You're Family Now

My story, Not How I Remember

My mother always told me that I was from Minnesota and born in a local hospital. Born and raised in St. Paul. I have never been out of state and never lived in another city my whole life. I don't know my father, mom said she got drunk and had a one night stand and couldn't find the guy. Papa tells my story differently though. He tells us that I am part of the famliy. My mother lived here when she was 16. I'm 16 now but I can't say that I remember living here. I am reminded that I don't even know where here is. She got pregnant and was excepted still. She called this place home for almost a decade. My mom was here until she was 23 years old and took me with her when she ran away, I was 6 years old. That explains why I don't remember. Papa says, "And now that our dear Cathline has come of age it is her time to take Synthia's place among our family. We are once again whole". Everyone claps and cheers joyfuly. I am so confused right now, my mom lived here?! Why would she want to live here? Was she taken like me, held against her will or just not happy here? "Cathine, you are welcome here. Come and give me a hug," Papa holds his arms out and I stand up from the soft couch beneath me. I am frozen as I look into his eyes for the first time, mesmerized by the deepness of green and hasel, like my own, they pierce my soul. I feel hands push me gently forward but do not budge, hadrer and harder untill I stumble forward, suddenly out of my trance. I walk forward and am suprised by the coldness of Papa's skin against mine, he is wearing a short sleave argial pattern shirt. His arms embrace me with such force it is as if he is trying to squish me untill we are one person. A globbed mass, the two of us. I try to pull away but he won't release me so I stand ther okwardly. When he finaly releases me I quickly stumble back to my seat, it's hard to breathe. The hug was too tight. As I struggle to catch my breathe that Papa stole so hungrily people start toward me muttering things like 'welcome home' and 'nice to finally meet you Cathline', they give me a huge group hug and now I really can't breathe. Not because they are hugging me too tight but because they are so close to me that I can't find any air fill my lungs with. I have asthma and I feel like I might die. "Please, let me go... I Can't breathe... Stop..." I fade into darkness and feel my body slump to the purple carpet in a pile of limbs. Still struggling for air I am gasping. "What's wrong," Someone crys in a panic. "As... Asth... Asthma..," I try to say and finally someone gets it. A guy not much older than me pushes through the crowd to my side and picks me up like I weigh nothing at all. I black out on and off for I don't know how long. I wake up to a guy giving me mouth to mouth! Ewwww! "What are you doing?" I say totally grossed out. "Oh my God! You're okay!" He says. "Hey guys she's okay!" He yells into another room, there are people surrounding me already and even more come running. I am too weak and much too tired to keep my eyes open a moment longer. I close my eyes, telling myself that I will open them back up again but my mind is defeated by my body. I don't open my eyes again, not for a long time...