Returning Home

Natalie James has finally decided to come back to where it all started

      The bus came to an unexpected stop sending her and her book across the aisle. As she landed with a hard thud on the floor her book flew into the lap of the man diagnol from her. As she righted herself the man came over to her. "Excuse me, Miss, I think you dropped this," he said handing her back the book. She had a slight feeling of recognition. Those grey eyes she knew them, even if she couldn't recall whose they were she knew them.
     "Thank you so much. I didn't recall that stop being here last time I was in town," she responded. He didn't know who she was. In a small town like this not recognizing people was something rare. She said last time she had been here. So he must have met her before. No one had mentioned someone coming to visit. Who was this woman.

      "Well, my dear, they added that stop around eight years ago," he said looking into her golden eyes. Then it hit him. He knew those eyes. "Natalie James, you give me a hug right this second!" He demanded this with tears in his eyes. The only student who had ever been like a daughter to him had finally returned to Haven.

      She looked at him again and finally knew the man in front of her. "Mr.Mason, it's so good to see you. I have missed you so much. You will never believe the stories I have to tell," she said as she held onto one of the few reasons she had decided to return.

     It was hard for him to see that she was no longer his prized student but an adult. No one in Haven would recognize her. When she had been there last she was a pencil thin blond standing no taller then 5'1. And now. Now she stood a proud 5'5 with fiery curls. She was no longer a twiglette either, her body had blossomed. "No one is going to recognize you," he said more to himself then to her.

     "Well that is kind of the plan, at least for the first week. The bed and breakfast have my reservation under Roselyn Fairchild. I plan to just fly under the radar for the first few days, well as much as a new person in town can," she said smiling at her old English teacher. He had inspired her to go after her dreams ans now she was living one of them.

     Since they were now sitting beside each other he could look at her easier. Yes, his student was still there. The big city had not destroyed her as he feared it might. Roselyn Fairchild? He knew that name... but from where. "Roselyn Fairchild? When did you gain that alias?" He asked smiling.

     She pulled the book back out. Handing it back to him she smiled as he read the author's name. Hoping he would put two and two together. After all he ws the one who told her if she wanted to write books then she needed to write. And now here she was, one of the up and coming fantasy writers.

    He read the author's name over and over before he grasped the importance of her new alias. "You mean to tell me that you, Natalie James, are in fact Roselyn Fairchild?" He sounded like the wind had been nocked out of him. She threw her arm around his neck and hugged him once again.

     "Yeah, I'm the next big thing in the writing world," she giggled. She knew the rest of the town, the people she left behind without a second glance would never be proud of her. After all she went after her dreams and left them by the wayside. How could they forgive her? They couldn't, hell she couldn't. But Nathan Mason was the only one who would be proud of her.

     The bus came to a screeching halt near at the town square.he grabbed her hand and dragged her off the bus with him. "We both know you don't want to stroll around town with no one there for you," he said calmly. She smiled down at him and braced herself to deal with all that she left. Walking around Nathan pointed out things that had changed in the years she has left. Absent mindedly she followed him thinking of the day she left Haven.

 

    "You can't just leave! You have no money! No where to go! Come on, Nat, just stay with me for a few days. We can figure something out. You won' have to go back there but Nat you don't have to leave Haven! You can stay with me! You know I won't let them near you," Sandra cried.

     She held her best friend tightly to her. Not wanting to leave but knowing that staying would just make things worse. She had to leave. If she stayed here then the next time he saw her he would kill her. No one believed her but the scars were enough evidence for her that leaving was best.

    "Sandi, next time he sees me he will kill me. If it wasn't for Alex he would have killed me tonight. He had the gun against my head. Thank god Alex had taken the ammo out of," Nat cried. She didn't want to leave.

      Sandi ran from her friend to her antique jewelry box. Natalie knew what she kept there. "No, I won't take that from you! That's suppose to go to you and Danny's wedding. I can't take away from that."

      Natalie was stunned when her best friend looked her dead in the eyes and said, "I would give up everyday with Danny to know you were okay. You can't stay. I want you to but you're right he will kill you. So take this and get away from here. Go follow those big city dreams. You can do this." Sandra pushed the money into her hands.

 

     That was the last day she had seen Sandra, though they spole on the phone every once in a while. It had been Sandi who had called to tell her that her foster father, Andrew, hadd finally died. It was finally safe for her to return to Haven. She would have to deal with so much about what happened to Andrew and why she had left. So she had to stay hidden for a while.

Reviews

[Short.Nerd]

Wonderful beginning!

[Madam Bu]

I like it. A little rough in places but it's good. (: LIKE.

[Kaa Na Kalyanasundaram]

good beginning. nice writing.

[Coyote Poetry]

You have create a very strong story. You made the story get stronger with added situations and problems. You have my attention. I will keep on reading.
Coyote

[Daydreamer54]

wow, great beginning! i look forward to reading more! ^^
taken the ammo out of-it
who was this woman. - who was this woman?

[Tate Morgan]

twigglett now theres a word i never heard of. The story is very interactive.

[Repgreece]

A great beginning. You have given us a taste of what's to come without overpowering us with too much all at once. A nice flashback to add to that. i loved the friendship between Natalie and Sandi, the way she would do anything to help her friend get away from danger. I also liked the fact that her teacher welcomed her back and that she'd changed so much and improved her life since she was last there. Cant wait to see how the other towns people react to seeing her again and knowing how successful she's been.