Fire & Water & Earth & Air

6: Earth

Annabel

           Even though it started out awful, tonight turned out alright.

           Actually, it turned out better than alright. I made a friend and found out I'm not alone. On my way back home, all I can do is smile.

           Tonight turned out perfect.

           Upon arriving to my front door, I take a deep breath and twist the knob.

           It's locked. Of course it is....

           I ring my doorbell and wait for someone to open, which never happens. I go around back, try to open the back door, and find that that one is locked too. I groan and bang my head against the door. I pull my phone out and dial my mom's phone number. It goes straight to voice mail so I try my dad's number. After he doesn't answer a couple of times, I decide to bang my head against the door again.

            Lastly, I try calling my sister's number, half hoping she answers and half hoping she doesn't. To my [half] relief, she doesn't. I sigh and slide down the door, bring my knees up, and hug them to my chest. I'll just sit here until my parents get home.

           Eventually, I fall asleep there, on the floor in my backyard.

           I wake up with a hurting back. The sun is already watching over the world. Did they ever arrive?

           I walk to the front yard after trying the back door, which is still locked. I give the front door a push but it doesn't budge. I look around, hoping they left a window open even though I checked yesterday and the answer was negative.

            I look to my left, my right, everywhere. Then I see something I didn't pay much mind to last night. Every car we own is parked in the driveway. I touch the hood of every one, noticing how they're cold despite the heat. In other words, the cars have been here all night.

           Holding back tears of frustration, I knock on the door.

           No answer.

           I ring the doorbell, then again, then again. I fist up my hand and bang it on the door, knocking loud. Finally, I hear my mother's voice yelling, "We heard the first time, Anne!" through the door.

           I bite my lip to stop myself from saying something mean. Instead, I take in a deep breath and begin counting to one hundred. I get to seventy one before she opens the door. Her artificially red hair is sticking to her head so I can't take her scowl seriously. "Why are you getting home so late?" she asks, one hand on a hip and the other holding open the door.

           Seventy-two, seventy-three, seventy-four....

           "I got here last night. I rang the doorbell, called everyone's phone, and knocked. You didn't answer."

            "Well, why didn't you use your key? I thought I raised you to be smarter than this."

            Seventy-five, seventy-six, seventy-seven....

            "Mom," my voice is much calmer than I feel, "You don't trust me with a key to the house, remember?" Her eyes just narrow on me and she pushes the door farther open. "Get in. And take a shower you smell like dirt."

           Seventy-eight, seventy-nine, eighty....

           "Will do, Mom."