Sometimes You Need To Let Down Your Hair

Chapter 1

       "Willow, lets go," mother called. I jumped up from the window seat where I had been casually reading for the last few minutes. I looked around my empty room with a hint of sadness. Within the fifteen years I have been alive, I had moved  ten times. This makes number eleven. Names and faces flashed through my mind as I remembered all of my almost friends from the places I had lived. I didn't really have many friends. I was home-schooled, so it wasn't like I a lot of opportunities to meet different people my age. Then when I did start to find a friend, it seemed like it was time to move again. 

       This time was no different. I had a friend here. Sometimes when mother came home from work she would make plans to hang out with a co-worker, and I met their kids. My friend's name was Alice, and I briefly wondered if mom would let me go tell her goodbye. Outside, the car horn honked, and I shook my head. I wouldn't be saying goodbye to anyone. It was alright I guess,  it's not like we were were best friends or anything. 

       I looked over my room one more time to make sure none of my precious books were left lying around, but course they weren't. I was super organized, and made sure that all of my belongings were neatly packed and loaded into the moving truck this morning. However, I couldn't help but look around one last time. I sighed to myself and put a brave smile on my face as I walked downstairs and out of the beautiful house I would leave behind. 

       When I got into the car my mother asked if I was excited. I rolled my eyes in a non-committal way and shrugged my shoulders. Mother raised one perfectly manicured eyebrow and I laughed. "Well I guess, I am a little excited," I said. Moving to a new place was always exciting. I wondered what the next house would look like. Mother wouldn't tell me anything about it for once. She claimed it was a surprise. 

       "Will the drive be very long," I asked in my singsong voice.

       She chuckled softly, and replied "they always are." With that I nodded my head, buckled my seat-belt and buried my face in my novel that I had brought with me. The ride was long as expected, and I ended up finishing my book. As I sat in the backseat, I briefly wondered why I hadn't brought another book with me. I was always a pretty fast reader after all. 

       Mom didn't play the radio, so I was bound to bored out of my mind for however long it would take to reach our destination. To pass the time I decided to look out of the window and re-braid my hair. Sometimes it was a nuisance to keep it up all of the time, but I did it anyways. It was so long that I refused to even imagine how much more of a nuisance it would be if I let it down. My hair went down past my knees, so I couldn't just leave it be. 

       After watching the scenery go by for awhile I started to daydream. None of it was important, but it passed the time. I made up a story about a heroine that ended up leaving home and going on an adventure. Like all adventurous fantasy books, something big ended up happening and everything was fine in the end. I looked down at the novel I had brought with me. On the cover was a silent ranger ready to shoot an arrow at an unknown foe. I looked longingly at the book.

       Staying at home reading books an learning how to do things was nice, but I wanted more. I needed something else! Staying cooped up all the time is no way to live a life, but that was the life I lived. Mother was overprotective, but I know it's just because she loved me. Once when I was a little girl I was almost taken from her. A black car pulled up in the park and someone pulled me inside. I don't remember anything other than snip-its that I dream about. 

       I guess I understand her worry, but it's not fair! I looked up at the front seat, and silently sighed to myself. I let my frustration dissipate. I lived a life behind brick walls, closed curtains, and locked doors. It was ok though. I might not be as adventurous as I want, but why should I be? The world is full of scary people, and mother is only protecting me from it. 

       The car slowed to a stop and I shook away my unpleasant thoughts. Mother's voice informed me that we were finally here at our new house. A smile lit up my face and I bolted out of the car. I was surprised at what I saw. Our new two-story house sat between two others. It looked old and tired of being so close to it's neighbors. A wire fence lined the property and tall grass grew everywhere, barley contained to the front yard. A wrap-around porch adorned the house, and I thought that the porch-swing would make a lovely space to spend an afternoon reading. 

       I took a quick look around me and my eyes filled with delight when I saw how big our new neighborhood was. I was bound to meet someone my age here. Mother told me that the moving truck would be here shortly, and that I could go pick out my room. I unlatched the gate, and walked up the narrow pathway through the weeds to my house. Mom had thrown me the keys, so I unlocked the door and left them there. She'd be coming in later, and it wasn't like people were going to come in here. 

       I looked around for a light switch, and turned one on triumphantly when I found it. At first the house seemed pretty, but now I was getting second thoughts. The entrance-way was drafty and the stairs in front of me looked dusty. The stairs were cool though. They twisted up to the second floor where there was railing. I thought taking prom pictures right there would look nice. Too bad I'd never go.

       Other than the staircase there was a doorway that led into the living room, and one that led to what I assumed was a dining room. The owners before us had left a lot of furniture behind, and I noticed a lumpy couch in the front room. I was hoping mother would get rid of it. Anyway, I decided to look around upstairs first. After all, that was where my room would surely be. Coming in, I had noticed that the old house had a little tower on the back, and I hoped I could find the room that was a part of it. 

       I loved towers, mostly because in the books I read people climb towers. I like to imagine that I would climb some old tower to find golden treasure at the top sometimes when I felt the need to daydream. I walked up the dusty stairs and ran my hand along the railing. At the top I let go and looked at my hand, it was adorned with cobwebs. Gross. I wiped my hand off on my jeans and hoped it'd be fine. Then I walked around. There was a little open area, then a hallway with a few wooden doors. After opening a few I found that one was a closet, one was a random room, and the other had rickety looking stairs that led to darkness. 

       Curiosity sparked inside of me and I braved going into the room. Even though it was summer, and really hot outside, the room held a chill. At the top of the stairs I found a light-switch that I quickly turned on. I wasn't afraid of the dark, but I didn't exactly like it. The light flashed on and my eyes had to adjust to the sudden brightness. When they were alright I looked at my surroundings. This place was amazing.

       There was a big window that looked out across the back yard. It had stained white curtains and was super dusty, but I could fix it up. Beside the window were two bookshelves that were as tall as I was! I was ecstatic; there were even a few interesting books left behind. I noticed that the room seemed spherical where the window was, and saw that it would look like a horse shoe from above with the bookshelves. I chuckled softly, then realized that the curved window must mean that this was a part of the neat tower. 

       I ran to the window and looked out just to make sure. After becoming fairly certain that it was I looked around the rest of the room. The staircase came up into the room and at the top there was a metal railing surrounding it. It sat against the back wall though, so I didn't think it's be in my way. On one side there was a closet and  a dresser. 

       I looked it over, and thought about what I where I would put my stuff. The bed would go on the right wall, opposite to the closet and dresser. Then I decided that my desk would lean against the back wall on the side of the rails that was closest to the bed. I would also need different curtains. I made a list in my head about where things would go, and what I would do. Then I walked out to tell mother I had chosen my room.

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       By the end of the day everything was in its place, and I had managed to clean up all of the dust, spider-webs, and dirt that was in my bedroom. I got rid of the dresser that was already there and replaced it with my own.. Then I had washed off the bookshelves and put my up my pink curtains. It was exhausting, but I didn't care. This place might be old and dusty, but it felt right.