Such a strange thing hope is

Chapter One

Chapter One

"Willow found it funny. How there were two houses, complete mirror images of one another, standing side by side, yet they were completely different. They looked the same on the outside but had completely different insides. like twins.

The house next-door was happy, warm and the occupants were a perfect family, they were the house of hope. Always filled with lighted conversations, humorous arguments and beacons of hope. The family always ate together, constantly aware of what was happening in each others lives, they were all kind to each other, never cold. They were perfect.

Then there was Willow's house. Everyday in the Jackson household was like walking on melting ice, unsure when everything was going to break and fall to its death in a pool of deafening coldness. Willow's family never ate together, they never even acknowledged each other. They were walking, soulless corpses. They were far from perfect."

The family ate breakfast, then went upstairs and started their individual activities. Completely forgetting they actually had a full family; Mum, Dad and Three healthy children. They took them for granted because they didn't know any different. They didn't know that there are people who don't have the comfort of a 'Full' family.

Many people. People like me.

I watched from the window of my bedroom every single morning. It was sort of comforting, watching a family. A perfect family. It sort of dulled the fact that mine would never be perfect. I mean, how could it be? I had a Mum who was never home. A brother who treated me like something the cat dragged in, and no Father.

No amount of Hope or anything like that would be able to save my family. It's not like any of my family members even have any hope left. Not since...Not since we gave up.

I didn't want to go to school today, though I never wanted to go to school so it was nothing new. I'm going to have to go though, It's not like mum's going to care but I do it for dad.

He'd want me to do well at school and get a good job. So I do it for him. No one else.

I grabbed my schoolbag from the corner of my room where I always left it after a day of hell. Which was every day, and got out of the house.

It's cold, again. No surprise there. This is England.

I crossed my arms around my chest in an attempt to get warm. It didn't work, I should have brought a thicker coat, instead of some small leather jacket thing that does nothing for the English weather.

I walked down the street, this street is quite beautiful. With ivy covered gates and bright coloured leaves. It was nice.

As usual, I let my mind wander. To the happy times, when everything was perfect.

I remembered the day at the beach. Dad was obsessed with making burgers on the beach. He was the worst cook ever, He usually burned it but there was one time when he didn't and everything was perfect. That's probably the best memory ever. After that, everything just went downhill.

He would try and try to take to the sea but I always cried and screaming. He said he would help me overcome my fear. but he didn't, he's not here to help me. and I'm still scared, more then I was before.

He'd tell me that I needed the sea to help me grow, because I was a Willow tree and trees needed water to grow and become beautiful. I would argue and say that I was already beautiful. I wish I believed that now, things would be a lot more simpler.

It was funny how much self esteem I had back them and how quickly it can disappear when everything breaks like a mirror , the shards going everywhere stabbing the fun out of us.

I had no self-esteem left, just like I have no dad left. Robin and Mum acted like they didn't care, and I really wanted them to prove me wrong because I didn't want to believe that they were as cold-hearted as they made out to be.

That is the only memory I ever cared about saving, the only one worth saving. I'm glad I saved it though, it showed that my family was once whole and perfect and I didn't ever want to forget that.