My mom always told me that the best seashells are the ones everyone looks over and tosses back because they hold the most stories, the prettiest patterns. Most everyone looks for the perfect ones, only cause everyone strives for perfection, and to just hold it is close enough. The ones with cracks or a hole are just like them, and no one wants to be reminded of the imperfection in themselves. I remember always picking up the broken shells, because they were exactly like me, imperfect. I used to always believe I was a seashell in the world. Broken and tossed around by the waves of society. Until one person found me perfectly imperfect.
That thought was long gone after my mom disappeared. One night her and my dad went out to settle some problems over a drink or two. My dad came home with his shirt half up and down. Lipstick all over is collar and no mom. He always talked about how she was different than everyone else. All he wanted was a normal family to live with. Being in a small town, of Windham, your reputation sticks with you. My dad was embarrassed by ours, as the creepy family who lived in the house at the end of the street. I guess maybe if he got rid of her, that reputation wouldn't stick with him.
He passed out on the couch muttering words of some lady name, Lisa. All I remember was sobbing into my pillow at night in my room at the age of 7. The stuffed animals I called my friends at the end of my bed watching me, unable to help. The moon was so dark that night, like our families love. My dad the next day made no notion to search for my mom and I had no intention of staying any longer in a home I wasn't cared for, smart for a 7 year old, but I did think differently than most people.
I came down that morning, to find him still on the couch. Legs sprawled all over the green fabric. A line of drool came out of his mouth. I revolted him and wish he would die in his drunken wasteland. Their room was wide open and bare. The maroon sheets were perfectly straight and in order. Pillows undisturbed and straight. Accents of gold and maroon all over the place. On the cabinet next to my moms side of the bed was her jewelry box. A small wooden case of dark wood and simple handles.
Something of her, I need just one thing. My little hands lifted up as high as they could to the top of the box. I rummaged over pearls and chains. There was only one necklace I needed. It was silver and had a locket at the end. The picture in the middle was what I wanted, it was of our family, well without my dad. My only memory of her for a while. I pulled it out and tucked it in my dress pocket.
The door shut quietly behind me and I took one more look at my father. Disgusted I walked towards the front door and was almost out when my father groaned and opened his eyes a little. He snorted and rubbed his tan crooked nose. I froze in my spot and and tried to remain as quiet as possible. My eyes were locked on my fathers movement. A snort here and he passed right back out.
A sigh escaped me, and I opened the door quickly as I shut it. The cool morning air whipped at my face as I darted down the sidewalk, past Ms. Gulligans house and her freshly cut lawn and hydrangeas. Past the blue house no one ever lived in. Its tall frame towered above any other house on the street. All the white lining was chipped and moldy.
I kept on walking past the park, and almost made it to the mall until a police officer walked up to me. His mustache was soaked by coffee and he had a smile on his face that was as fake as his hair.
"Hi there little girl whats your name?" His voice was deep and raspy. It was kind of scary if you ask me.
"Amber." I stated back and wondered where he would take me, back home? Jail? His smile remained on his face as he dialed something on his phone.
"And where does Amber live?" I looked down at my feet and tried to think of somewhere that was far from my house, where my dad would never care to look for a 7 year old. My eyes wandered back to the police officers. His badge stuck out against his navy uniform. He expected an answer and I had to give him one.
"Foster home." My innocent eyes looked around at the car that would've taken me home, if I didn't think on top of my feet. My brown curls got in my face and I wiped them away with my tiny little hands. The officer took my hand and led me to the car. He put me in the back seat. I rubbed the leather seat and stared out the window. Watching house after house pass as we drove along the road. He stopped at a rustic red looking house at the edge of the city I guess.
The side door opened and he gestured my way out. The sidewalk was too long to walk, would they take me, or would I go back. My hands began to become clammy and I entwined my fingers to hide the sweat. The officer rang the door bell on the big wooden door. Heels were clicking behind them and the lady who opened them looked like, color threw up on her.
That curly red hair matched perfectly with the house as did her lipstick. Its was in a dot on her lips as she pursed them. Her body was covered in a red fur coat that had yarn fringe. Okay, so not color, but red. Red, all red. She looked down on me with eyes that could pierce you. With a flip of her hair she walked right past us to a red sedan on the other side of the street. Shocking.
Another lady quickly followed behind her. Her small slim figure was greeted with a slim face and black hair. A smile was greeted and she pulled her hair to the side. Brown eyes added to the niceness of her looks. She looked from me to the officer expecting something to be said. Finally the officer cleared his throat.
"I believe Miss Amber got out and made it all the way to the mall Miss Higgins. What do you have to say for yourself?" The police officer demanded. Miss Higgins looked stunned for a minute and looked right at me. I pleaded with my eyes and hoped for the best she got the message. I squeezed my hands together to keep them from clamming up.
"I need a knew fence." She smiled and picked me up. "Come on Amber. Its nap time." The door was shut in the officers face and she set me down. "So Amber, what brings you here?" I explained the whole thing. I surprised her by not crying, I even surprised myself, I had officially lost my childhood.
As she carried me up the stairs in her fragile arms she bumped to door open with her free hip, of course, and brought me in to a free musty room. Well almost free, there was one other little boy resting on a cot right by the window. His blonde shaggy hair falling over his peaceful, resting face. Just a hint of freckles dotting his face, which in turn later, grew darker as years passed. Little did I know, he would be my best friend for years to past.
But at that moment in time the only thought that occured to me was that this boy wasn't all he looked to be, and that there was something much more to him. And yet to this day I've never figured it out, what his dirty little past was. We all have one, especially us orphans, or as he refers to it, fosters in the making.
Miss Higgins quickly dressed me in some over used pjs that were too big for my small, skinny body. As the rags slipped off my body, I crawled into the tiny cot on the opposite side of the room to try and forget everything that had happened that night.
Sadly, dreams can only take away so much pain.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Yeah, I know Amber's a little, well mature for a 7 year old, a little smarter too. But it all makes since! Haha, this is more like a flash back of her life. Next chapter, it'll be the present.
~bbubble_dance
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Gifted - SERIOUS EDITING, REVISION, and other writer stuff GOING ON!
Teen Fiction"16 years old?" He laughed maliciously as he stood across the deck. "Why are you so hard to kill?" Snapping at me I could tell he was growing impatient and angry. But what could I do, I'm nothing special? He's right, I'm only 16 years old. Nothing...
