Great Unknown

Chapter 1

"Off with her head!" I shot up from sleeping. It's a repeating dream or memory of sorts. I stared at the clock beside my bed, it only four in the morning. Mom won't be home until six. I haven't seen her in almost a year. She never email, call, or send a postcard. I thought, did I do something to chase her away? Was it because I asked about my father? Mom never told me where she was going. I yawn, "I feel sleepy..."

I woke to the smell of burnt toast and sausage. "Mom!" She could never cook. The last time I seen her cook was when she almost burnt the house down. I run out of bed, almost tripping to death. When I got to the kitchen, see mom trying to get the burnt smell out of apartment.

"Mom..." I muttered, "when did you get in." I rubbed my eyes as she opened the curtains.

"I got there later than I thought. I ran into an old friend of mine, he'll be here for dinner. Why don't we going shopping later; passed by a cute clothing store." Mom has a friend? I would never think that she has friends. "Also it beautiful today, so let's do more mother and daughter activities, okay? Oh... before I forget there's something I want to talk about." I sat down to see some old photos that were scattered around the table. Most of the photos had mom in them, but who were the other people?

"Mom, who are these people?" I'm bit concern what kind of people do my mom hang out with. One wear white rabbit ears, there were twins, and one person was surely find with stripes; especially with pink and purple. I picked up a photo that catch my eye. In an older photo, had mom when she was younger with me in her arms. There was a young man, his face was familiar.

"They are what I want to talk to you about. That photo you're holding, with us and the young man. That man is your uncle. He'll be coming over for dinner to discuss about the question you asked, who is your father." I'm stunned. Did my mom really leave me so she could show me who my father was. I walked over to mom, gave her a hug. Both of us cried and laughed at each other. "You go get dress, today is a new beginning. Not just for you, but for everyone you'll meet."

I went to my room, such a mess; I got pick it up a bit. It good to see mom after such a long time. She seem different, not in bad way just strange. My first relative I'll be meeting. I wondered why doesn't she just tell me about my father? What did she mean "everyone you'll meet?" Maybe I see more relatives? Or some of her friends? I decided to wear black knee-length leggings, blue and white plaid shirt, sky blue tank top, zip-up hoody. The zip-up hood was like a little kid hoody, but stretched to fit me. Mom knocked on my bedroom door. "Ready?" She speak quietly, but worried.

"Mom, you're worried. I've been fine here and there over the year while you gone. The lady next door, Miss Quill, kept a good eye on me." Even though she had her own problems to take care of.

"I know, she told me this morning before I tried to make breakfast. You're sixteen and shouldn't have left you alone before having someone here with you." Mom smiled quietly at me. "She also told me that you have a crush. Has he notice you?"

"I don't want to know that he even existed." It's coming, mom persists.

"What did he do?"

"Really, its nothing. I just want to forget that he temporarily (never) existed." I don't want to start an argument right now. I know she going to keep asking. I'm going to have to tell her soon or later. "I'll tell tomorrow, if that's alright?"

"Sure. Go down stairs and wait, I'll be right down." I started to walk down three flights of stairs.

Bored-dumb started to set in. Time went by, I looked at my iPod seeing what time it was. I left around nine, and right now it's almost ten! I've been sitting here for almost for an hour! Running back up the fleet of stairs, coming to stop dead in my tracks. Miss Quill running to me; she looked pale, very pale. "Alice you need to leave. Now!" She grabbed my arm and whipped me around the stairs.

"Quill, what's going now?!" Yanked my arm free from her grasp. "Tell me, what on earth are you panicking about? I have to see mom!" Quill reached out to grab my arm, but I swung around and headed for the apartment. I stopped at the apartment door; or what once was the apartment door. The door looked as if it was ripped off and thrown across the living room. The television smashed to bits, the sofa was shredded; the apartment torn apart like nothing. "Mom..." This is just a dream. I'll wake up and mom will be... will be... she be just fine. I stumble upon the photos my mom had showed me. Her photos were torn apart; making a paper trail. I walked around the apartment see all the destruction.

I approached my room, shocked. My room was left the way when I left. CREEK! I fall to the floor, almost knocked into a plant vase. Just a stupid floor board. As I tried to get my balance back, someone walked into the apartment. "Quill," catching my breath, "what on earth happened?" I said calmly.

"Miss Quill isn't here." a deep calm voice came from behind me. I whipped around, but it was too late. The man put a his hand around my mouth. I fought back; I wasn't going down without a fight. I bit his hand, "Ow! Get back here!" I charged for the door, but I was yanked back. He grabbed my hair and threw me. Miss Quill was at the doorway, screaming on the top of her lungs. Everything started to blur, the man stared at her. He said something to stop making her scream.

Miss Quill calmed, but still startled, walked towards me. She pulled my head onto her lap, as the stranger walked over. "Alice, everything going to be okay. Alice..." whispered the stranger. Everything went black.