Breaking Dreams

chapter 1

The cold got more intense in the house. Or at least thats what mum called it. It wasn't a house, it was more of a shack. It wasnt even close to civilization. The city was at least half an hours drive from Aiston. That was where we lived. Going to high school from Aiston hadn't been an easy task. Infact it was tiring. Having to wake up as early as five in the morning to catch the school bus to being the last one dropped off was not encouraging for any student at all, especially me.

Forgive my manners, I didn't introduce myself. My name is Maddie Marie Veracruz. I'm sixteen, although I look twelve. People never forget to leave out that detail when describing me. It was painful at first but with time we all begin to adjust to things. I lived with my grandmother and mother in the shack, sorry house.

I was finally forced to stand up as the dry cold threatened to break every inch of my skin. I lifted the blinds and pulled the windows shut in a hurried manner. Mum and Grams had gone shopping for the day. They had to go into the city for this. Especially since the annual farmer's market was today but it never took this long. They were usually back before three in the afternoon. I bent my wrist in a bid to check the time on my watch. It was five. That wasn't a good sign, not even a bit. Anyone else would have been worried but not Maddie Veracruz. Mum mistaked my lackadaisical attitude for being selfish and I often got scolded for it. Not this time though, she wasn't home and I had this odd feeling that she won't be for a while.

I was starting to get pretty hungry but Grams usually took care of dinner while I locked the poultry. Yes, in case you were wondering, we own a farm. Not we. My grandparents. I never ascribed any of my parents or grandps belongings to myself as mum did because I believed it was utterly stupid. I entered our kitchen, or cooking area. It always smelled of mould and stale milk. It only contained a stove, one cabinet, a sink and a stool which was broken at the edge. I opened the cabinet to find anything to eat. All it contained was a half full packet of macaroni. I smiled in nostalgia at when grams had first cooked me mac and cheese. She preferred to use the natural source of cheese. The green cheese. I had wept bitterly that night as it went down my throat.

I emptied the contents of the packet into a water filled pot and sat on the stool in earnest, waiting for the mac to be ready. If only grams had gotten me the phone I asked for, I could have contacted them to know where exactly they were. But mum would have none of it. Not that I was getting worried or anything. I folded my arms across my chest and began whistling to keep them away from my thoughts. After all, out of sight is out of mind.

The mac finally boiled fully. I usually ate dinner with mum and grams but this night was different, even I knew it. I dished it into a platter and added some of the green cheese which was stored in a clay pot in the store. The supposed benefits of living on a farm. It wasn't as great as grams' but at least it was edible.

By the time I was done with dinner and had managed to do the dishes, I slumped on the couch and heaved a sigh of relief. It was more of a sigh of satisfaction than relief. It dawned again on me that I was alone and it was getting darker. The thought sent shivers down my spine. Aiston wasn't particularly a safe place. I bent my wrist for the third time that night. It was eight. I knew grams and mum weren't coming home tonight.