Francesca's Dream

The Real World (Prologue)

It was crisp and clean fall day in Lockraven,Connecticut. A fair haired girl walked under the tall oak trees in Lockraven park. Her black riding boots clicking over the cobble stone path; a brown leather satchel full of books slung across her body. Dressed in dark blue jeans, red sweater, a cream colored scarf, black leather jacket; she sat down on a wooden park bench. She liked to sit here in the park, getting lost in the tales of Jane Austin, Dickens, and Shakespeare. This lost girl, lost herself in the world of books, separating herself from her hopeless reality.

Today her novel was The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Its green leather exterior felt soft and comforting to the touch. She read perched on her park bench under an old oak tree.

THAT BEHIND THIS SOFT EXTERIOR LIES A WARRIOR-!

Tearing her pale green eyes from the book she looked at her cellphone; her mothers face popped up the screen. "Hello" She said softly. "Hey sweetheart, dinner will be ready soon. Where are you?" Her mothers semi cheerful voice said. "I'm in the park, I'll be home soon. Is dad coming home for dinner?" She said sounding hopeful. "Oh sweetheart you know that we have not been on good terms; I told him that it was best that it was best for the divorce that he stay away for now. Once things are settled he will come over, for now things are just to heated. You understand don't you Francesca?" Her mother sounded sad and far off. "Okay, I am on my way home, Bye mom." She said her voice almost cracking. Hanging up the phone, a sob escaped from her soul.

Her parents had been going through a nasty divorce for some time, in the beginning she acted strong for her and her mother. Now she could barely keep herself together at times; she missed her father so much. Tears rolled down her cheeks and onto her cream scarf. Whipping her eyes left black streaks of eye liner on her cracked nail polished hands. Closing her book, Francesca stuffed it into her bag. Walking home to the clicking of her boots on the cobblestone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dinner had been a somber affair; Francesca and her mother had barely spoken to each other their bowls of chicken and dumplings. When she had finished with her meal, Francesca headed up to her room. Pale yellow walls and white washed furniture made up her room. Francesca changed into a tank top and sleep shorts. Opening her bedroom window, letting the chilly fall air in. She hopped into bed with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Soon she was asleep to the sound of distant thunder.