Life (as i know it)

Safety

The trunk of my car opened with a thunk as the lock turned. I lifted in two large bags and one small one. The first was a one square one filled with two weeks worth of clean clothes, the second contained my backpack with my computer, textbooks, and binder, and the last held my camera and both my lenses. I shut the trunk hard to make sure the lock caught and walked back to the house.

                 “I’m ready to go,” I announced as I opened the door.

Maverick was the first to appear. “Bye Eli!” he said and threw his arms around my waist.

“See ya, Mav,” I said, ruffling his shaggy blond hair with one hand. He likes it long around his ears for some reason. “You can’t play Lord of the Rings without me. I want to help you beat the bonus level.”

“Aw,” he said, disappointed. “Can I play on my own file?”

“Sure,” I said letting him go, “Just don’t play on mine.”

“Okay,” he said. “Bye!” He ran off down the hall.

-------------

“Are you ready to leave?” Mom asked. Dad followed right behind her.

“I guess,” I said, my heart heavy. I didn’t want to go back to school. Christmas break had been fantastic. “Can you help me carry my bags?”

We picked them all up, a big square one, a backpack, a duffel bag, and my camera bag.

“Bye guys!” I said to my siblings. All three of them were watching TV on the couch.

“Bye Eli!” Blithe said cheerily.

“Bye Eli!” Maverick yelled, echoing her.

“Bye!” Cadence said with a grin and laugh in her voice. “I hope I never see you again!”

I chuckled and waved goodbye. Mom and Dad helped me put my bags in the backseat of my pickup and we shut the door.

“Bye Dad,” I said, giving him a one armed hug.

“Bye. Keep us posted. Send us your schedule,” he said.

“Alright. I will.” I turned to Mom and hugged her. She’s a lot smaller than me.

“Bye, bye,” she said. “Be safe.”

“I will,” I said.

“I love ya,” she said.

“I know,” I said. “I love you too.”

                 ------------------

My car hummed underneath me. There was a darkening sky before me and a chilly breeze was keeping anything from warming up.

 Brandon Heath played on the radio.

Touched down on the cold black tar,

Hold on for the sudden stop

Breathe in the familiar shock

Of confusion and chaos

Tears stung my eyes and I fought them off.

 I passed by empty fields, the sun fading behind me, its golden rays seeming to set on fire each grassy pasture as each yellow stalks were flushed bright orange. The clock on the dash said 6:15.

Brandon had reached the chorus.

All those people goin’ somewhere

Why have I never cared?