Mission 601

Chapter 1

Being home is the worst. I don't think I can call it my home anymore, honestly. Dad swears, smack and hit me. You get used to it after a while. But it hurts when he mocks me from my scars on my back and neck from his abuse. It also hurts when people in school make fun of me. It's not fun. It's mean, and hurtful. I'm only fourteen, and I already saw the worst part of life. Depression. Dark thoughts. But I never cut myself. I wouldn't dare do that.

But I'm trying to get over that. I'm trying to think happy thoughts and try to smile more. It's harder then it looks. Smiling through tears, smiling throughout dark thoughts, my smiles are usually just fake. A forced smile. A fake smile is pretty, but if people know you well, they would know it's fake and ask what's wrong. No one ever did that in my life. It's funny, it felt just like yesterday Mum suddenly disappeared during night time. When it was my sixth birthday.

A loud scream rang the quiet city of New York. I got startled and sat up in my bed, scared and surprised. Who would scream like that at midnight? My pink room was dark, the wind outside my window howled and it's powerful strength made the trees look like long, crooked fingers. I grabbed Snoopy, a Snoopy plush dog, and quietly got out of my bed. I put on my tiny slippers and quietly walk towards my door. The wooden floor creaked every step I took. I slowly open the old wooden door and slip in the dim hallway. Only a night light and the kitchen light was on.

Odd, I thought. Why would the kitchen light be on at this time?

As I turn the corner, I saw Dad on the floor, breathing heavily and dressed in all black. He had tears in his eyes and was holding a piece of Mum's nightgown. I look around the kitchen more closely. The kitchen and living room window were shattered to pieces, chairs and tables were knocked over and a bunch of Mum's collectable rare plates were smashed on the floor. There were a bit of red stains on the wall in the kitchen, right next to where I was standing.

I then slowly and quietly walked in the kitchen, reaching for Dad's shoulder and...

I ran into a pole. I quickly grab the pole to stable myself again. My mind focused back to reality. People were just glaring or starring at me as they pass by. Huh. I finally ran into a pole. That's a first. And I continue my long way back to a place I have to call home. Just I cross the street towards my house, I could hear Dad was home. How can I tell, you ask? Well, lights are on, TV at full blast, Dad yelling and smashing his bottles of beer against the wall. Yeah, pretty easy to tell.

I now regret coming home this early. I quickly look around for someplace to go. Grocery store... Library... Book... LIBRARY! I dash back across the street and ran up the library's stairs and through the doors. I walk past the desk and deep into the library. I grab a couple of books on the way and settle myself at a table. There were a few other people here, but they were either too busy reading or listening to music. I got right in the book.

Just as I started to read the second book, someone sat down across from me. I look up from my book and saw a girl about my age sitting there. She had long black lock that goes down to her hip. She has tanned skin with emerald green eyes. She looks gorgeous compare to me.

I have long cinnamon brown hair that goes down to my chest with side bangs covering my right eye. I also have tanned skin and crystal blue eyes. I'm nothing compare to the girl. But I'm not weird like the girl. She's now starring at me.

"Um..." I hesitate, uncomfortable. The girl seems like she realizes what she was doing and sat back in her seat, laughing.

"I'm sorry," she lowers her voice. "It's just your eyes... I've never seen that colour before."

"Oh." I'm still confused why she sat across from me.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I'm Amber Stones."

Weird. I don't know a girl in my school named Amber Stones.

"You must be Sheila Morgan," she continues. "My older sister always talks about you."

Uh... What? I don't know anyone, I mean ANYONE named Stones.

"So. How'd you been?"

"Good?"

Okay, I admit, I have no idea what to say at this point. She's talking to me like we were friends. I definitely have no friends. Except my puppy I found in an alley way last month. The poor pup was scavenging for food. It was weak and skinny to the ribs. So, I kinda adopted her. At night, I would give her meat from the fridge and she soon gain muscles and weight. I then discovered she was a German Shepard and called her Jesse. And while I'm gone to school, Jesse would go out and hide in a little box house I made for her so my dad don't find her out.

"So, what's new?" Amber Stones continues. All I can say about her, is that she talks so much. A bit too much.

"Nothing, I guess," I say, gathering my books.

"Where you going?" Amber ask as she sees me getting up and putting the books away.

"Home," I say. I grab my bag and coat and headed out. Amber grabs my arm and stops me.

"Nones sense. You ain't going home," Amber says. "I watched you being tortured by your father. I watch you cry at night, but tonight, everything will change." Wait, is she stalking me?

"I'm sorry. I have no idea who you are or what you're doing here, talking to me, but I have to go," I say as I ran out the doors of the library and down the road.

I turn in an alley way and ran until I saw a cardboard dog house near my room window. I slow down and stop next to the dog house. I lean against the wall and slide down. Jesse pops her head out of the dog house as she heard me sigh. She scrambles out of her little cardboard house and onto my lap. She lies down and started to doze off with her head on my lap. I start petting her head and back. She was a bit bigger then a pup. She's only nine months old now and the way she acts is like she's really a police dog. She's my guard dog, I say.

"People are so weird these days," I whisper to Jesse. She nods her head like she agrees with me. I laugh quietly and tilt my head up to the sky.

I then look at Jesse's dog house. It's getting old and small for Jesse. I should make a new one or Jesse could sleep under my bed. Either way, I'm sure she'll be okay with any of those choices. I look down at Jesse.

"Jesse, would you like to sleep under my bed now?" I ask quietly.

She opens her eyes and look up at me. Her left eye is camouflage green and the other one is dark almond. She looks at her dog house, then at my window. She gets up and walk towards the window, as if telling me she wants to sleep under my bed now. I laugh and got up. I open my window, which was super low, and Jesse jumps in, followed by me. Just in time before the rain started pouring. I close my window and turn around.

Brown walls, blood stained carpet, small single bed, closet door broken in half, full length mirror half shattered and the broken lamp on my night stand. The only unbroken object I have is Snoopy and my only picture. My family picture. Mum, happy Dad and five year old me. We seem so happy. What happened to us?

I then felt a small nudge on my leg. I look down and saw Jesse looking up at me, pleading in her eyes. I giggle quietly and lay down on my bed. I pointed my finger under my bed and then over my lip to tell her to be quiet. She nod and crawl under my bed. She gets comfy and I slowly fall asleep on my bed.

What a weird day it has been.