The Girl Who Ran

Story Telling

The cold wind rushing against my face, the dark sky creeping up from behind the mountains, the sun hiding away in fear of the moon, I stood there. I wish it wouldn't have ended this way, with the world full of mysteries. To a certain extent, it is beautiful, but also part madness. Everywhere I went, I experienced someone grieving, in pain, lost, or hurt. I never really knew what it was like to completely lose everything, but this is the year that my life changed forever.

I was standing next to the river bank, looking over to the other side, a whole new world to discover. It didn't seem like much to anyone else besides me. They thought it was just another dark forest, filled with stupid old trees, and little pests. I was the only one that would've called a person blind for not being able to read the story that lies beneath the surface of the grassy floor. To me, the forest was like an open book, a new story to be told, a new beginning.

It was the end of summer, the air was crisp and I could smell the sap dripping from the aging trees. The little squirrels hid high up in the branches, the little gnats silently flew all around, and the deer slept peacefully in their dens. It was getting dark, and the sun was starting to set into the night. It was quiet and cold; the smallest noise would wake the animals. That wasn't a problem for me because I had pretty much grown up in the forest and I would run as fast as I could and you wouldn't hear a single sound. People said I was a ghost, some said I was just a wisp of smoke, some thought I was only a lurking shadow, but I knew the truth. I was Angel, the girl who ran in silence.

I ran all the way home that night, not because I was scared of something in the dark, but because I felt free when I ran. The wind would pass through my long dark hair, my ice blue eyes narrowed as I slid past the trees, and my feet were a blur. That is how fast I ran. At times I felt like

the world was just passing by my eyes, time going by too quick, and I didn't have enough time to save it all, but I felt so free. I could run for hours and never break a sweat. I could run for days, months, even years, before I tired. It was a gift I possessed and will forever cherish.

It was 8:30 when I arrived at my house that night. It was quiet, my mom was in the kitchen wiping off the tables, my dad was in his office, and my little sister was all cozy in her pink princess bed. I had a weird feeling when I went to bed that evening. It was like an ice cube sitting inside my stomach, chills ran down my spine. Something bad was coming; I could feel it deep down in my soul. That feeling was unmistakable. It was as clear as a glass of water, and I could sense a being of dead hiding in the shadows of my own home. When I woke up the next morning, I knew my life had taken a bad turn.

I woke up after being spooked by my own dream and the smell of smoke filled my senses. I could see the gray waves rolling right into my room. I ran through the dark clouds to grab my sister and rushed to help my parents out of the fire, but I was stopped by a wall of flames. There was no way I could get to them; I prayed that they had gotten out safely. I opened the window to my bedroom and peered outside. Dad had forgotten to drain the water out of the pool. I held my little sister close as I put my hand over her nose and her mouth so she wouldn't inhale the water. It was our only chance to escape. I jumped and barely missed the concrete. The water was freezing, but I managed to get out with Annie. She wanted to scream and cry but she was too cold to manage anything other than a small whine. I ran to the car and picked up my dad's phone; he always left it in the truck. As I dialed, I undressed Annie and wrapped my dad's old work coat around her so she wouldn't freeze. I immediately called in for an emergency. I had expected my parents to be in the back, hiding in the woods away from the fire, but I didn't hear them calling for my sister and me.

Firemen got to my house a while later, we were miles from the city and the house had mostly completely burned down. I cried as I watched the house collapse. That house held all my family's greatest memories and now they were burning in the fire along with all our belongings. Ashes fell to the forest floor and left a gray power everywhere. As I watched the men work their ways, the fire started to drown from the water. The flames were finally tamed, and as I peered across the once beautiful home I lived in I could see one of the firemen coming out of the rubble with a sour face. He couldn't have been much older than me. He seemed to be in his early 20's, and I was soon to be 18 in December. I admired him, despite his sour look, he was quite beautiful. He had dark hair with the bluest of eyes. They had a little green tint in them, and I soon found myself staring at him and he was blankly staring back. He was mildly slender and quite tall, much taller than me. He glanced at my sister and me and started towards us. He spoke; his voice was sweet and soft. He asked me who all lived in the house. "My parents, my sister and I," I managed to say. Then his face changed.

He whispered under his breath," I am sorry for your loss."

What were these words he had just spoken? It was like he was speaking a different language. I didn't understand. How could that be? He just stood there looking at me, tears running down my face as I held my sister closer than I ever had before. They were gone.

He spoke," I know how it feels." I glared at him, but softened my face and ask him what he meant. "I lost my father when I was a young boy, he was a fireman. I have taken over his job in memory of him. I was put in a foster home until the age of 17 and that's when I moved out and started living on my own. "

"What about your mother?" I asked.

His face turned pale," She died minutes after I was born."

I couldn't manage anything other than an apology. I was angry, but I felt somewhat thankful for him. He knew what it was like to lose everything.

"Do you have anywhere to stay?" He asked. I shook my head softly.

"All of our family died years ago. Both my parents were only siblings and my grandparents died years ago."

"Why don't you come with me and bring your sister along," he said.

"Where are we going?" I questioned.

"You will see when we get there!"

We arrived at an old brick house that had been renewed a few times. I could tell by the different colors of the bricks. The yard was green and there was an overgrown willow tree in the middle of the yard, which was unusual for a house in the city. Granted the house was located in the outskirts, but I hadn't seen a tree in a few blocks. We walked inside, and the smell of lemon sugar cookies filled the air. My mother had always baked them on rainy days when I was little and I couldn't go out to play, but when the rain stopped, I put on my raincoat and my boots and I played for hours in the mud puddles with a neighborhood friend. His name was William. He was practically my best friend when we lived in the city. He was the only reason we stayed because my parents knew how much I loved playing with him. He was the youngest boy in his family, although still a few years older than I was. There were rumors that he never had a mom, and I also heard that his dad died because a house collapsed on him, but that never bothered me. I loved playing with him anyways. Unfortunately, I went out to play with him one day in the summer to find a moving truck leaving his house. He never even told me goodbye when he left.

I sat down on the old recliner in the living room as I watched the man go into the back room and return soon after. He handed me a onesie that was practically the perfect fit for Annie. "My older brother brought his kids over and left the diaper bag." I thanked him.

"May I ask what your name is, sir?" I asked softly.

"Reagan, and you?" That name sounded so familiar, where did I know that name?

"Angel and this is Annie."

"I like it. They are both very pretty names for very beautiful girls," he laughed. At this point, I was blushing like a little school girl. I had always been too busy with school to ever realize the boys at my school and now this gorgeous man steals my attention and I do not know what to say, think, or react.

"I am going to heat up some left-overs. Are you allergic to anything, Angel?"

"Um, no. Not that I know of," I stumbled. He went into the kitchen and I heard a microwave running. I could smell chicken and man did it smell great.

"Come sit over here with me," he assured. I walked over to a small table that had two plates of Chicken-Alfredo served on them and a bowl of applesauce in a high-chair.

"How sweet," I thought.

We ate dinner as we small talked here and there, laughing when Annie got excited about the "airplane." Afterward, Reagan showed me to a small, blue room with a clashing gold carpet. There were only a bed and a small nightstand to set Annie's sippy cup on. I lay down with her next to me, but far enough away that my tears wouldn't reach her. I cried and cried that night. I was scared for myself and Annie, the police would surely going to track us down soon.