Home Calling (girlxgirl) ON HOLD

Prologue

This day was no different than any other of summer 1986. Sun was high in the horizon smoldering everything in the grasp of its intense rays. There was no breeze, not even the uncomfortable hot one to facilitate breathing, humid air was nearly suffocating. Housewives, children and elderly retreated in their houses, and working people closed themselves in their offices or shops. Streets were deserted with no being, human or otherwise in sight. Only noise was that of an occasional car that would drive through the seemingly abandoned town before speeding away as if wanting to get away as soon as possible. 

Catherine was sitting on the porch, her back slumped against the wooden rail, as she picked her split ends absentmindedly. She breathed in heavily, feeling dampness on her neck under the mane of her long, dark hair. Restless and bored in this weather and town, Catherine didn't know what to do with herself. She couldn't focus on anything, it was too hot even to think. She wished she could take a long refreshing shower but she knew her parent's wouldn't appreciate of her spending too much water rations. 

Stretching her slender limbs on the porch, she strained her ears for any sound. Maybe I could count the number of cars I hear passing. After a couple of minutes of deafening silence she realized even that was futile. There was really nothing she could do in this place.

She didn't have a job because the town was too darn small and she had to wait for the current working force to either retire or die. However, her father pestered her about working at his butcher shop but she'd rather kill herself than chop bloody severed animal pieces up.

She didn't even have crappy school to look forward to since she finished it this spring. She didn't apply to any colleges because her parents couldn't afford it so basically her future seemed as grey as her life was right now. 

Catherine was aware of mediocrity of her life, but she was  too absorbed in self-pity to actually step up and do something about it. She rather spent her days checking her split ends, counting cars in the distance and mope around. 

"Hey Cat."  small voice in the distance called onto her. Catherine turned her head her lips stretching in a small smile as a young girl jumped effortlessly over the torn down fence that divided their yards. She hopped over to the porch as she sat herself beside Catherine.

"Whatcha doin?" girl asked her, her bright green eyes looking innocently at Catherine.

"Nothing, contemplating ways to off myself." Catherine said chuckled. Dark humor has always been her forte. She sighed and smiled softly after seeing the girl pouting at her unhappily.

"Oh no Cat, don't you dare do that. What would I do without you?" the girl said still pouting adorably, and attempted to wrap her small arm around Catherine's  shoulder. 

Catherine chuckled at the childish honesty that resonated in Emily's words. "Okay, but only for you, you little nuisance." the older haired girl shrugged playfully Emily's arm off her shoulders as it was too hot and her skin started getting sticky from the touch. 

Emily was her little neighbor, and in a way Catherine looked on her as on her own little sister. She didn't have any siblings but she supposed Emily was as closest to being one. Catherine knew her since she was born and held great affection for the pretty young girl. Emily was always on her tail, following her like a little puppy.

"So what did you get me for my birthday, huh huh?" Emily poked Catherine in the shoulder repeatedly. 

"That's a surprise." Catherine wiggled her eyebrows and couldn't help but smile at Emily's facial expression. She was pouting yet again before furrowing her brows seriously and exclaiming, "It better be something cool since I am turning thirteen, so please no teddy bears and crap like that."

"Ain't we modest?" Catherine chuckled at the girls exuberance. "I got you something cool don't worry. And no cussing." 

Emily grinned happily at Catherine wrapping her skinny arms around her again. 

"Catherine." a shout followed by a loud footsteps dispelled the tranquility both girls fell in. Catherine turned around only to see her father slamming the safety net open, his big belly entering her field of vision first. His receding hair stuck to his temples, and big circles of sweat decorated his semi-filthy white wife-beater. 

"Go buy me some beer. I'm thirsty." he ordered her, flicking bill of five dollars in her direction.

"It's too hot outside, I will die in this heat. Do you realize how far is the shop?" Catherine begrudgingly said.

He grabbed her roughly by her forearm pulling her on her feet. "I don't care." he snarled in her face his stale breath causing her stomach to churn in disgust. 

"No.

You can go yourself." Catherine defied him again.

The swing of his palm buzzed in the air split second before it met with her pale white cheek. Biting her lip in an effort not to cry out, Catherine grabbed the bill from the patio, before running away in anger. 

She slammed the loose wooden fence hard, last image engraving in her face was sad face of her little friend, her little fists clenched in helplessness.

It took her half an hour to get to the shop. Her skin was shinning with perspiration. She was thirsty and tired. Most of all she was angry and frustrated with the pointlessness of her own existence. She grabbed the pack of beers from the fridge, leaving it open a bit longer than needed to cool herself down. 

She paid for the beer, and on her way out she slammed hard into someone. 

"Excuse me." she mumbled in embarrassment and surprise before looking at the woman. The sight before stopped her dead in her tracks. An inexplicable surge of energy cursed through her being.

The woman was a tad taller than Catherine. Her dark hair was in an immaculate ponytail accentuating her feminine facial features. She was wearing a camouflage military uniform, her sleeves rolled all the way to her elbows. Her pants were neatly tucked in shiny black combat boots.

Catherine gawked at the woman in awe. She had never seen a soldier that was a woman. Of course she knew of such a thing, through television mostly, but the concept was so abstract to her that it rendered her completely speechless at this very moment. Her small town mentality shaped her in a way to think that only certain social roles were acceptable for women. She was to marry a man one day, probably in a church, give him children, take care of them, and maybe have some menial job...if she was lucky. Looking at this woman now was like a whole new world of possibilities opened up for her.

"What? Never seen a woman soldier huh?" the woman smirked at her knowingly, causing Catherine to blush in embarrassment. 

"I'm sorry." she apologized in a rush as she came to her senses and squeezed besides the stranger getting back out to the hellish heat.

After a few feet, she stopped and turned around, just in time to see the soldier entering her car and driving away. Catherine pursed her lips in thought, squinting after the car that was disappearing in the horizon.  The image of that lady was burned in her mind. Her tall figure radiated authority and strength, yet at the same time she was so feminine and beautiful. In Catherine's mind those two rarely went together. After all, her entire life she observed and was taught submissiveness and obedience as a member of a weaker sex. The stories she heard of strong, empowered women were just that. Stories. Abstract and faraway concepts.

But now as she was standing there on the side of the road under the scorching sun Catherine Summers experienced the moment of clarity. The sense of purpose instilled in her being for the very first time in her life. She would strive towards the abstract and eventually make it into her own, palpable reality.