Magicals

Chapter 2

Arabella

Opening the door was suddenly a scary thing for me. It was almost as if I was opening up the past, going back to the girl I use to be and I didn't want that. As soon as the door was open Luna and Poe dash inside despite the fact that it was pitch black. Dad had closed the blinds and curtains, carefully making my way into the room I felt around to my left for where my nightstand and lamp should be. "Ouch!" found it as I rammed my thigh into the corner of the nightstand, that's going to leave a mark. After a little time and a lot of noise I find the lamp switch. Light floods the room and suddenly I feel like I'm 10 years old again. This is exactly the room I had wanted then. Brown and turquoise flowered bedding and rich brown walls with turquoise fleur de lis boarding the top of the wall. My wood desk is to the right of me it's still cluttered with my stereo and a bunch of papers from homework that I never got to finish. The door beside my desk would lead to my walk in closet which probably has my old clothes that are much too big for me now inside. The room dips into a cubby from there, a full length mirror stands in the right corner at a diagonal, and across from it in the left corner is my chocolate brown leather easy chair. I remember begging for the chair because I wanted a place to read. When sitting in the chair you look out an overly large window and see Garrett's house from there. He had the whole third floor to himself because he had bribed Evan to let him have the attic. Glancing out the window I can see the house but there are no lights on in what used to be his room. I can't help but wonder if it still is.

Continuing my walk down memory lane I pass by the bathroom and go to the large bookcase next to it. It's over loaded with books. You can see the shelves bowing if you look closely. No matter where I'm living at in the world my book case would always look the same, Edgar Allan Poe, William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Emily Bronte to name a few. The final piece of furniture in my room is one that I almost want to try and avoid looking at. My dresser, I sigh inwardly as I look to my left wall and see the multiple picture frames. Making my way towards them I feel my legs begin to shake. Taking a deep breath I pick up the first frame, white with gold glitter, Dad and I and The Hangout music festival when I was eight. Mom took this picture and I remember her laughing because we were so sunburned.

Putting it back I find my hand moving to the next, silver and black polka dot frame, my brother Amadeus and I at Mobile Bay on a summer day. If you look at the background you can see the storm clouds brewing. Amadeus looked exactly like my dad with the exception of his eyes. He had moms green eyes. Studying the picture I keep trying to figure out where it all went wrong. When did he decide to become a dark magical? Why would he even want to? Shaking my head I place the frame back down, asking questions that I'll never get answers to will do me no good now.

I almost skip the next because it's just too hard but I find myself wanting to remember another good time so I pick up the hot pink frame that says 'love' on it. It's from mom and dad's wedding day. They had just cut the cake, laughing and staring into one another's eyes. Dad always looked at mom like she was the only light in the room. He once told me that she was his angel and he'd be lost without her. Remembering him saying that breaks my heart in a whole new way.

Grabbing the next, panda bear frame, I see myself and mom staring at the camera, big smiles and green eyes. Of course, mine are hidden behind those horrendous glasses but you can still see the green peeking out. Mom took the picture of us on my 11th birthday at Domachelli's. I didn't really want to take the picture because I hadn't felt too good but she smiled and sang to me and suddenly all was right in the world. I had sat beside her and smiled while she snapped the picture.

Skimming the next picture, a dark wood frame, I see a picture I took at one of our family bbq's. The Freeman's and my family always had bbq's and for some reason I had decided to take a picture of everyone. Mom and dad are laughing at something Wayne said while Kathy is covering her mouth from laughing so hard. Garrett is getting a piggy back ride from Evan and Amadeus has his arm around Makayla's waist and is kissing the top of her forehead. This was the "mistake" picture as they called it. I had managed to get one where everyone was looking and smiling at the camera but I never felt like it really captured our lives. This did, it was real, it was happy, it was love and it was life.