The Thing About Destiny

Part 2

Part 2

Destiny couldn’t believe it. This wasn’t happening! She had been with the Jays for almost 3 years. That’s the longest Destiny had a family since Mom, Dad, and Elias – and they were all killed when…

Now that she thought about it, Destiny could barely remember the day when her whole life did a 180.

It’s strange, because you’d think her family’s death would be a huge scar in her past, the kind that’s big and ugly and won’t disappear. It’s the kind you try to hide from everyone else, but somehow you can’t.

Destiny missed her family to pieces. She missed how her mom would sing to her in the evening and taught her little lullabies to sing if Destiny ever found that she was alone. She missed how her dad helped her plant a garden, and the beautiful purple flower that her dad had named after her. Destiny’s flower.

Destiny missed the way her big brother Elias held her hand on the first day of kindergarten. And when Mom was busy working, Elias made Destiny a sloppy ham sandwich and packed it in her lunchbox.

But how could she not remember that night?

Destiny, stilled slumped against a wall, searched through her mind for the memories.

She knew she was five years old, and that it was cold and windy outside. Then Destiny remembered that the wind blasted her window open. First, she had climbed up to the top bunk of her bed to wake Elias up. He wasn’t there. Then, Destiny had tiptoed to her parents’ bedroom.

That was when her memory went fuzzy. Her family was just… gone. She couldn’t remember anything weird – no blood, no bodies, nothing.

Recalling this moment, Destiny began to cry. It was an ugly cry, with snot and all. But it was a good one, because it made up for all the time she’d held back her tears.

Besides, no one was home to hear her bawling.

Her life was so perfect before. Destiny had the sweetest family and a comfy home. Now it was all taken away – but why? Why her?

Wiping her eyes, Destiny rose to her feet. Her legs were shaky – everything was shaky. She didn’t want to be like this. She never wanted to be like this ever again, even if there was no one around to see. Destiny felt ashamed. She felt like she was five years old again, as if someone had stolen her lollipop. I’m almost seventeen, she told herself. Time to act it.

Destiny wondered if she would wake up tomorrow – assuming she would be able to sleep – and be instantly more mature.

She imagined herself walking downstairs to the smell of hot bacon on the stove and sweet maple syrup. Destiny then would smile, surprised. Missy, wearing her red apron, would say, “Des! Happy birthday,” as she flipped a pancake onto a plate. She would slide the plate to where Destiny had sat down at the counter. The pancake would have a red candle in it. Destiny would blow the candle. Her wish would be the same as her wish last year… and the year before. She wished for my family back.

“Thanks, Missy,” she would say, dismissing the sad memory of her parents and her brother.

Missy would reply, “So, do you feel different?”

Destiny returned to the moment and thought about that for a while. She didn’t know what she would say.

Anyway, she didn’t think she would find herself in that situation tomorrow. Missy wouldn’t be there. The best-case scenario would be that she was missing for a day or two. The worst…

Destiny did not even want to think about the possibility. She wasn’t ready for the worst, even though she could feel it coming.