in a panic.

I heard my dad shout, "don't come any closer or I'll shoot!"

I crack my door open and peered out. I could see men with gas masks dropping something on the floor that filled the house with smoke. My dad shot his gun at one of them, it didn't faze him. The bullet ricocheted off him as he moved closer. Then the man hit my dad on the head with the back of his rifle.

I gasped, stepping back into my room. I covered my mouth trying not to make anymore sound. The only weapon I had was a baseball bat that I kept under my bed. I swiftly grabbed it then hid behind my door. I heard footsteps come into my room and with a rush I brought the bat down as hard as I could onto the attacker's head. I tried to lift the bat back up, but it was completely embedded. I let go screaming. He turned his head towards me then pulled the bat out, throwing it aside; there was an indentation of the bat still in his head. Screaming someone came up behind me cutting me off with a sweet-smelling cloth. The darkness came upon me in an instant.