The girl is me...

Kind of when it get's interesting.

02

        The path itself was spooky. The mud from the rain was slippery and the patches of grass were scattered and uncut. I feel my feet sliding, trying my balance. I'm relieved when we reach the wooden stairs that lead up to the porch. Though the wood is old, it's stable enough to walk on.

        Aden turns to make sure I'm still following him. "You got it?" He asks, a chuckle hiding in his voice. "Yea," I say, letting my eyes travel from the stairs to his face for a moment. I try and take a step up while my eyes are locked with his, but miss entirely. I fall forward, slamming my wrist into the wood.

        Within a second, Aden's arms are pulling me up, stable again. "Let me see." He demands, taking my arm in his hands. There's no cut, only redness. I'll have a bruise within two hours. "I'm fine." I assure him. It's not like this never happens to me; I'm surprised I can stand by myself on my own two feet.

        "You've got to be careful." He says, turning back to the door, retrieving my bag and opening it in one motion. I rub my wrist for a second, making the tingling go away as I climb the last few stairs.

        He walks into the house, his face lighting up at the sight of something I cannot yet see. "Have you brought her?" A woman's voice comes from inside. I look back at the truck for a moment, wondering if he left the keys in it by accident.

        I can just see myself, running fast and flawlessly to the drivers side, hopping in, and driving away. Starting my own new beginning, my way. The way it is supposed to be. In a town that doesn't look abandoned. One that is warm. As I drove, the rain would clear up; nothing but blue skies would lead my way back to a real civilization.

        "Ej.." Aden's voice interrupts my day dream. I look back to see not only his pair of eyes on mine, but nine others. "Oh.." I say, as I look at each face. My eyes must work as windows for them, because each one of them look as if they are faking happiness for my sake, or they're curious as to if I'll be okay.

        "Welcome to Bridge Gate." The oldest woman says, smiling wide, extending a hand for me. I take it as I walk through the doors. "I'm Nona." Her excitement is pure and true. "It's nice to meet you." I say to my aunt as I am embraced in a hug. The sudden grasp leaves me breathless.

        Aden's nervous chuckle breaks apart her hold on me. "Excuse momma, she's very loving." He says, his eyes pleading with hers. He learns fast. "No, no.. it's alright." I assure her, wanting her to be happy, that way at least one of us would be. She smiles at me once more, the lines in her face forming her dimples.

        Her eyes are the same color green as the trees outside, dark. I turn back to the family, and meet eyes with the smallest of the group. Her hair is black, her eyes are a sky blue. They sparkle like her brothers. She creases her eye brows down, looking hard at me. Her lips part, and she sighs, loudly and very hard for such a small girl.

        "What's wrong Adela?" Nona asks the little girl, walking to her side and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Why is she so unhappy?" Adela demands, her voice annoyed and as loud as her sigh. I shoot my eyes towards Aden, and his face scrunches. "She's not unhappy Adela," He rambles off, looking at me. "She just doesn't know us, she's shy."

        I have never been shy. Not even for one single second of my entire life. I look back at the little girl and smile. Her head tilts, as if she's trying to read me. "Well you've got to introduce yourselves!" Nona claps her hands together, and the family shifts in their shoes, focusing their eyes on me.

        They start with Adela and move around their family. The second youngest peaks her head around one of the boys legs. Her blonde curls form around her face, covering all of her eyes. "Lilia." She states before hiding once more. The boy she's hiding behind looks from the girl to me.

        His hair is a darker blonde color, golden. "I'm Darin." The next boy doesn't bother looking up from the book he has in his hands. His glasses take up the majority of his face and his kakis are a little short on him.

        Darin elbows him, making him drop his book. It slams against the floor and echoes throughout the room. His eyes come to mine after scattering across his family. "Sorry, Landon." He says before picking his book up off the floor. I nod, looking to the next boy.

        "Tyson, the better twin." He says, before receiving a punch in the arm from his brother on the other side. "That's what he thinks. I'm Tanner." I examine them both, not seeing a resemblance. One has curly blonde hair while the other has a reddish brown color which is styled wild, almost spiked. One has gotten more sun than the other, and they dress nothing alike. "Fraternal?"

        "What was your first clue?" Tanner asks, chuckling. "Lucky guess." I say, looking to Aden. He looks to the last of his family, an older man who I assume is my uncle. "Hello there Ej, I'm Danny." His voice was rough and cracked as he spoke.

        I feel myself falling, straight back into the memories. Sitting on the porch back home, in Georgia, the sun shinning down on our faces. He was telling me a story from years ago, when he was in the service. His voice was already going, growing weaker with his lungs. I remember how it cracked when he got excited. I remember wishing it would stop. But then, I remember missing it.. I remember when he didn't get excited anymore.

         I let my head drop a little, and close my eyes for a moment. The room had grown quiet and a little uncomfortable. "Well, why don't we let Ej get settled in? We can all talk later tonight right?" Aden asks his family, knowing I want nothing more than to escape these piercing eyes.

        "Sure, I know it must have a been a long bus ride from the air port." Nona couldn't be more
on my side. I would cling to her. The family begins to scatter, leaving to go up the wooden staircase, or into another room downstairs. The two little girls sit side by side on the couch in the living room.

        Nona smiles at me and then looks to Aden. "Show her where her room is, will you?" Her voice is as sweet as sugar. "Of course momma." He says, picking up my sole bag and walking towards the stairs. I take a few steps, following him and then look back at Nona. "Thank-you."

        I walk a little faster to catch up to Aden. The stairs squeak beneath our feet. The house is old, ancient even. The top floor also has hard wood floors. There would be no sneaking out in this house.

        Aden leads me down the hall, past several doors before he turns. The hallway he leads me down now is darker, the floorboards squeak louder. He looks over his shoulder at me. "It's the only single room we have. We didn't want you to have to room with the babies." He refers to the youngest girls. "Oh, okay." I say, wondering why it sounded like he was preparing me for something horrible.

        He opens a door at the end of the hall and swiftly flicks on a light. I peak my head in, and it doesn't look so bad. I step inside and it's brighter than the hall. The window lets the sunlight in the way mine did back home. The bed is already made with an older, plaid comforter. The dresser could use dusting, but otherwise the room is pretty clean.

        Photography lines the walls, all of nature. Trees, a few flowers. All self taken and printed off. None in frames. I look back to Aden. "Who took all of these?" I ask, as he sets my bag down by the door. Walking around, I look at each one closer.

        "We can take them down." His voice is hard, but quiet. "No, I like them." I say, looking back at him. He looks uncomfortable just standing in the room. "What is it?" I ask, studying him. "An old family friend." He states.

        I look back to some of the pictures and then to Aden's eyes. "He took them." He continues. "He lived with us for a while, this was his room." "Where is he now?" I ask, wondering why he seems so spooked. It's just a room and they're just pictures, right?

        "He left.. A few weeks ago." Aden looks behind him, back out of the room and down the hall. "But, uh, it's fine." He says, looking at me again. He must be able to tell that I'm confused. "I'll let you get settled." He says, turning and walking out of the room before I could object. What was that about?

        I continue looking at the photos, one by one. The angles of the trees are interesting. Some from above, as if he climbed the trees just for the photograph. Some of the flowers are dying, some look as if they are the only thing alive in the picture. As I continue through, I come to a set of pictures of people. I recognize them all, it's the family. Around the house, and some taken outside.

        There's one of Aden sitting on the porch, his smile as wide as the moment I met him. Another is of Nona and Danny, holding each other by the fireplace. As I scan my eyes over them, I'm struck by the final one I see.

        It is of a girl, in the forest. She is alone, in the darkness. The girl has dark wavy curls, long yet limp. Her eyes are hazel, but do not sparkle like the rest of the families. The bags beneath them are blue and black, sleep deprived. Her skin is fair, white as snow. She glows. Her arms are securely placed around her torso, and she looks as if she has been crying. Either that or she is afraid of the place she is in. She is leaning against a large tree, her eyes focused right on the lends of the camera. I recognize this girl. I would know her anywhere. The girl is me.

Author's Note

Please tell me what you think so far. Does it even capture your interest?

Reviews

[Norma M Sutton]

The ending is stunning and the rest of it sounds very . . . lifelike. It could be any family with similarities and differences.

[bluessadmood]

Oh dont worry I really like this ,i am just waiting for some big things I am sure to happen here..
If you just hurry up for the thrills and the excitement,she is sure to live some few moments which
will change her life..these strangers around her,i am sure they are up to something..
I dont know but it feels like this..dont make wait long..waiting for the good bits..ha ha
lovely write..