“What is this place?” I asked as I finally looked up from my writing book. My brother looked at me through the car window and chuckled, not surprised at all.
“Now she talks! I could’ve sworn that you died back there.” he said with amusement, and opened the car door for me. He ruffled my hair. I rolled my eyes at him, but couldn’t help but smile back.
My family, the Martina’s.
How my parents met was simple. My dad, was from Colorado, Victor Mason Martina, and my mom was from Verona, Italy, her name was Maria Carli Facillini. My mother was in her last year in college for majoring in Archeology, at the University of Verona. My dad had moved to Italy to major in History and Archeology. So of course they ended up having classes together, and they became friends. It started out like no big deal, helping each other with projects, and tests, but eventually they started seeing each other, and soon enough, they fell in love after a year of dating. My father begged my mother to come back with him to Colorado, and eventually, she agreed. They both moved to Bloomfield where he grew up and rented a house. After a year Emmett was born.
Emmett Carter Martina is my nineteen year old brother. He’s very lovable and charming, he even has his own nickname in the family, the protector. Emmett is my favorite out of all my brothers and sisters. He always knows how to cheer me up when I’m sad, or just be there for me when I needed him. Emmett was pressured into seriously thinking about going into the army like daddy did. Emmett never liked fighting, and only did when it was necessary. He is a very handsome guy, with his short cropped, black hair, and green eyes. He did have a lot of girlfriends in highschool. I guess you can say he’s well built for a nineteen year old, he works on cars a lot and he’s in football, and he’s pretty active so he’s never really out of shape.
Anyway, while Emmett was a toddler daddy went into the army and was stationed in Iraq, for two years. And when he came back, my sister was born.
Emily Rosalynn Martina. Her one true love? Her cell phone. Can’t live without it. In highschool she had a bad reputation. But she wasn’t always like that, she was actually very nice, and my best friend. I always thought she was so pretty. She always had slender features, and graceful proportions. She had the prettiest hair, long dark curls all the way down her back, and chocolate brown eyes. She used to be my role model. I just wished she didn’t use her looks for evil. It was always awkward whenever guys would come over to our already crowded home, because her and her new best friend Paige would be making out with them in the living room, her room, or the basement, whichever wasn’t occupied. Anyway, in that same year, my mother was pregnant again, and had the twins.
Josh Michael and James Allen Martina, two trouble makers if you ask me. Let’s just say that teachers hated them, parents were terrified of them, and girls loved them. Everybody knew them, especially the entire Bloomfield police station. My parents were always grounding them is seemed. The twins look like your ordinary skateboarders, baggy jeans, sneakers, and pretty much always carrying around a skateboard.
And then after a year went by, there was me.
My name is Alexandra Vrain Martina. My friends always call me Martini for short ever since we were in second grade. There’s not much about me except that I’m a huge klutz, and well, to make things short.
I’m the girl who falls up the stairs.
I guess you can say that I’m just your average awkward teenage girl. I hate it when guys stare at me, I already think I’m too curvy in all the wrong places. I have annoying long, curly, dark, brown hair, and green eyes, and I’m really short so people don’t notice me that much. I have a few best friends, and they accept my sensitiveness and all. I can always count on them for anything. My passions in life?
Writing.
There’s not much to my life, my family and I get along pretty well, we’re usually happy and always having fun. Especially me and my father, we always are together, he’s my best friend.
I looked up at the clear blue sky, a flock of birds flew over head trying to keep up with the rest of their family.
Suddenly, a memory flashed in my mind.
* * * * * *
“Hurry up Alex!” shouted Emily pulling me along with her.
“What’s wrong!? Tell me!” I demanded, anxious. I hoped nothing happened to daddy, he was supposed to be taking his medicine. We ran down the hallway, the only sounds were of my heart beat and the squeak of our sneakers on the linoleum floor. I hated going to the hospital, it always smelled like medicine, and anti-bacterial disinfectant. It was too clean, all the time. The lights bounced off of the white walls, it was starting to give me a headache. Why wasn’t Emily telling me anything? I could smell the cigarettes on her clothing, mom wouldn’t be happy about that. Suddenly she jerked me to a stop, breaking me out of my thoughts.
“Em?” I asked her hesitantly. She had her back turned to me, but hesitantly she turned around and looked at me with her brown eyes softly.
“Mom didn’t want you to be in daddy’s room right now Alex.” said Emily biting her lip.
“Why?” I felt like a five year old again, asking all these dumb questions. Something was wrong with my father and I didn’t want to know what just yet. I don’t think I could handle it.
“Something happened to daddy Alex...” whispered Emily. Tears started to brim her eyes. Suddenly the world stopped. Her voice seemed far away. My heart beat picked up faster.
“Is he...?”
“Barely...but we can go talk to him.” she said interrupting me, I could only nod in understanding. Slowly she turned around and opened the door.
In the middle of the room daddy was laying in the uncomfortable hospital bed, mom was sitting by his side with tears streaming down her face, along with Emmett and the twins.
Emmett saw me first, he stood up and walked over to me, giving me a comforting hug, and kissed my hair. The twins were right behind him, and mimicked what he had done. My brothers and sisters walked out of the room, closing the door behind them.
I was left alone with my mother and my dying father.
At the sound of the door latching my mother finally forced herself to look away from her husband and at me.
“Hi honey..” she said, choked. “Daddy would like to talk to you right now.” I couldn’t breathe, I only nodded in understanding. That’s all I could do. I couldn’t force myself to move that easily, but I did it. My mother wiped away the fresh tears falling down her cheeks and stood up, smoothing out her pants. She pulled me into a hug and kissed my hair, and turned back towards my father.
“I’m going to step out for a bit Victor. I’ll be back soon. Alexandra is here, you wanted her to visit you.....I love you.” she said softly and gave him a kiss. His eyes half closed, stared at her softly. His lips moved but I couldn’t understand what he said. But my mother could and tears fell down her cheeks more, but she forced herself to leave the room. I couldn’t stop staring at my father. He always looked so strong, tall, and brave. He was my hero, and now he was frail and weak. I hated seeing him like this. But I know that soon, he’ll be the same as he always was. Happy and full of life.
He was going to be okay.
I could feel tears blur my vision, and there was a pain in my throat but I managed to croak the words out anyway.
“H-hi daddy. How are you..?” I forced myself to say something regardless of the pain. Why was this so overwhelming, just to talk to my own father?
My father coughed once and slowly changed his position to look at me.
“Hey Alex...” He struggled between breaths.
I nodded once. I couldn’t move, everything was spinning. What was I going to do? Way to quickly I could feel my life falling out of proportion.
He wasn’t going to be okay. He needed me but I didn’t know what to do....
* * * * * *
“Hey Alex!” shouted Emmett, making me rush back into reality. I jumped at his booming voice. “Are you coming, or are you just going to stand there looking like a dork?” He called. I blinked once and saw Emmett running up to a house.
“Now, now Emmett. Be nice to Alex.” giggled my mother quietly as she slid out of the passenger seat and waddled over to Emmett.
“Whoa.” I mumbled under my breath, ignoring my mother and Emmett, as I finally focused on what all the fuss was about. In front of me was a gorgeous Victorian house.
“Beautiful isn’t it? I just hope its big enough.” I heard my mother say.
“Wait. This is our house?” I asked in disbelief.
“Did you expect we came all this way to look at someone else’s house?” she said blankly. Her right hand supporting the middle of her back.
“Well, no. But I didn’t think this was what daddy was working on all these years...” I replied. Her eyes grew soft at the mention of her husband.
“He kept it a secret from me for a while, so you’re not the only one who was surprised sweetheart.” She ruffled my hair. I nodded. “He designed it just for us. He kept a close eye on everyone just to get all of our personalities right for our rooms.” she chose her words carefully, strained in fact. Everything was so difficult for her these days, especially if it was about dad. My heart did a flip. It hurt to watch her suffer slowly like this. She tilted her head, encouraging me to go and explore the house. I smiled weakly and got out of the car. Adjusting my strap on my knapsack, and gripping my book, I started to walk towards the house.
Our house is a pale peach base coat, with white shutters, and what looked to be a wraparound porch with a honey coated stain, a dark wooden front door with a gold handle, and engraved flowers with words etched into the top saying:
Home Is Closer Than You Think.
My fingers traced over the words carefully feeling a lump in my throat that burned. Another memory suddenly flashed in my head, but it was a much happier time. My father and I were sitting on the front of our old home in Bloomfield last summer, eating ice cream and looking out at the neighbors on those hot summer days.
* * * * * * * *
“Daddy?” I asked quietly.
“Yes Alex?” He replied with an easy smile on his face.
“What do you do at work?” my dad stared down at me with a grin, taking another lick of his ice Strawberry Swirl he always orders.
“Why are you so curious in what I’m doing all of sudden?” he asked slightly amused.
“I dunno. I just remembered that I never really know what you do.” I laughed once.
“Well, I used to be an archeologist...”
“Get out of here!” I said surprised. “Why have you never told me that before?” I asked.
“I didn’t think it was that important.” he shrugged and chuckled.
“Of course it is! That’s so cool!”
“Really?”
“Yes!”
“Well then. Maybe I should tell everybody that’s what I do from now on.”
We both laughed.
* * * * * * *
I shook my head, breaking me away from those old memories. I readjusted the strap on my knapsack again and walked to the back of the house, sliding my fingers across the smooth siding on my way.
I gasped. My guess was we had at least around 600 acres full of green grass, rose bushes, and a real forest. I mean a real forest, not one of those stupid little woods, but a real green, moss filled, big, ancient trees, dirt grounded forest. I instantly fell in love with it. I ran up to the front of the porch and looked back out towards the car. My breath caught in my throat. In front we have a perfect view of the Colorado mountains. Snow was sprinkled onto the body of the mountains, and edges were each carved distinctively. I loved it here. We could see the mountains back in Bloomfield, but never like this.
I suddenly turned my attention back to my family. Emmett was laying on the hood of the car holding his skateboard in the air, studying it carefully. My mother was giving orders to the movers who were walking around me with a frustrated grunt and into the house. She had one hand on the palm of her back to support her stomach which was getting bigger everyday.
She’s on her fifth month now.
We went into the hospital at least three weeks before the move for an ultra sound.
My mother wanted to see when she was due, so she would know when she had to get a room ready in the new hospital down North. The last time I saw our new baby, it was healthy and huge, but my mom refused to know the gender. She wanted it to be a surprise.
It’s always a surprise in this family.
My dad said one time that life should be unpredictable, otherwise it just wouldn’t really be classified as living if you knew what was going to happen every minute of every day.
I heard the car door slam shut behind me. I turned around and saw Emily actively talking on the phone, naturally, with a displeased look on her face. Her hands waved in the air, outraged once in a while when she heard something she didn’t quite agree with.
Josh followed behind her looking around with a crooked grin on his face. James came up behind him and lunged, bringing Josh down with him. They both laughed. Emily just rolled her eyes.
And I grinned.
My attention then refocused on my mom who was now hobbling towards me. She leaned against the wooden post for support and stared out at the mountains, thinking.
“Beautiful isn’t it?” she asked a bit breathless. I nodded, knowing she would’ve saw me. She grinned and looked down. “This is going to be a new start for all of us. Things will change...” she said as she wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into a hug.
“It all seems like a fairy tale.” I said. She giggled.
“I guess you can say that sweetheart.” she replied and kissed my hair. “You can go and find your room. I gotta help finish bringing the rest of the stuff in.” I nodded and she wobbled back down the stairs, smoothing her jeans in the process with her hands. I grinned again and walked towards the open door.
Inside was even more beautiful.
In the main entrance there was a white oak staircase in front of you that led to the second floor.
On the left was the entrance to the living room, and the first thing you see is a black grande piano. I slowly walked over to it with my mouth hanging open. I dropped my knapsack and writing book on the ground. My fingers slowly brushed against the smooth white and black keys, and once again I could feel that familiar lump in my throat. My father knew I loved music. I had taken lessons with our neighbor for free for a couple of years. After that, he had gotten sick so I quit so I could help take care of him. I forced my eyes to look away before I lost it completely.
I suddenly heard footsteps enter in behind me.
I turned around and saw my mother, Emmett, Josh, James, and Emily standing in the entrance staring blankly at our new home. No one spoke. I took a step passed the piano and saw a large metal fireplace in front of me, with our couches waiting for us. Boxes were stacked neatly around the couches on the dark wooden floor. I could feel daddy here, with us. This house was magic. Everything about it was special. It’s like, my father, was never gone in the first place. The house just had a certain warmth to it.
I walked back through the living room, past my family and up the stairs. My converse squeaking each time I took a step on the polished stairs. It seemed to get lighter and sunnier as I got closer to the top.
My daddy was here. He never left. The house seemed to heal me. Heal everything that had happened. I listened to my slow even breath become more frantic as the warm feeling overwhelmed me. I finally got to the top, and looked in front of me. There was a long hallway lit by a giant glass window. I stared at it for a while, looking at the forest that was staring back at me.
Waiting.
I took a step. On the left side there were four wooden doors, and three on the right. I walked slowly in the middle of the hallway looking at the doors on the left. They all had something uniquely and personally carved into them.
The first one, had the name: Emily Rosalynn Martina engraved on the top. Beneath it was a picture of a bird. The detail seemed to be so impossible to even be engraved on the wood. I walked towards the bird and traced my hand lightly over it. I could feel the rough edges of hard labor, worked into it. I moved my gaze underneath the bird which had more writing. It was one, and very clear word:
Hope.
I smiled. Emily could use that.
The second door had the same thing except it had the names: Josh Michael and James Allen Martina engraved on the top. Underneath it had two foxes with their tails intertwined with the word:
Behave.
I started to giggle. Daddy always new how to get after those two.
The third door was Emmett’s. It was in the same handwriting as the other two doors, but it said at the top: Emmett Carter Martina.
Underneath was a picture of a wolf howling under the stars, my father was amazing, adding every single detail. You could start to feel the wolf’s emotions. Pain, strength, everything. Underneath was the word:
Protect.
My dad spent all of his time making us personalized doors? There all beautiful but why would daddy spend all that time making everything perfect? Did he know that he was going to leave us or something? I could start to feel the tears come. My eyes started to blur. I wiped them away with my arm. I couldn’t lose face now. I had to be strong. For mom.
Then there was mine.
My door started off the same way as my other brothers and sister’s did. The name: Alexandra Vrain Martina was carved at the top. I could feel the tears start to force there way through my eyes again. I sniffled a little but shook my head. Underneath my name was not a picture of an animal, but two roses. The stems where intertwined, the thorns sticking out and what looked like two tear drops, dripping off into a small pool of water. The details were far greater than the wolf, foxes, and bird. They looked so real that you could almost reach out and grab them. I covered my mouth with my hand. Underneath was the word:
Love.
I heard a sob slip through my lips. What was my father trying to tell me?
After a few minutes, I breathed a ragged sigh and forced myself to open the door. I slowly fell to my knees.
Inside was a large window with a seat built into the wall. White ghostly curtains draped across the room as the wind were trying to speak to me. The gentle breeze tickled my face. I felt a tear slide down my cheek. I looked around and saw the walls were black and white. The black had white polka dots and the white had black polka dots. A typical teenage room. My bed was set on the far right wall which had words written above the metal that said:
“Love is everything, let it go, and Life isn’t the same.”
My throat started to burn. The tears started to fall down my cheeks with more intensity now.
I didn’t even bother with wiping them away this time.
I covered my mouth to help stifle the sobs that were now radiating without my control. I looked at the left wall, and there sitting was a beautiful dark, wooden dresser. It had engraved vines and roses on it. Between each petal was Love Life written over and over again. I suddenly became ashamed. How could I be so selfish sometimes when my father spent so much time on making my room? It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. My father was very caring and very loving. And I think he transferred his love for all of us into my home somehow. There I went being selfish again.
It was our home.
“Daddy I wish you were here.” I whispered under my breath.
Then I saw a door beside the dresser. I stood up, curious now, wiping away the tears. I hesitantly turned the knob, and pulled it open.
Inside was a small room.
I stepped inside, and felt more warmth radiate around me. It had a dark wooden floor and a small crescent moon window as the only source of light. But what really caught my eyes was in front of me.
A white, metal, spiral staircase.
It had vines forming the bars that held it all together. My fingers traced the vines as I began to climb up. The higher I went the brighter it became. I could feel the wind to, it made my hair dance around me.
Finally I came to a second floor.
I turned around and saw white walls all around me, with paint lined across, all sorts of colors. Slightly confused I walked into the small space. Large windows were on two parallel walls, which were the only sources of light. The sun was warming the entire space, so I decided to open one of the windows. The wind gusted through, making the warmth disappear. I looked back out through the backyard. The forest seemed to grow a little menacing. I wonder if the wind was coming from the forest. But that would be stupid, the forest being alive? Like, alive, alive? That’s impossible. But it did seem like it was, breathing...
I shook my head and placed my hands on my hips and turned around, inspecting. On the opposite wall, there was a desk. With the same designs as my dresser did. Everything seemed to grow quiet.
This room was full of magic. It just had that feeling to it. Of every emotion. Anger, sadness, hope, joy, love.
“What is this room?” I breathed. I walked towards the desk. My fingers lightly tracing the polished wood. My father had created my very own place. Where I was free to be myself, free of responsibility, free of stress.
Free of reality.
Please leave a comment and rate for me^-^ i hoped u liked it!: )<3 thank u! <33 srry its so long lol xD
“Now she talks! I could’ve sworn that you died back there.” he said with amusement, and opened the car door for me. He ruffled my hair. I rolled my eyes at him, but couldn’t help but smile back.
My family, the Martina’s.
How my parents met was simple. My dad, was from Colorado, Victor Mason Martina, and my mom was from Verona, Italy, her name was Maria Carli Facillini. My mother was in her last year in college for majoring in Archeology, at the University of Verona. My dad had moved to Italy to major in History and Archeology. So of course they ended up having classes together, and they became friends. It started out like no big deal, helping each other with projects, and tests, but eventually they started seeing each other, and soon enough, they fell in love after a year of dating. My father begged my mother to come back with him to Colorado, and eventually, she agreed. They both moved to Bloomfield where he grew up and rented a house. After a year Emmett was born.
Emmett Carter Martina is my nineteen year old brother. He’s very lovable and charming, he even has his own nickname in the family, the protector. Emmett is my favorite out of all my brothers and sisters. He always knows how to cheer me up when I’m sad, or just be there for me when I needed him. Emmett was pressured into seriously thinking about going into the army like daddy did. Emmett never liked fighting, and only did when it was necessary. He is a very handsome guy, with his short cropped, black hair, and green eyes. He did have a lot of girlfriends in highschool. I guess you can say he’s well built for a nineteen year old, he works on cars a lot and he’s in football, and he’s pretty active so he’s never really out of shape.
Anyway, while Emmett was a toddler daddy went into the army and was stationed in Iraq, for two years. And when he came back, my sister was born.
Emily Rosalynn Martina. Her one true love? Her cell phone. Can’t live without it. In highschool she had a bad reputation. But she wasn’t always like that, she was actually very nice, and my best friend. I always thought she was so pretty. She always had slender features, and graceful proportions. She had the prettiest hair, long dark curls all the way down her back, and chocolate brown eyes. She used to be my role model. I just wished she didn’t use her looks for evil. It was always awkward whenever guys would come over to our already crowded home, because her and her new best friend Paige would be making out with them in the living room, her room, or the basement, whichever wasn’t occupied. Anyway, in that same year, my mother was pregnant again, and had the twins.
Josh Michael and James Allen Martina, two trouble makers if you ask me. Let’s just say that teachers hated them, parents were terrified of them, and girls loved them. Everybody knew them, especially the entire Bloomfield police station. My parents were always grounding them is seemed. The twins look like your ordinary skateboarders, baggy jeans, sneakers, and pretty much always carrying around a skateboard.
And then after a year went by, there was me.
My name is Alexandra Vrain Martina. My friends always call me Martini for short ever since we were in second grade. There’s not much about me except that I’m a huge klutz, and well, to make things short.
I’m the girl who falls up the stairs.
I guess you can say that I’m just your average awkward teenage girl. I hate it when guys stare at me, I already think I’m too curvy in all the wrong places. I have annoying long, curly, dark, brown hair, and green eyes, and I’m really short so people don’t notice me that much. I have a few best friends, and they accept my sensitiveness and all. I can always count on them for anything. My passions in life?
Writing.
There’s not much to my life, my family and I get along pretty well, we’re usually happy and always having fun. Especially me and my father, we always are together, he’s my best friend.
I looked up at the clear blue sky, a flock of birds flew over head trying to keep up with the rest of their family.
Suddenly, a memory flashed in my mind.
* * * * * *
“Hurry up Alex!” shouted Emily pulling me along with her.
“What’s wrong!? Tell me!” I demanded, anxious. I hoped nothing happened to daddy, he was supposed to be taking his medicine. We ran down the hallway, the only sounds were of my heart beat and the squeak of our sneakers on the linoleum floor. I hated going to the hospital, it always smelled like medicine, and anti-bacterial disinfectant. It was too clean, all the time. The lights bounced off of the white walls, it was starting to give me a headache. Why wasn’t Emily telling me anything? I could smell the cigarettes on her clothing, mom wouldn’t be happy about that. Suddenly she jerked me to a stop, breaking me out of my thoughts.
“Em?” I asked her hesitantly. She had her back turned to me, but hesitantly she turned around and looked at me with her brown eyes softly.
“Mom didn’t want you to be in daddy’s room right now Alex.” said Emily biting her lip.
“Why?” I felt like a five year old again, asking all these dumb questions. Something was wrong with my father and I didn’t want to know what just yet. I don’t think I could handle it.
“Something happened to daddy Alex...” whispered Emily. Tears started to brim her eyes. Suddenly the world stopped. Her voice seemed far away. My heart beat picked up faster.
“Is he...?”
“Barely...but we can go talk to him.” she said interrupting me, I could only nod in understanding. Slowly she turned around and opened the door.
In the middle of the room daddy was laying in the uncomfortable hospital bed, mom was sitting by his side with tears streaming down her face, along with Emmett and the twins.
Emmett saw me first, he stood up and walked over to me, giving me a comforting hug, and kissed my hair. The twins were right behind him, and mimicked what he had done. My brothers and sisters walked out of the room, closing the door behind them.
I was left alone with my mother and my dying father.
At the sound of the door latching my mother finally forced herself to look away from her husband and at me.
“Hi honey..” she said, choked. “Daddy would like to talk to you right now.” I couldn’t breathe, I only nodded in understanding. That’s all I could do. I couldn’t force myself to move that easily, but I did it. My mother wiped away the fresh tears falling down her cheeks and stood up, smoothing out her pants. She pulled me into a hug and kissed my hair, and turned back towards my father.
“I’m going to step out for a bit Victor. I’ll be back soon. Alexandra is here, you wanted her to visit you.....I love you.” she said softly and gave him a kiss. His eyes half closed, stared at her softly. His lips moved but I couldn’t understand what he said. But my mother could and tears fell down her cheeks more, but she forced herself to leave the room. I couldn’t stop staring at my father. He always looked so strong, tall, and brave. He was my hero, and now he was frail and weak. I hated seeing him like this. But I know that soon, he’ll be the same as he always was. Happy and full of life.
He was going to be okay.
I could feel tears blur my vision, and there was a pain in my throat but I managed to croak the words out anyway.
“H-hi daddy. How are you..?” I forced myself to say something regardless of the pain. Why was this so overwhelming, just to talk to my own father?
My father coughed once and slowly changed his position to look at me.
“Hey Alex...” He struggled between breaths.
I nodded once. I couldn’t move, everything was spinning. What was I going to do? Way to quickly I could feel my life falling out of proportion.
He wasn’t going to be okay. He needed me but I didn’t know what to do....
* * * * * *
“Hey Alex!” shouted Emmett, making me rush back into reality. I jumped at his booming voice. “Are you coming, or are you just going to stand there looking like a dork?” He called. I blinked once and saw Emmett running up to a house.
“Now, now Emmett. Be nice to Alex.” giggled my mother quietly as she slid out of the passenger seat and waddled over to Emmett.
“Whoa.” I mumbled under my breath, ignoring my mother and Emmett, as I finally focused on what all the fuss was about. In front of me was a gorgeous Victorian house.
“Beautiful isn’t it? I just hope its big enough.” I heard my mother say.
“Wait. This is our house?” I asked in disbelief.
“Did you expect we came all this way to look at someone else’s house?” she said blankly. Her right hand supporting the middle of her back.
“Well, no. But I didn’t think this was what daddy was working on all these years...” I replied. Her eyes grew soft at the mention of her husband.
“He kept it a secret from me for a while, so you’re not the only one who was surprised sweetheart.” She ruffled my hair. I nodded. “He designed it just for us. He kept a close eye on everyone just to get all of our personalities right for our rooms.” she chose her words carefully, strained in fact. Everything was so difficult for her these days, especially if it was about dad. My heart did a flip. It hurt to watch her suffer slowly like this. She tilted her head, encouraging me to go and explore the house. I smiled weakly and got out of the car. Adjusting my strap on my knapsack, and gripping my book, I started to walk towards the house.
Our house is a pale peach base coat, with white shutters, and what looked to be a wraparound porch with a honey coated stain, a dark wooden front door with a gold handle, and engraved flowers with words etched into the top saying:
Home Is Closer Than You Think.
My fingers traced over the words carefully feeling a lump in my throat that burned. Another memory suddenly flashed in my head, but it was a much happier time. My father and I were sitting on the front of our old home in Bloomfield last summer, eating ice cream and looking out at the neighbors on those hot summer days.
* * * * * * * *
“Daddy?” I asked quietly.
“Yes Alex?” He replied with an easy smile on his face.
“What do you do at work?” my dad stared down at me with a grin, taking another lick of his ice Strawberry Swirl he always orders.
“Why are you so curious in what I’m doing all of sudden?” he asked slightly amused.
“I dunno. I just remembered that I never really know what you do.” I laughed once.
“Well, I used to be an archeologist...”
“Get out of here!” I said surprised. “Why have you never told me that before?” I asked.
“I didn’t think it was that important.” he shrugged and chuckled.
“Of course it is! That’s so cool!”
“Really?”
“Yes!”
“Well then. Maybe I should tell everybody that’s what I do from now on.”
We both laughed.
* * * * * * *
I shook my head, breaking me away from those old memories. I readjusted the strap on my knapsack again and walked to the back of the house, sliding my fingers across the smooth siding on my way.
I gasped. My guess was we had at least around 600 acres full of green grass, rose bushes, and a real forest. I mean a real forest, not one of those stupid little woods, but a real green, moss filled, big, ancient trees, dirt grounded forest. I instantly fell in love with it. I ran up to the front of the porch and looked back out towards the car. My breath caught in my throat. In front we have a perfect view of the Colorado mountains. Snow was sprinkled onto the body of the mountains, and edges were each carved distinctively. I loved it here. We could see the mountains back in Bloomfield, but never like this.
I suddenly turned my attention back to my family. Emmett was laying on the hood of the car holding his skateboard in the air, studying it carefully. My mother was giving orders to the movers who were walking around me with a frustrated grunt and into the house. She had one hand on the palm of her back to support her stomach which was getting bigger everyday.
She’s on her fifth month now.
We went into the hospital at least three weeks before the move for an ultra sound.
My mother wanted to see when she was due, so she would know when she had to get a room ready in the new hospital down North. The last time I saw our new baby, it was healthy and huge, but my mom refused to know the gender. She wanted it to be a surprise.
It’s always a surprise in this family.
My dad said one time that life should be unpredictable, otherwise it just wouldn’t really be classified as living if you knew what was going to happen every minute of every day.
I heard the car door slam shut behind me. I turned around and saw Emily actively talking on the phone, naturally, with a displeased look on her face. Her hands waved in the air, outraged once in a while when she heard something she didn’t quite agree with.
Josh followed behind her looking around with a crooked grin on his face. James came up behind him and lunged, bringing Josh down with him. They both laughed. Emily just rolled her eyes.
And I grinned.
My attention then refocused on my mom who was now hobbling towards me. She leaned against the wooden post for support and stared out at the mountains, thinking.
“Beautiful isn’t it?” she asked a bit breathless. I nodded, knowing she would’ve saw me. She grinned and looked down. “This is going to be a new start for all of us. Things will change...” she said as she wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into a hug.
“It all seems like a fairy tale.” I said. She giggled.
“I guess you can say that sweetheart.” she replied and kissed my hair. “You can go and find your room. I gotta help finish bringing the rest of the stuff in.” I nodded and she wobbled back down the stairs, smoothing her jeans in the process with her hands. I grinned again and walked towards the open door.
Inside was even more beautiful.
In the main entrance there was a white oak staircase in front of you that led to the second floor.
On the left was the entrance to the living room, and the first thing you see is a black grande piano. I slowly walked over to it with my mouth hanging open. I dropped my knapsack and writing book on the ground. My fingers slowly brushed against the smooth white and black keys, and once again I could feel that familiar lump in my throat. My father knew I loved music. I had taken lessons with our neighbor for free for a couple of years. After that, he had gotten sick so I quit so I could help take care of him. I forced my eyes to look away before I lost it completely.
I suddenly heard footsteps enter in behind me.
I turned around and saw my mother, Emmett, Josh, James, and Emily standing in the entrance staring blankly at our new home. No one spoke. I took a step passed the piano and saw a large metal fireplace in front of me, with our couches waiting for us. Boxes were stacked neatly around the couches on the dark wooden floor. I could feel daddy here, with us. This house was magic. Everything about it was special. It’s like, my father, was never gone in the first place. The house just had a certain warmth to it.
I walked back through the living room, past my family and up the stairs. My converse squeaking each time I took a step on the polished stairs. It seemed to get lighter and sunnier as I got closer to the top.
My daddy was here. He never left. The house seemed to heal me. Heal everything that had happened. I listened to my slow even breath become more frantic as the warm feeling overwhelmed me. I finally got to the top, and looked in front of me. There was a long hallway lit by a giant glass window. I stared at it for a while, looking at the forest that was staring back at me.
Waiting.
I took a step. On the left side there were four wooden doors, and three on the right. I walked slowly in the middle of the hallway looking at the doors on the left. They all had something uniquely and personally carved into them.
The first one, had the name: Emily Rosalynn Martina engraved on the top. Beneath it was a picture of a bird. The detail seemed to be so impossible to even be engraved on the wood. I walked towards the bird and traced my hand lightly over it. I could feel the rough edges of hard labor, worked into it. I moved my gaze underneath the bird which had more writing. It was one, and very clear word:
Hope.
I smiled. Emily could use that.
The second door had the same thing except it had the names: Josh Michael and James Allen Martina engraved on the top. Underneath it had two foxes with their tails intertwined with the word:
Behave.
I started to giggle. Daddy always new how to get after those two.
The third door was Emmett’s. It was in the same handwriting as the other two doors, but it said at the top: Emmett Carter Martina.
Underneath was a picture of a wolf howling under the stars, my father was amazing, adding every single detail. You could start to feel the wolf’s emotions. Pain, strength, everything. Underneath was the word:
Protect.
My dad spent all of his time making us personalized doors? There all beautiful but why would daddy spend all that time making everything perfect? Did he know that he was going to leave us or something? I could start to feel the tears come. My eyes started to blur. I wiped them away with my arm. I couldn’t lose face now. I had to be strong. For mom.
Then there was mine.
My door started off the same way as my other brothers and sister’s did. The name: Alexandra Vrain Martina was carved at the top. I could feel the tears start to force there way through my eyes again. I sniffled a little but shook my head. Underneath my name was not a picture of an animal, but two roses. The stems where intertwined, the thorns sticking out and what looked like two tear drops, dripping off into a small pool of water. The details were far greater than the wolf, foxes, and bird. They looked so real that you could almost reach out and grab them. I covered my mouth with my hand. Underneath was the word:
Love.
I heard a sob slip through my lips. What was my father trying to tell me?
After a few minutes, I breathed a ragged sigh and forced myself to open the door. I slowly fell to my knees.
Inside was a large window with a seat built into the wall. White ghostly curtains draped across the room as the wind were trying to speak to me. The gentle breeze tickled my face. I felt a tear slide down my cheek. I looked around and saw the walls were black and white. The black had white polka dots and the white had black polka dots. A typical teenage room. My bed was set on the far right wall which had words written above the metal that said:
“Love is everything, let it go, and Life isn’t the same.”
My throat started to burn. The tears started to fall down my cheeks with more intensity now.
I didn’t even bother with wiping them away this time.
I covered my mouth to help stifle the sobs that were now radiating without my control. I looked at the left wall, and there sitting was a beautiful dark, wooden dresser. It had engraved vines and roses on it. Between each petal was Love Life written over and over again. I suddenly became ashamed. How could I be so selfish sometimes when my father spent so much time on making my room? It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. My father was very caring and very loving. And I think he transferred his love for all of us into my home somehow. There I went being selfish again.
It was our home.
“Daddy I wish you were here.” I whispered under my breath.
Then I saw a door beside the dresser. I stood up, curious now, wiping away the tears. I hesitantly turned the knob, and pulled it open.
Inside was a small room.
I stepped inside, and felt more warmth radiate around me. It had a dark wooden floor and a small crescent moon window as the only source of light. But what really caught my eyes was in front of me.
A white, metal, spiral staircase.
It had vines forming the bars that held it all together. My fingers traced the vines as I began to climb up. The higher I went the brighter it became. I could feel the wind to, it made my hair dance around me.
Finally I came to a second floor.
I turned around and saw white walls all around me, with paint lined across, all sorts of colors. Slightly confused I walked into the small space. Large windows were on two parallel walls, which were the only sources of light. The sun was warming the entire space, so I decided to open one of the windows. The wind gusted through, making the warmth disappear. I looked back out through the backyard. The forest seemed to grow a little menacing. I wonder if the wind was coming from the forest. But that would be stupid, the forest being alive? Like, alive, alive? That’s impossible. But it did seem like it was, breathing...
I shook my head and placed my hands on my hips and turned around, inspecting. On the opposite wall, there was a desk. With the same designs as my dresser did. Everything seemed to grow quiet.
This room was full of magic. It just had that feeling to it. Of every emotion. Anger, sadness, hope, joy, love.
“What is this room?” I breathed. I walked towards the desk. My fingers lightly tracing the polished wood. My father had created my very own place. Where I was free to be myself, free of responsibility, free of stress.
Free of reality.
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The wind through my hair,
The grass beneath my feet,
And the never ending run of my life
It doesn't matter where I go,
I'm going to the end of the world and back,
The indescribable feeling of running as fast as you can,
To touch the stars,
Brushing my hand against the black night sky like water,
This dream is the perfect escape,
Escape from life itself,
This never ending field of dreams,
Is an indescribable feeling of freedom,
Joy, Hope, and
Love...
~Gaebriella M.~
(Twilight_NERD69) <33