Sometimes You Need To Let Down Your Hair

Chapter 15

       Everything was perfect. Lucas left a half-hour before mother was scheduled to come home, and he promised to come back the next day. Afterwards, mother came home, and everything was fine. Lucas had melted away my bad mood, so I actually talked to mother about my day. I left out all of the fun stuff though and told her about the boring schoolwork I had done. After eating dinner she let me walk outside in the backyard for a few minutes before making me go back to my room. 

       Then a routine began. Everyday I'd wake up, get ready, leave my room to eat breakfast, and then go back in. After that I'd read my textbooks and take notes until it was time for lunch. As soon as mother went back to work Lucas would come to my window and teasingly call "Willow, Willow, let down your long hair. Or the rope. That would probably work better." Then I would laugh and toss it out of my window, after making sure the knots were all tied tightly.

       As promised, Lucas brought a better way to watch Star Wars. Long story short, it was his laptop. I thought it probably wasn't a good idea to climb a rope with a laptop in his backpack, but I didn't complain. I was in love with Star Wars by the time Friday rolled around. We watched Star Wars under the windowsill while leaning against some fluffy pillows. It was nice. After watching Star Wars we'd talk and he'd leave before mother came home. 

       Then I'd eat dinner with mother, be locked back in my room, and stare at the ceiling until I fell asleep. I didn't like going to sleep. My reoccurring nightmares were more frequent, and something was unsettling about them. They seemed more real, and I heard the person in the front seat say "Calm down, everything will be alright." I couldn't make out the voice but I knew that everything was not alright. Every night my young self would blindly run toward the black vehicle, and every night I failed to run the other way. Then I'd scream as I was shoved into a stranger's car and buckled up.  I'd try to open the door, but I could never push it open. Then while it was happening, the somewhat familiar voice repeated "Calm down, everything will be alright," in an angry voice. Then I'd wake up crying before realizing I had escaped my nightmare.

       On Friday, Lucas and I watched the last of the Star Wars movies that were currently available to watch. Then we read books. He picked one off of my shelf that he thought 'looked the least boring' and I continued reading the Grimm's Fairy Tales book that I had found. Thursday night had been rough so I didn't sleep much. Then I had been stubborn and refused to take a nap all day despite how exhausted I felt. That's why, after watching a movie and reading a book sitting on comfy pillows under my windowsill, I finally fell asleep. 

      However, I ended up falling asleep and leaning on Lucas. From what I guessed, he didn't mind that much because he didn't wake me up for a half-hour. Apparently my nightmares had left me alone for awhile, but I ended up dreaming it anyway. Lucas said all a sudden I squealed in my sleep and yelled "let me go!" Then I started punching the air, so he was concerned and woke me up. Embarrassing right? When I woke up from the bad dream and Lucas explained what happened my cheeks were on fire. I apologized like seven times before he was able to say that it was okay. 

       After that Lucas and I talked about my reoccurring nightmare. I was kind of embarrassed of it, but we talked about it anyway. Then Lucas told me that if something traumatic happens you could have nightmares about it. That was definitely true in my case. Being kidnapped as a child certainly is traumatic. Something didn't make sense though. Every time I ran toward the vehicle, I was running from two strangers that seemed to know me very well. I assumed they were mother and my father, but they were split before I was that old. Also, Ruth would have had to been there too. Mother wouldn't have let her be somewhere without her I'm sure. Also, the people seemed different. I felt like I should know them, but I couldn't quite tell who they were. Maybe they were the ones who tried to kidnap me in the first place.

       After talking about that Lucas brought up my birthday. He said, "Willow when can I give you a gift for your birthday?"

       I knew mother would be home, so I told him that he could either give it to me now, late tomorrow night, early in the day, or a day late. Then he shrugged and told me that he'd only give me half of my present. Apparently the rest of it had to wait until my actual birthday, or it wouldn't be as special. He pulled a bracelet out of his pocket. It was a simple band with a few charms on it. It had a book, a hairbrush, and a paint palette with a paint brush. I was so happy that I gave Lucas a giant hug without thinking first. After I realized, I pulled away and blushed. I thought that I screwed up, but when I looked at Lucas, he seemed to be blushing too. Soon after he had to leave, and the rest of the day went on as usual.

       That was all yesterday. This morning I woke up with a smile painted across my face. I was now sixteen! I jumped out out bed and ran to my door to find that it was already unlocked. That made me even more happy. Finally my room wouldn't be a prison any longer, and Lucas and I could hang out somewhere else! I rushed to get ready, and then I ran downstairs to find mother making breakfast. The sight stopped me in my tracks, and made my eyes go wide. Mother usually doesn't cook at all. I do all the cooking, but there she was making me pancakes for breakfast. 

       Mother noticed me standing there and said, "Oh your up already? I was just making breakfast. I was going to get you up when it was finished." 

       "Oh, um. Okay. Thanks mom," I said as I went back upstairs to grab the book of fairy tales that I have been reading. Then I came back down and sat at the counter in the kitchen. Today had barely started, but I thought it would be awesome.