It Was Just a Dare

The Dare

[20 August, 2008]

Seven year old Anna Thorne skipped around the patio of her backyard awaiting the guests of her birthday. Her beautiful blond haired mother was just inside the glass sliding doors of the kitchen as she was finishing up the decor on the colorful and extravagant cake.

The twins slapped their muddied hands into the glass door and started to make smiley faces with party hats as a way of saying 'happy birthday!' to their older sister. However, in annoyance, Anna took a few steps back and knocked over her best friend, Scott Russo.

His back hit the grass first and his head just barely tapped the ground after, Anna caught herself midair before she fell on top of Scott which would have snagged her tights on the rocky pavement just beside him. Adam and Alec raced over to see the accident that they did not mean to cause and quickly ran and hid under the picnic table once they made eye contact with their mom that was opening the door.

"Anna? Scott?" Her raspy voice called out to the children. "Alec? Adam?"

The best friends crawled in the grass to reach the twins, "Shh! Mom won't find us here. Grownups never look under anything because they're too tall."

As if on cue the tablecloth was lifted up by a tan hand, "Come on, this party is getting started!"

Anna rolled out from under the wooden structure and stood up in a matter of seconds. Her mom eyed her tights up and when she looked down she saw a massive grass-stain on her white stockings.

Anna's Mom shrugged it off and grabbed her hand softly leading her inside where the freshly frosted cake sat with seven candles poking out in many directions. The other three children raced inside just as Robert, Anna's dad, was lighting the candles with his cigarette lighter.

The young blonde girl stood in amazement as her family and close friends sang and the hot wax slowly started to drip from the candle.

"And many more!" The group cheered and a few applauded.

She smiled and a few giggles left her before her head slightly turned to the right as she filled her mouth with as much air that she could fit and formed her mouth into an o-shape, with enough force and blew out all but one candle. She repeated once more and the aflame candle was no more.

"What'd you wish for?" Scott whispered in her ear as the two walked to the table and the parents were dishing the cake and ice cream.

"I don't think I should tell you," she responded.

Scott put his hands up, trying to announce that he was confused, "Why?"

"Because—" she trailed off.

Scott's eyes grew big and red blood vessels started to appear almost as if they were about to burst, "if you don't tell me I will never blink again!"

"Fine, fine," she said, unsuccessfully attempting to roll her dark brown eyes. "I wished for a baby sister, but since I just told you, it won't happen."

Scott looked at his best friend and watched as her beautiful features turned into a frown, "don't be sad, everything happens for a reason. If God wants you to have a little sister, then he would do it, but maybe he knows that you and then the twins are just too much for your parents."

Anna's head lifted slightly and a small, but sincere, smile crept on to her face, "ok," was all she said before the parents brought the food to the children's table.

After everyone was finished eating, Anna grabbed Scott's light brown hand and pulled him outback. Her mother, Karen, wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, "Don't go too far, stay within my view!"

The children nodded just as Adrianna, Scott's mom, told the same to him.

"Let's go to the tree!" Scott insisted.

Anna shrugged, "I don't know, mom said not to go too far and we can barely see her from over there. And besides . . . I still need to open my presents."

"You have the rest of the day to 'open presents' and right now we're playing to let's go!" Scott insisted and playfully dragged her to their tree.

After almost a half hour of imaging Scott was a prince from France and Anna was a princess in England, the two noticed a hurt teenager stumbling his way into the their open backyard.

Anna tucked a strand of her blonde hair behind her pale ear and carefully made her way down the large tree that was just her tower. She rushed toward the boy leaving Scott confused on the grass many feet away.

"Are you okay?" Anna asked the male, "You look hurt, you should see a doctor."

The teenager responded, "I'll be okay," and got down on one knee and placed both hands on her shoulders. Anna, with a worried look on her face, did the same but placed her hands on his cheeks.

"I'll go get my mom," she said as the blood was dripping down from below his eye.

She turned to leave but his hand grabbed her upper arm and forcefully brought her to his chest and his other hand was clasped over her mouth. Scott noticed what had happened and started running to the man, however he was kicked back and his head hit the ground causing him to lose sight of his best friend that was thrown into the backseat of a red automobile.

Scott quickly sat up and placed a hand on his sore head, "Mom! Karen! Bob! Help!"

In a matter of seconds the three parents rushed out of the house and was by his side, the young twins attempting to catch up.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Adrianna asked her seven year old son not aware of what just happened, "Did you hit your head?"

"I'm fine!" He yelled agitated.

"Then what's wrong?" Karen asked trying to get the sobbing boy to say what happened.

Between cries he said, "S-so-some guy . . . took . . . A-A-Anna . . ."

Karen caught her husbands eye and fell into his arms and began sobbing as well. Adrianna ran inside, passing the blonde haired twins, and dialed the police on the wired phone.

1045 | unedited