When Life Gives You Lemons

4. Abandoned

<P>Tears began streaming uncontrollably down my face. I became weak in the knees and dropped to the floor. I didn't want to get up, I just wanted to stay here and cry until I physically couldn't anymore. I wanted to die. I wanted this to be a nightmare I could wake up from.  </P>

<P>But it wasn't. This was as real as real could get. Everything in the house was gone. There was no resemblance that anybody had lived here except for the lack of dust left behind.  </P>

<P>I curled up into the fetal position in the doorway and screamed with pain and depression. My tears pooled on the floor and soaked my hair and clothes.  </P>

<P>My parents had given up on me. Abandoned me to fend for myself.  </P>

<P>Jack rushed to my side. He knelt beside me and shook me to snap out of it, but I couldn't. Instead, I wheeled up and wrapped my arms tightly around his neck for comfort and warmth.  </P>

<P>He embraced me, too, not as hard, but enough that I knew he meant it. He slid his arm under my knees and cradled me in his arms.  </P>

<P>He carried me through the house, showing me what was left. It wasn't much, only everything that belonged to me was still here.  </P>

<P>He carried me upstairs to my bedroom, where everything was as it had been this morning with the exception of all my dirty or questionable clothes were washed and folded on my bed.  </P>

<P>A white envelope sat on the stack of folded clothes. Jack, with me still in his arms, moved the clothes onto my desk and picked up the envelope.  </P>

<P>He laid down on my bed with me curled around and on top of him. He handed me the envelope and I wiped away my tears before taking it from him. I opened it and pulled out the letter inside.  </P>

<P><EM>Dearest Sarah</EM>, it read.  </P>

<P><EM>We are deeply sorry to have done this, but we felt it was the right thing to do. The expenses from your various treatments have been constantly growing to the point that we could barely afford necessities.  </EM></P>

<P><EM>Hopefully someone else will be able to give you the proper care you need to succeed in the world.  </EM></P>

<P><EM>We love you, and hope you will forgive us someday,  </EM></P>

<P><EM>Mom & Dad  </EM></P>

<P>I crumpled up the letter and tossed it across the room. It didn't help at all and I began to cry more furiously than ever before.  </P>

<P>Jack held me tight, whispering in my ear that everything was going to be okay, even though I knew it wouldn't be. My parents were gone, and all I had left was a stupid letter.  </P>

<P>I didn't want to stay awake in this nightmare. I cried until my eyes rolled back and my mind slipped into a deep sleep. It was the only escape I had, but even my mind wasn't safe.  </P>

<P>Memories haunted me. I could try to will them away, but all efforts were useless. I was trapped in the backlash of my own life. </P>

<P>I awoke in a strange room by sunlight flooding through the window onto my face. I sat up slowly and rubbed my eyes, as I was still half asleep.  </P>

<P>The room was small, much smaller than mine, with walls painted a dull military green. The sheets, comforter, and pillow cases on the bed were all black with grey pin striping on the comforter.  </P>