Slipping Away

The black mass was racing to engulf the girl whole, she ran with all her might, through a thick forest, with tree branches slapping at her face, bushes with thorns scratching at her legs, trying to escape it, but she soon begins to stagger from exhaustion , drawing in ragged, burning, breaths from the intensity of the race, she comes to a huge cliff and just barely slides to a stop, she looks around shaking and realizes she has run into a dead end, in pain and fear, she doubles over, her eyes watering, and as her terrified face looks up, the mass is on her, it feels as though she is being devoured by the mass, it circles and tries to engulf all of her, swirling around in a whirlwind that snatches the last remaining breath from the girl, just as she begins to lose the fight, clutching her stomach as though she were trying to hold whatever remained of herself together, willing herself to stay strong, Emma screams, waking herself up for the 4th night in a row, scratching, kicking, and clawing at her poor covers, like her dream, she begins to lose the fight, and ends up on the floor.

Emma lies there, trying to slow her breathing. And finds herself looking out the window, watching the stars. The soft glow from the stars calm her down, and after a little while, she is able to untangle herself from the mess of sheets surrounding her legs, and drag herself into a sitting position. Emma sat, and tried to remember her nightmare, but could only get bits and pieces of a black mass, she knew there was so much more to it, but Emma was also aware that this dream always begins to slip away as soon as the fight with her sheets began. Emma laid back in her bed, and blew out her breath, aware of the fact that there was no way she was going to be able to go back to sleep, glancing over at her clock, 5:31 am confirmed this conclusion.

"I guess I'm up for the day" Emma crosses the room and snaps on the light.

"Gahhh" Emma squints her eyes to slivers as they adjust to the overhead lights. Emma looks around her new room, sighing slightly at the many boxes lining her light blue walls.

It's been 2 months since I've been here, not even unpacked yet, and now, I get to add school to the mix, today will be fun… I probably should unpack, they're not…. Emma stopped herself right there grimacing at her own stupidity, and ran to shut off her alarm.

Hearing an alarm go off down the hall, Emma runs to the bathroom, and quickly locks the door, grinning to herself as she hears a "Hey" from her cousin's room, glad for the opportunity of getting the first shower. Being the last one to get up in the morning: usually about 10 minutes before she has to do anything, Emma is the last of 7 to get to use the bathroom, meaning she is used to taking very fast, very cold showers. Emma turns the spigots, cranking up the hot water; she'd already forgotten her terror from the dream. Emma undresses, and steps into the piping hot water. She lifts her face to the water, settling into a calm, almost numb state. That was a close call. There were some things that Emma did not think or speak of now, and that line of thought was never a good idea to follow.

20 minutes later, shower now finished, Emma opens her closet doors, and looks at all of her clothes, trying to figure out what to wear and get her mind off of her nerves. So…. positives, got up early for first day of school, have everything ready, just gotta get through all of the stupid intro's for class, then I can just melt in and just get through.

Jeez, I have all of these clothes, and of course I can't find a thing to wear. Wonder if it's cold outside?

Emma looks from her closet, to her window, which she has noticed is wide open. Her brows furrowed, and her arms automatically crossing together, she swiftly walks across the room, and slams the window close.

I definitely did not notice that window open, maybe Abby came in to my room again; I know she's 6, but it's no excuse! Well I guess at least now I know that it's sweater weather.

Why is my Aunt making start a new school in my junior year! It is so unfair, I would be perfectly content with homeschooling, but noooo, she won't even listen, I do not need, nor do I want to make friends here, in 2 years, I'll be off to college anyway!

Emma grabs a dark blue sweater, and throws on a pair of jeans, some mismatched socks, and a pair of sneakers. Grabbing her back pack, she glances in her mirror on the closet door, and notices that her hair is a mess, and quickly throws it up in a sloppy pony tail. She stared into the mirror a bit longer, noticing that her long brown hair was in need of a serious cut, that her small oval face, with her big green eyes with bags under them, looked pale. Her small frame looked frail in the mirror, as though at any moment she could fall apart, which was a feeling she tried very much to keep together.

Emma tried to look as happy as possible, and began to walk downstairs. She rounded the corner of the stairs and ran straight into her oldest cousin, Jason.

"Hey, Em, I'm surprised you're up this early! You actually have time for breakfast! O, by the way, thanks for the cold shower this morning" As he says this last part, he smirks and winks, and this automatically puts Emma in a better mood.

Her cousin was now in his senior year of High school, and because of that, he didn't have as much time to spend with her. Out of all of her cousins, Jason was her favorite, he always knew when something was wrong, and could always put her in a better mood, and he was the closest thing she had to an actual brother. She looked him over, noticing that he had finally shaven the beard he'd been sporting for the last month, the one she had given him crap for everyday, she smiled, knowing he had shaved it because she had said it didn't look very good. Her cousin, unlike all of the other males in the Bryan house, was blonde, with of course, blue eyes. He was built like a football player, which is the sport, him and his father, Emma's Uncle Sam, loved.

She had 3 other cousins, her youngest cousin, Abby, who was 6 and just coming down the stairs, was the spitting image of her mother. She was always dressed to the T, with matching outfits with all of the matching shoes and purses. She was the opitamy of a little girl; her room was all pink, with unicorns and rainbows and sunshine coming from every square inch. Abby was just starting kindergarten today, and therefore, was up and ready extra early, she had been going around telling anyone and everyone who would listen, that she was going into Kindergarten. She was a cute kid, if you ignored the fact that she was constantly nosing around in your room, was a little spy for Aunt Marie, and loved nothing more than to take and spill your entire bottle of $90 perfume all over the bathroom floor. Let's not go there, that'll put you in an even grosser mood.

The twins came down the stairs next, Sarah and Michael. They were fraternal twins, and could not look any less alike. Michael had dark brown hair like Emma's uncle, he was still slightly overweight from when he was younger, but you could tell he'd grow out of it and have more of his father and brothers build. Whereas Sarah had the color blonde hair that can only come in Hair dye box number 21. She used to have brown hair, but decided she looked better as a blonde. She was a bit too skinny, with just a bit too much make up on, but Emma could tell it was a mask to hide that she was actually scared to be starting school today. Emma really didn't talk to Sarah too much, she was usually yelling and fighting with her "boyfriend", or locked up in her room, blaring music. The twins were 14, 2 years younger than Emma, meaning that they were entering their freshman year at her High school, which she secretly hoped would mean that she may have someone to sit with at lunch. As Sarah turned the corner, she did a once over of what Emma had on, and rolled her eyes.

"Emma, I know you have a figure underneath that hideous sweater, but you could really fool other people right now." She says this with a flip of her platinum blonde straightened hair" Now I know you are probably just nervous, but since we have lunch together, make sure to try not to sit too close, I have an image I have to maintain, and I reeearrllllly want to make the squad this year, it's nothing personal you know!" She added that last bit as an afterthought, already walking into the kitchen, not really meaning it. Emma rolled her eyes and shook her head, saying "Wow, alright Sarah" but secretly she was more than slightly hurt, and looked to Michael, who, she already knew from the look on his face, that she would fend for herself today at lunch. Michael must have saw that Emma registered this bit of information, because all of a sudden, his shoe must have been fascinating, because he watched it very closely while passing her. Emma blew out a sigh, and then noticed that Jason had a very serious look on his face, and had not been paying attention, doing something with his phone, probably texting.

"Heeelllooo Earth to Jason, you said that I actually made it to breakfast! It's a bad sign if you are starting to not pay attention and you haven't even gotten to school yet." Jason looked and finally caught the joke, then noticing the bags under Emma's eyes, Jason says "No really Em, you ok? You don't look too good."

Emma smiles and answer's back with a rumbling from her stomach. She laughs, and says"Yeah I'm fine, I should try this whole waking up early thing more often! That shower was really relaxing, nice and hot. You ready for breakfast? Let's grab some grub." She pushes him slightly to try to get ahead, but he simply picks her up, and sets her behind him, then proceeds to walk into the kitchen, laughing the whole time.

Just at the last second, Jason walks over and grabs Emma a cup of coffee as a peace offering. She smiles, then begins to look in the freezer and grabs out a couple of waffles, then tosses them in the toaster while getting her plate, silverware, and the syrup. She hears the toaster pop up, and grabs up her meal, then heads to the table with her coffee. As Emma sits down, her Uncle Sam, with his brown short cropped hair, in his banker suit as Abby calls it, comes flying through the doorway.

"Hey kids, I'm running late for work, love you all have a good day at school, and I'll see all of you at dinner." He is a man of very few words, but when he talks he likes to get to the point. Emma really does not think that her uncle would have had children if it hadn't have been for her Aunt Marie, not because he didn't want kids, but because he'd probably forget that he'd had any. Uncle Sam was to say the very least, slightly forgetful. Aunt Marie came in next, holding her husband's car keys and winking to all of the kids.

"Hun where are my keys? I am going to be late!" Uncle Sam calls from the garage.

"They are right here sweetheart!" Emma's uncle comes running into the room, a lopsided grin on his face.

"I don't know what I'd do without you ma dear" He gives her a big kiss, then comes around the table to give everyone a kiss on the head, then dashes out of the house like a line backer.

"Alright, has everyone got their lunches? Yes Abby, I know, you are going to Kindergarten today, Michael, Sarah, and Emma, do you have everything you need?"

"Yes Aunt Marie, yea mom I got it, yea" All three of the kids answered at once.

"Alright, now remember you guys have about" She checks the time, "7 minutes 'til the bus comes. Emma, can I talk to you alone dear, it will only take a second." She walks out, without really waiting for a response. Emma follows her Aunt into the living room after shoveling up the last bite of her waffle.

"Yes Aunt Marie?" Emma mumbles through her too big of a bite of waffle.

"Emma, I know that you going into High school and not knowing anyone will be hard, but I know you can do it, and if you need anything, you let me know, ok sweetie? I know that your pa.." She was interrupted mid sentence by Emma who practically yelled. "It's ok!" Checking herself, she said in a quieter voice, "It's ok, I understand why you are having me go. But I am going to have to leave; the bus will be coming soon." Emma kisses her Aunt quickly on the cheek, and not really waiting for a response, runs back into the kitchen.

"OK, bus comes in about 5 minutes, we'd better go." Sarah remembering something that she almost forgot upstairs, drops her bag, and sets her phone on the counter, wide open. As Emma walks past it, she see's that a text from Jason was left open, it read.

"You shouldn't have said what you said, Emma is new to the school and has no friends here, she's been through a lot, with what happened to her parents and sister, and you know it. A little bit more compassion is expected from you. If you see her sitting by herself, let her sit by you, or the Dance, Dance revolution game you want for Christmas is not happening. Tell Michael too."

Emma backs away from the counter just in time, and trying to hide her emotions on her face, sprints out the front door, making the bus just in time. As she gets on followed by her cousins, who all sit with their childhood friends, she can see that their stop is one of the first on the routes, which means prime seating. She glances around, and slides into a seat in the front, turning her face towards the window. She had barely held it in, but can't anymore, so a tear slowly slides down her cheek, she wipes it away, but can still feel the sting of the words that she wished she hadn't read. "She's been through a lot, with what happened to her parents and her sister." Emma forces the thought from her head.

Not right now, I can only handle so much, one thing at a time. Breathe, breathe, hey but, at east Jason stood up for me, that was really sweet. Emma slowly breathes down the emotions, feeling them slipping away, and sits back, dreading her first day even more now.