Shadows of Darkness

~Chapter 5~

I drove for what felt like hours, listening to rock music with tears streaming down my face. Why had my life come to this? What did I ever do wrong? Negative thoughts flooded my mind and refused to leave.

But then I see it. The sign I've been aching to see for the last 9 years. "Welcome to Californa!"

I decide to stop by a flower shop on the roadside to buy some flowers to place on my parents grave. I chose red roses; my mothers absolute favourite. As I get back in my car I go to check the time on my iphone 4, it's 7:35pm, and I have 10 missed calls and 27 messages.

5:30pm: Aunt Leila:
CASSANDRA ROSE YOUNG! GET HOME THIS INSTANT!

6:01pm: Uncle Mark:
Cassie if you are not home in the next 10 minutes I'm calling the police and charging you with thievery. You will be sent back to the foster home.

I don't even bother reading the other messages. I simply turn my phone off and start the car.

After the painful visit to the cemetery I make my way to crash site. Once I arrive I open the car door and collapse on the ground in tears. This is the place where my childhood was taken from me. I just sit there for a few minutes in silence. I have nothing to do but cry; cry at the fact my parents took their last breaths at this exact place, cry at the fact I would never know what my life would be like if they were still here. Would I have friends? Would I have a boyfriend? Would I live in a big house and be loved? I guess I'll never know.

I decide to park my car in a local shopping centre car park. I remember going Christmas shopping here one year with my parents. I wanted a Princess Barbie Doll and mum bought it for me straight away. I remember how she always put me first and would do anything and everything for me.

I'm not hungry enough to eat anything so I decide to lay down on the backseat, grab my blanket and pillow out and sleep. That night I went to sleep wishing I had someone to tuck me in again like my mother did when I was 7 years old.