The World Outside My Window

Chapter 1

The house was dark and dreary, covered in years of unkept vines. Several windows were broken from boys daring each other to throw rocks at the house and the front door was slightly ajar on its hinges. The front porch, I imagine, used to be grand and lovely but now it was falling apart, caving in on itself. The awning drooped and the steps were slanted and cracked and the floorboards looked unsafe what with some of them splintered and cracked to absolute disrepair. How perfect. I ought to have been used to it by then; the disappointment of moving into yet another house with "potential to be great". But I wasn't. Once the house was restored to its previous grandeur, we'd be on the road yet again and moving into yet another house in the same state of disarray and the process would begin again. New house, new projects, new school, new friends, new room, same Rory.

"Ready, kiddo?" my dad asked from the front seat. He turned back and grinned at me. I mustered up a smile for his sake and shook my head. "Good. Grab your bags. We can unpack the rest as we go."

He opened the car door and got out, stretching from the long car ride. My legs were aching and cramped from the drive when I got out to stretch. I took a few steps toward the house and then a few steps back to the car just to get my legs used to moving again. Mom got out of the car and walked around to join me. I smiled at her and she put her hand on my cheek.

"You have to start all over again, I know," she said to me. Her eyes were full of concern and her forehead was wrinkled. "Last time, I promise. We are here for good."

I couldn't help myself as I replied, "That's what you said last time."

My mother just sighed and kissed me on the forehead.

"Come on! You are going to love this!" my dad shouted from the porch. He waved at us to follow him. I looked at mom, vague contempt on my face. She just shrugged her shoulders and nudged me toward the porch. She bounded off toward the house on ballerina toes. I started walking toward dad and watched as he disappeared into the house, leaving the front door just barely hanging upright. Mom slid gracefully inside.

I walked cautiously up the stairs, feeling every step creak under my feet. I could feel the wood giving way and slowly dipping under my weight. How dad or mom hadn't felt the uncertainness of the steps was beyond me. Maybe they just didn't care anymore or maybe they'd gotten used to it over the years in a way I hadn't. Either way, every step I took up the stairs was careful and untrustworthy of the wood beneath me. As I walked across the porch, I heard the floorboards moan and creak, on the verge of snapping. Right before the door, a plank broke under my foot and sent me sprawling forward, crashing through the open doorway.

"Are you alright?" my mom called from somewhere in the house. She came running into the front room and helped me up. She danced around me, light on her toes, and carefully closed the slanted door which scratched loudly across the floor. I envied her for her light motions. Granted, she got that way from years of training as a ballerina, but still. "I can't believe that happened."

I groaned at her, wiping the dirt off of my knees and arms. "The house hates me."

She smiled at me. "Let's catch up with your dad."

She grabbed one of my bags and off she went, down a dark cooridor. I grabbed the rest of my stuff and followed after her. Everything creaked and moaned as if threatening to collapse on me. I felt like the whole house was complaining about my weight as I shuffled down the hallway. Mom stood at the end of the hall, bouncing on her curled toes, waiting for me. I could only imagine what was behind the door she stood next to.

"This is your room," she explained excitedly, shoving me through the door. Only, there wasn't a room at all. There was a rusted, unstable-looking winding staircase instead.