The Book of Shadows

Chapter One

        The glare from the moon glistened on her cheek, her hair whisked across her face in the slight winter breeze. She was finally surrounded by silence, something she's wished for for a long time. She could finally hear her thoughts and clear up the things she knew she couldn't before. She now knew what it felt like to be alone in a good way.

     The small fog from her breath created a ray of warmth on her chilled face. She gracefully laid on the hood of her rustic '66 red Thunderbird, her head resting on the windshield. Gazing up at the stars, she finally got to make sense of it all. She breathed one deep breath after another, finally realizing her strength. Flashbacks raced through her head of all the memories she had forgotten. Of people, of places, of feelings she could no longer remember, but wished she had. The times when she felt her happiest, the times she truly missed the most. This brought a slight smirk to her face. She realized that she let those times slip away too fast and too far away to bring back again. Her smile faded. 

     Still admiring the stars, she watched the sky become a navy blue. The stars twinkled, making a mesmerizing scene. The blueness in the sky slowly dwindled as the blackness emerged and seeped through, overpowering the sight of the dark midnight sky. Fog covered the sparkling moon and now the world was pitch-black. She felt the world go still, as did she. The wind whistled. The sudden noise echoed through the trees. For once in her life, she had finally found peace, comfort, and happiness.

     Although this amazing night had caused her so much relief, she knew that it was late-too late to be out in the middle of nowhere. So she slowly paced herself around the car, feeling her way around it. She made out the door handle and gave it a slight pull, it creaked open. She carefully sat down in the leather driver's seat as she searched her bag for the keys. While rummaging through her smock like bag, the sound of wrinkled gas station receipts, worn grocery lists stating the essentials: bread, milk, eggs, and a single key strung proudly off a key chain hanging beside a rabbit's foot filled the air. Soon enough, she pulled out the key that reflected a single shine from the dimly lit stars hanging overhead. Placing the key into the ignition, she heard her engine roar. She began to pull out and make her way back to the main roads but then she stopped and thought to herself, 'where am I to go?'

    She twisted the key and her roaring engine soften to a light hum. Throwing the car key on her lap, she threw herself forward, slamming head first on the steering wheel, she groaned. The key slid down to the floor, on the stained clear floor mat in which she scuffed her dirty shoes on. She had never felt more unwanted, never so free. This comparison confused her, she didn't understand which one she felt more of. She sighed. She stretched, reaching for her keys, the icy metal stinging her already numb fingers. She placed it in the ignition and turned it one more time. She steadily moved the gear shift downward, putting her car back in gear. The engine rumbled. Even though the sun had already faded she still remembered the path in which she came, an easy exit.  She leisurely guided her car around the jagged path of stone and slimy mud. Her slow pace began to grow slower as the size of the path decreased, cramming her car in-between the forest of twisted trees. She managed to avoid hitting anything that could cause any harm by being so careful, knowing that she was deeply fragile and the slightest scrap would take months of healing. 

     She squinted her eyes to see what looked like the exit. As she carefully moved her car forward, she began to see the main road. She proceeded to inch closer. With a sudden rush, her car jolted with speed. The engine growled at the sudden acceleration. At last, she was finally on the main road. Swerving her car to the left, she began to see the sight of the crystal blue ocean. The flouriest moon gleamed on the subtle waves. Still looking at the road, her left hand reached over and turned the volume dial to the right. Even though she still had the volume quiet, she could make out the words that were being said. She instantly knew the song and eagerly turned the radio up even louder. The air was now filled with the sound of Will To Power; her favorite.