Deep Down

2

Song: Mindset's A Threat- Rage Against The Machine

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Waking up is hard. Harder even, than a forty year old virgin's dick during sundress season.

I grunt into my pillow in anger knowing I have shit to do today, places to be people to see. I drag myself out of bed, grabbing my bathroom items on my way out the door. I have an urge to laze around all day in my sweatpants, but as I said before, I'm a busy woman. I say good morning to my mother who I see through her bedrooms open door. I tell her of my plans to track down Garner so I won't be a social outcast in two days when I re-enter the life of high school. She thinks it's a 'marvelous and almost devious' plan. After ditching my glasses in favor of contacts, I dress in a long sleeved shirt under a T-shirt and black jeans ripped at the knee. It's chilly here and I don't want to freeze my tits off.

I find my dad down in the kitchen, conversing with my grandmother. I note that Myana must be off to school, not having to worry about mid-term exams the way Garner and his friends do. My mom told me that they have two days off between every exam. It's been that way since she was an angsty teen living here as well. That is not how it works in my town, lemme tell ya.

"Eat, eat," Gran shoves a bowl of what looks like brains and mud under my nose. "I'm not touching that with a ten foot poll," I step away from the chemical waste.

"It's haggis- haggis is good for the soul my dear as well as the boobs... Not that you need any help," she winks at me and my father decides to put a stop to her shenanigans. Dad and I exchange a look before I grab my jacket and turn to the back door. "Garner Simmons still lives five minutes away, doesn't he?" I ask my Gran as I zip up my jacket.

She seats herself at the stool nearest to me. "Yes dear, but I must warn you... he's been different lately. Someone you should steer clear of. There's something changing in that house; something changing in the town that I've become wary of," her voice has lowered. I reel at her sudden change of mood.

"I don't understand..." I squint my eyes.

"I suppose it's just me and my paranoid hormones dear. You'll see for yourself but otherwise, have fun," she brushes off her suspicions with a skill that I do not posses. I badly want to know what Garner Simmons has gotten himself into, my mind immediately tells me it's drugs. But I fear that there's way worse things in the world than drugs.

I exit the house with my earphones and a rain jacket. The heavy door slams behind me as I observe the misty atmosphere around me. Gran's backyard is bigger than my future, bigger than Amon's ego. The field is beautiful on sunny days, with wild flowers and grass as green her eyes. But today it just looks dull. The grass; not having been mowed in a while, has turned into a thicket of weeds up to my ankles. It's seems it will take me a lot of trekking to get through the field and onto the path. So I begin my adventure.

I drum my fingers on my thigh as I listen to the bass of a song on my phone, imagining myself as the star of a music video with this striking atmosphere. I forget about my grandmother's warning on Garner and his sweet family and start thinking about my friends. A month is way too long, what if they forget me?

I scrunch my nose in distaste, reminding myself that I am unforgettable.

I'm finally through the knee length grass and have come upon the entrance to the forest. The dirt pathway is a lot rougher than it was the last time I took it, when I must have been twelve or thirteen. Five years of no use has left the trail almost unusable. Almost, but I am not a quitter. I push a branch to the side as I step onto the path, the deep green trees laughing at my struggle. I stick my tongue out to whoever might be watching, though all I see is a misty dream-like forest.