"Word around the street says that these kids are dangerous"
My foster mom gives me a talk before I head to the academy.
"These kids can mess with your brain! They'll cause you to do th-"
"Lilliana- I mean mom, please... just please stop."
I breathe out, she doesn't want me going to this academy.
I was getting the mail when some old man with a walker came up and handed my foster mother a tag, which she proceeded to wrap around my wrist.
Ever since that day, I've been packing my things, preparing to leave.
I couldn't tell you what the academy is, or where I'm going, but it's a long drive through the woods, and not on a paved road.
My head rests against the cold frosty car window as Lilliana taps her thumb on the side of the steering wheel.
It was a cold December morning in England. December 1 to be exact. The air was sharp and cold, you could see your breath clearly.
The grass was coated with light snow, not heavy enough to make snowmen with.
Snow fell from the trees as the cold piercing breeze flew about.
My foster mother turned up the heat, took her black gloves off and set them on the console of the car.
Lilliana continued to tap her thumb on the side of the wheel, and soon her feet joined in the rhythm.
She put her right hand over her left and took a sharp turn, and cranked her steering wheel to the right, leading us into an open area in the woods.
She slammed on the brakes, throwing my head foward and back, hitting the window.
She turned her head, "we're here"
We were parked in the middle of a forest, nothing but trees for miles. I got confused, thinking she was taking me to the wrong spot.
She said nothing and just stared blankly out the window, as her right hand was tightly gripped around the steering wheel of the unmoving car.
I slowly unbuckled my seat belt, to see if she'd say anything, but instead I heard a tap on my window.
I jumped and the metal part of my seat belt flew out of my hand, hitting the side of the door.
Standing outside my door was the old man and his walker, dressed in a long puffy navy blue coat, and a tan beanie. He breathed heavily on the glass and drew a smiley face in the fog. He motioned for me to get out.
I looked over at Lilliana. She loosened her grip on the wheel, took a deep breath and nodded. She opened her car door. I followed suit.
My foster mother made her way around the car and handed me my two bags that I would be taking with me.
"I guess this is goodbye, I hope we can see each other again."
I looked at my foster mother, my eyebrows furrowed.
"What are you talking about? Where am I going?" I spun around looking all over and made eye contact with the old man.
"Where am I going? Why am I here? Who are you?"
My foster mother pushed my shoulder and the old man took the old brown paper bag in my left hand, turned around, and started walking away.
"Hey! Come back here with my stuff! Where do you think you're going!"
Lilliana grabbed my wrist before I sprinted towards him.
"Just follow him and go. You'll be okay, this is best for all of us."
And just like that, she let go and got into her car.
I turned to see the old man still walking away, never looking back once. He was about a quarter mile away.
I heard my foster mothers car engine rev as she floored it to get out of the mud she was stuck in. She grabbed tight on the wheel and spun it all the way to the left.
Mud splashed upwards and a couple drops got on my arm, nothing I couldn't wipe off.
The car sped away and left me.
Confused.
Alone.
Lost.
I heard The old mans echoed cough, as if to motion me to follow him, and I did so reluctantly.
I had no where else to go.
I jogged with the bag in my right hand to catch up with the old man, and when I did I was out of breath.
" I see you're out of shape young lady?"
I looked at him in disbelief.
"You're joking right?" I said firmly
"You're kidding? First you take me from my foster mother and now you shame me? That's it."
I reached for my second brown bag that he was carrying but my hand stopped moving and suddenly cramped up.
I shook my hand out, rubbing it against my thigh.
"Ow, what was that?"
"Just a cramp darling, it'll go in a few."
I looked at the old man, "how'd you know I had a cramp?"
"Pretty obvious, they way you handled it"
I looked down at my hand and back at him.
"Where are we going anyways? What's happening?"
The old man tightened his grip on his walker and smiled.
"Right here young lady, right here."
