Remnant Of The Gods

Chapter 9

Driving home I started to form my plan of escape to get back to the cemetery by myself. How to do it without Simon noticing. What time to leave, how to travel, where to go. I didn't realise that I didn't even know the name of cemetery and quickly looked at any sign as we drove away to help me locate it again. With my recently gained funds coming in handy, I didn't have to walk the whole way there when I wanted to come back and that was a comforting thought. Whilst the issue of money was preemptively taken care of, I still needed to come up with the rest of the plan.

Walking inside my house I was returned to the real world where my suitcase lay half-packed on my bed and the rooms around the house were laiden with furniture covered in sheets. I began to slowly fold what was left so it fit better in my suitcase and looked around my room. I remembered how Mary would comb through my hair by the vanity, how she would get fussy over anything spilling out of my chest of drawers with her hands on her hips trying to be intimidating.

I could hear Simon murmuring to someone on the phone as he had been doing since we got home this afternoon. With his head cocked to the side to hold the phone he placed sheets over all of the furniture to help keep away the dust and although I knew I would be returning, it seemed like my life was shutting down. I kept my chin up with the prospect of visiting what I had used to call home and found a small comfort in the fact that Simon would remain with me until I was eighteen.

I hauled my suitcase up, off of my bed and dragged it to the door of my bedroom looking back longingly at each of the memories I had here. Laying the sheet over the bed and flicking off the light, I met with Simon in the hallway as he took the heavy suitcase and carried it downstairs for me, his own already loaded onto the truck. I doubt he had even unpacked in the few weeks he had stayed. He only ever felt truly at home at the foster house from living there nearly all of his life.

I almost laughed at the look of regret he seemed to have at leaving Tony's expansive movie collection behind, I'd have to remember to give him some for Christmas. We went around to check each of the rooms before we left and it was well into the night by the time we finally left. It was about an hour or two to get to the foster home, far enough away to remove any sense of familiarity I had hoped for. I was only seven when I had left and due to the foster system I wasn't allowed to visit Sandra or Simon when I was adopted. Everyone had believed in a clean break.

A lot had changed since I had left, most of the buildings around the foster house were falling to pieces, aging with time with some already bulldozed and ready for new developments. My heart sank as I tried in vain to remember the happy-go-lucky neighbourhood I had grew up in but all I could see was the constant gloominess that currently surrounds me.

"We're here kiddo." Simon interrupted and left the car running while he opened the gates. We slowly drove up to the front and there I saw Sandra, practically buzzing with excitement. She looked like the one ray of sunshine amongst the clouds even with tears silently sliding down her face.

Clicking my seatbelt free before the car had even stopped, I jumped out of the car and into her arms as she ran to me and held me. She squeezed me so tightly, just like she had all those years ago when we thought we would never see each other again. I hadn't realised how much I had missed her, or Mary, until I was held like this- with this much love. My heart thudded in my chest as I knew if I didn't pull it together Sandra wouldn't be the only one crying.

"Oh my little girl, my little Lexie!" Sandra cried on my shoulder, patting my head, my neck, my arms, "I never thought I'd see you again my beautiful girl, oh just look at you!"

She pushed me back to arms length and rushed to pat down my hair that had moved an inch or two in every direction. Her eyes shone while they studied me as if I would disappear again at the drop of a hat and I hugged her again.