My father was always warned by every neighbor in town to never go near, or knock on that house.
Father always hated it whenever my ball accidentally rolled into the neighbors lawn, he'd scold me all day and evening about it. Everyone in the neighborhood wanted them kicked out for no reason yet they were never seen, heard from, and they never opened their door; almost as if they were never in their house. What could they possibly want them kicked out for?
But only then I saw him. It was a little boy studying in the window across the room from mine. So someone does live there? huh...
I studied his features, he had scars? All over him. Beautiful brown hair and captivating green eyes that looked back at me.
He only looks a couple of years older than me, but he looked so-sad? So alone? I could see it in his eyes, and when I gave him a wave, he returned it back to me. I saw a hand wrap around his wrists and drag him back into the darkness.
5 years later, I never saw that boy again.
5 years later, I am now mourning my father's death.
He was murdered one night during a break in while I snuck out, and the police closed the investigation as of that. I ended up in a foster care for the rest of my teenage years.
I always wonder what would have happened if I hadn't gone out? If I stayed home in bed?
I never once went back into the house, and now I'm leaving my foster care. I'm finally leaving to go to New York for college, leaving California and all it's bad memories behind me.
~~~~~~
I lift my final box into my truck, and my social worker, Allie wipes her tears again. Finally, after spending 12 years in foster care, I'm moving out to start my life in New York. I've gotten one of the best scholarships into one of the best art schools.
My hard work paid off after all.
"Alright, everything is packed, secure, and you're leaving me" She wines. Allie has become more of a second mother to me the past years I've spent with her. I kept begging her to adopt me, but each time she reminded me why she couldn't. I still love her either way though "How are you feeling Ellie?"
"Nervous and a bit scared, but I'm finally ready to leave this dumpster." I returned. She laughs before widening her eyes. She grabbed her bag and searched through it, before handing me a black velvet box.
"Open it El" She encourages me. I do as she said, and when I open the box; shock plasters all over me. No Way.
"Are you for real?"
"Yes. Now take it El, I don't want you staying in those nasty dorms the school gives out. I saved up enough money for rent for the next 7 months, but after that you'll have to start paying." I take the keys from her hand, reading the number 23. I hug her tightly like my life depended on it.
"Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!" I repeated a bunch of times, and I would continue for the next 30 minutes if she'd let me.
"Happy birthday El, you deserve it"
I smile at her again. "Thank you Allie, you're the best really. It means a lot to me" And it does.
"C'mon, you better start leaving like scheduled, or you'll get caught in all the traffic." We gave each other one last hug, and in that hug it was one of the most sincerest "Thank you" hugs.
Allie deserves the most in this world, she helped me get over both of my parents deaths. even though my mother wasn't really in my life. She was a author, but came from money; So when she died, I inherited all the money as I was an only child.
Allie helped my dream of becoming an artist even though both of my parents opposed the idea. She also helped me learn accounting, just in case if the art things didn't work out. She was a huge part of my life throughout my teenage years, and was more of a mother than my own mother was.
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The Neighbor Next Door
Fantasy"Oh dear, we don't ever go near that door....No one in the flat does. The 'mean' man that lives there is August Romanov." ~ ~ ~ My father was always warned by every neighbor in town to never go near, or knock on that house. Father always hated it wh...
