Untraveled Road

          The sun was already setting when my mom finally pulled into the driveway of our brand new house. New to us, at least. I took a quick glance at the building, knowing instantly that it would take a lot of time to get used to. My mom had picked this house in particular for the simple fact that she liked the space it provided. Only one neighbor close by, everyone else miles away, trees stretching as far as the eye can see. It was her own little paradise. My own hell. I sighed, climbing out of the car and taking a look around. The driveway was dirt, leading straight through the trees like a hiking trail. In the front yard say a few small flower beds that looked like they hadn't been touched in years. Turning to the house, I noticed three steps leading up to the porch. Each step was dirty, and I could hear the squeaks as my mother climbed them.            I silently followed her to the front door. A part of me had hoped that the inside would be nicer, but I should've known better. As soon as my mom got the door open, it creaked all too loudly. The smell of dust and rust hit me like a bullet, cringing my face in disgust. I stepped inside. There were a set of stairs off to my right a little bit, the metal railing red, and covered in dust and spider webs. Any furniture that had been left behind were covered by plastic sheets, hopefully keeping them in good condition. My eyes traced every little thing, unconsciously nitpicking. This old place was supposed to be our new home? My mom smiled as she looked back at me. She seemed proud. Happy to be here. She reached out her hand, placing it on my shoulder.           "Isn't this great?" She beamed. "The perfect house for us, don't you think Mel?" I shot her an incredulous look that said Are you serious? She shrugged it off, before wondering down the hall to what I think was supposed to be a kitchen. I could hear her mumbling to herself, most likely already planning a whole house makeover. Taking a deep breath, I looked around once more. Maybe this won't be so bad...                                                                                                     ~~~~           I walked around my new room, inspecting every corner. Mom and I had already gotten most of the big stuff out of the truck, and I had already place my bed, dressing, and nightstand. However, curiosity got the best of my and I wondered if my room held any secrets. Call me a nerd, but in the books I read, every new/old house had secrets. So I stepped on every floorboard, knocked on every part of the wall, and even checked for a hidden door in the closet. Nothing but disappointment. Though I did find a few cool places to put stuff.           Sighing, I grabbed a book of the edge of my bed before perching on the bumped out window seat. I was on the second floor, so I got a pretty good view of the yard and surrounding area. I could even see the neighbor's house off to the left. Opening my book, I couldn't help but wonder what type of people lived next door. I pictured an old couple with a dog. Then I pictured a newly wed couple with crazy toddlers. The possibilities we're almost endless, and despite the fact that it wasn't really my business, I wondered why anyone would chose to live up here. Not that I had anything against Utah...just the isolation. Being from Jersey made hard to imagine a life here; a good one, at least.           I shook the thoughts from my head. Mom was right. This place may have been a fixer upper, but it was home now. We were here for a fresh start. That's what I needed after all. What we both needed. I opened my book, and began where I last left off, removing myself from reality. The last I needed right now was my doubts, so I forgot them. Replaced them with wonder and awe from the courage and cunning of the character I so adored. I read for hours and hours, not noticing that it was late until I heard a knock at my door. I jumped, ripped away from the wonderous world as my mom came in.           "I'm heading to bed," she whispered. "You should too. We have a lot to do tomorrow."           I smiled softly, setting down my book.           "Okay, mom. Night," I said.           Mom blew me a kiss before shutting my door. I listened to her footsteps fade away before I let the smile slip from my face. This whole move was going to be harder than I thought.