Chapter 1: A Normal Day
1035 Words
"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known."
-Carl Sagan
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Chapter 1: A Normal Day
POV: Sierra Grace Moonchild
Present day...
It's a normal Thursday in July in my boring, mundane life. Seriously, my life is so boring and uneventful. I strive for more, but with my overprotective family, that's impossible. The only true release and freedom I have is when I'm running.
Like now, as I run through the gravel trail surrounded by nothing but trees, nothing seems so bad. The wind blows through my hair from the speed of my running. When I'm running, it feels as if I could go fast enough that I could fly. If I could fly, I would truly be free then.
This is my bliss. I daydream of how I wish my life could be. I'd have friends, go to college, have a life...
"Sierra! Time to go home." Landon, my cousin, calls out. A groan of annoyance leaves my lips. I always hate this part, I never want to stop running. Sometimes I wish I could just sprout wings and fly. Maybe then I would be content.
"Do we have to go now?" I ask, running towards the car. Landon sighs. "Yes, Sierra. We have a business meeting in an hour." My Uncle, Blake Whitelander, and my cousins, Landon, Devon, and Archer, run a business consulting company. This is apparently the reason why we have to move around so much.
We always move to small, isolated places no one has even heard of. I don't know how much consulting they can do out in places like these. It seems to me they would do better in big cities than in these smaller ones.
"I can stay here by myself. My nineteenth birthday is in three days. I'm not a little kid anymore." My family has always treated me like this. They never let me out of their sight. "And what have we told you about your 19th birthday?" Landon asks.
My family has always acted like something great will happen to me when I turn 19, but I don't see that happening. They have acted like they were preparing me for some sort of war my whole life. Each one of my family members has taught me some kind of skill to defend myself. I got archery from Landon. I haven't played a game of darts I've lost yet.
Strategy is from Devon. He's all about a game plan. I learned martial arts from Archer. Uncle Blake was all about tracking and hunting. They are all very tough teachers. As you can see, I didn't have a traditional education.
"I don't know. You won't tell me what's going to happen. I feel like the elven princess who was forced to stay in the tower guarded by the dragons." I get frustrated just wanting to live a normal life.
"Trust me, you're not like Princess Alora. She was stuck in that tower for her crimes." Landon tries to deflect. Any time I bring this up, they always deflect or change the subject. I just want to know the truth.
"Of course not, because I'm real. I'm not a character in a story." Aunt Heather always told me these stories of mythical creatures, growing up. Landon sighs. "I don't want to argue. We can come back later today, ok?"
I don't want to argue either. As much as I hate their overprotectiveness, I get it. My parents died in a fire. Someone deliberately set my house on fire and killed my parents. Who does such a thing?
Reluctantly, I get into the car with Landon, and he takes me home where I stay with Aunt Heather, and he goes to his meeting. Maybe one day I can be free.
Aunt Heather is in the kitchen baking some chocolate chip cookies. "Hey, dear. How was your run?"
"Fine, is that for me?" Heather places a pineapple and mango smoothie on the island. "Of course it is. I thought I would make it for you today." I always make a smoothie when I get back from my run. It's the perfect sweet treat after a run.
I sit on the stool at the island and take a cookie from the tray. "Your birthday is coming up. What kind of cake would you like this year?" She asks. The mention of my birthday reminds me of the earlier argument with Landon. I wish I knew this big secret they've been keeping from me.
I've always felt as if I've had this sword hovering over my head, ready to fall at any given moment. It was always this unspoken thing among my family. I've always known they kept me isolated for a reason. Sometimes I thought maybe it had something to do with my parents' death.
Anytime I would question them, they would say you'll know on your nineteenth birthday. It's always been like I've waited for this great thing to happen on the day. I guess the anticipation is getting to me. If it wasn't for my impending nineteenth birthday, I would have left when I turned eighteen.
I sigh in acceptance of my fate. "Double chocolate strawberry, what else?" I shrug. My favorite cake is a chocolate strawberry cake. Aunt Heather chuckles. "I should have known. With lots of fresh strawberries and fudge swirl ice cream." She knows me so well.
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Later, as I'm getting out of the shower, I hear Aunt Heather yelling out that lunch is ready. "Be down in a minute!" I yell back.
Heather is always in the kitchen cooking up something. Thank goodness I run, or I might be the size of a house by now. I hurriedly get dressed and run down the stairs. When I get to the kitchen, I see Uncle Blake and my cousins are back.
"How was the meeting?" I ask. "Sit down, honey." Aunt Heather says. Oh no, I know that tone far too well. They're about to tell me we're moving again. We just moved here two weeks ago. I sit down and take a bite of the sandwich left for me on the table.
"We have to move again." Uncle Blake says. I knew it.
- Writer
