As I look out the window, the thought of leaving home finally for fills me. I know I must leave but I can’t stand to think about what will happen to the place if I do. As I start to pack my suitcase I think about how this all happened.
I think about the day where I was sitting at the dining table looking at my dad. He looked very red in the face making his brown hair look like it wasn’t even there. I try to read what his lips are saying but I can’t seem to work it out. He then looks at me with a forced smile but he can’t hide his tears from me. As he goes to turn around I hear him say the word ‘boarding school’ into the phone. ‘Boarding school. What bout it’? I think to myself while cautiously leaving my mind to see if he has hung up the phone.
‘I don’t need to go to boarding school and neither does Dan. We’re perfectly fine here at home.’ As I look up I see him hang up the white phone and look at the wall. I wait for about two minutes and then he finally turns around. “Dad what was all that about?” I ask looking at his tearful eyes. He looks at me pauses and then says “The state government called. He said that you must attend boarding school for the next couple of years for your education. If you don’t he will stop sponsoring the farm.” I feel my face going red. I look around the room for somewhere to hide but I can’t see one. I look at him and ask, “So, did you say no? I mean you wouldn’t make me,” but before I can finish he says, “I couldn’t. I mean I love you but we need him to sponsor our farm. If he doesn’t we’ll have to sell and then be left on the streets.”
I look at him. I’m angry but also sad. I look outside; get out of my chair and storm off. “How could you?!?” I yell at him before running towards the door. As I get closer my brother appears. “Bree what’s the matter? Where are you going?” he asks looking at me with confusion. “Go away” I yell at him as I open the door and then quickly slam it behind me.
As I run, the adrenaline in my body is pumping. I quickly hop on my horse and start riding off towards the mountains. “I’m not going back,” I say to myself as I look at the sun. “Not to be sent away to boarding school.” When I finally make it I jump off my horse and then start to pat her so she calms down. “Calm down Calipso” I tell her.
She looks nervous and scared but I try to reassure her that she will be all right. After she settles down I go and sit down on one of the rocks as I start to brush my long brown hair with my fingers. I think about what happened and then tell myself ‘Maybe I did exaggerate a little.’ I then reply to myself by saying ‘But then again I don’t want to leave. I wouldn’t be able to survive if I did.’
After minutes of arguing with myself I decide to ride back home. I jump on Calipso and ride as fast as I can back home. As I come a few yards away I notice some fire fighters and police officers near the house. As I get closer I can see a massive fire inside the house. I quickly jump off Calipso and run towards the house but before I can make it a police officer stops me.
As I open my eyes I can see a black Ford car. I quickly pack the rest of my belongings and then look at my room for the last time before I leave. ‘I wonder why the fire saved my room as a sad memory of something that killed my dad and brother.’ I then think about what my mum would’ve done if she were me. It’s been hard living without her after she died of cancer four years ago. Although now it’s going to be even harder to be the only one from the Taylor family left on the mysterious planet called Earth.
As I walk out of my room and through the rubble of the house, I see a piece of paper with the words ‘Never stop believing in your dreams and beliefs.’ In the bottom corner of the page I see my mother’s signature. “I won’t stop believing in my dreams and beliefs,” I say to myself while kind of talking to my mum. “I promise.”
