Under the Fence

12: Mothers and Brothers

Tara

Day 6

I felt the crisp fall wind whipping through my hair and slapping me in the face. The leaves crunching beneath my feet caused animals to run and hide.

"Cam!"

I felt something-someone grab my shoulder. I spun my head around to see no one. Not that I could see very well anyway. The big moon shined down over the woods next to Maple Park, the woods that I'm in right now. I heard a weak voice say, "Tara." so I chased where the sound came from.

Even though the moon moves so slowly, I swear that every time I looked up it was in a different place, as though the woods warped time, trapping you in an endless race to escape the unescapable.

When I looked down for the last time, my feet were next to the source of the sound.

A dying Cam.

I let out a sob as she took in a deep breath of the fresh air that smelled of pine. Her chest heaved, but her breathing slowed down until it came to a complete stop.

Racing against the clock, I put my ear up to her chest to hear one last, single heartbeat. While her heart was silent, mine pounded like the sound of an African drum, the sound pulsing through the forest. But instead of sweet and rhythmic, a defective drum. One that could retire at any second.

I closed Cam's eyes and kissed her on the cheek. As i was standing up, Cam made a noise.

"Tara." she said.

"Tara!"

"TARA!"

She stood up and started shaking my shoulders.

"What?' I said as the image faded and I saw my mom shaking my shoulders. I was in a cold sweat. Panting as if I had just ran a mile. Plus, not to mention the tears running down my face.

"We have an appointment at Tides in 30 minutes! The building is 25 minutes away! I thought you set your alarm for 8:30!" My mom screamed in my face with a frown.

I looked at her with an emotionless face. I yawned and said, "You thought wrong."

"Why didn't you set it?" She demanded.

"It's probably because I love Tides SO VERY MUCH." I yelled.

My mom pointed at me and then the door.

I quickly slipped out and then said to my mom, "By the way, if you do your makeup this morning, don't use blush."

"Why?" she asked looking very annoyed.

"Because your face is the color of a tomato right now and if you add any more red people will start thinking that you're a stop sign when you walk along the road." I sprinted faster than I think I ever have in my life into my bedroom.

Looking through my clothes I realized I had no more shorts. Well, that's what happens when I don't do my laundry (ever). The only bottoms I had were a white skirt with a leafy print all over it. I refuse to wear a dress so I guess this will have to do for now.

I pulled it on and cringed at the sight if something other than jean shorts. Then, I pulled on my baggy camp tee from Camp Bamboo and paired all of that with my sneakers.

As soon as I walked out of my room my mom looked at me with a face as if she had just smelled a granny fart passing through an onion. Or tasted something sour.

"You can't wear a baggy tee shirt and sneakers with a skirt." She said distastefully.

"Sorry. It's the only bottoms I have." I said as I stepped onto the stairs and grabbed the railing.