This Is Reality

Prologue - How it all started

I was running. Where was I running to? I had no idea, but wherever I was going, it wasn't going to be anywhere near Plum Street. I ran straight into the woods and didn't look back, even if I was entering a dark, scary forest while it was pouring down the rain. I stopped to catch my breath. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. I kept taking deep breaths, until I heard rustling from somewhere near the place I was wheezing at. The rain calmed down and I hollered out into the slight breeze.

"Who's there?" I asked with a brave voice. "Who is it?"

No reply.

I heard more rustling, but this time I saw something. A shadow. A shadow with a human figure. I quickly started running again. Thoughts kept rushing through my mind. Where was I going to sleep? How was I going to shower? What if some animal or person snuck up on me and killed me in my sleep? I was scared, but I was still running far from here. I had just said goodbye to my boyfriend, the only person I loved. You might ask, who was I running from? My parents. My abusive parents. And my boyfriend. Well, ex boyfriend. We didn't technically break up, but I wasn't going to see him for about three years, so we were sort of over. Why was I running from Oliver, my boyfriend? Because I'd rather leave him then have him hurt. I was going to die if I stayed with my parents, because they abused me so badly, so I had to get away. For myself, and for Ollie. I became very ill, and my parents were poor, so I couldn't get the medical treatment I needed. Even if my parents were rich, they wouldn't take me to a doctor. They wouldn't even buy the medicine I needed, for that case. I didn't know what was wrong with me or why I was so ill, but now I had to be ill, while running, and wheezing, and sleeping in the woods, and starving, and thirsting. I had food and water but not enough to last for three years. I brought the little bit of money I had saved up for emergencies, so I could use that to go and buy food and water when I needed it. I didn't want to spend all of it on just that, so I really just wanted to use it on bread, butter, and milk, because that's all I needed to survive. I didn't have a microwave or toaster. I had a mini cooler in my backpack, so that would keep my food fresh.

After running for five minutes, I became exhausted and needed a break. I slouched down and put my hands on my knees. I was wheezing and had a hard time catching my breath. I had to keep going. I had no choice. I had no choice but to run from my problems. Run from my fears. Run from life. Run from the voices inside my head, constantly telling me I was a mistake just waiting to happen. I let them get inside my head. I let my failures bring me down. Therefore, I was running from my failures.

"Help me, please, help me!" I looked up and cried out. I wasn't sure if there was a God or not, but I knew He could help me if there was one.

I hear voices.

"Do you hear that? That- that wheezing. It's coming from over there."

"I hear it. Let's see what it is."

NO! I closed my eyes wearily, then opened them. I ran as fast as I could, my heart beating, my blood rushing through my body. Don't turn back. Keep going. I thought to myself. I kept running as fast as my short legs would let me go, until I found some place. It looked like it was full of happiness. The streets were made of pure gold! I couldn't believe my eyes! I felt so happy, I saw- myself? I was smiling, and I started walking up the streets of gold and I stopped at these gates that were slowly being opened. I was about to see what was on the side of those gates, until I snapped out of it. I was lying on the hard, nasty ground, and two blurry faces were staring down at me. I was hallucinating. Two guys were above me, looking down at me with concern.

"She's awake," one of the guys said.

"Are you okay?" the other guy asked me.

"Yeah-, yeah, I'm fine. What happened?" I replied. I looked around and realized I was in the woods. It was nighttime. It was dark. I could hardly see anything.

"You fainted," one of them told me.

"Oh," I said. "Oh, man! I've gotta go!" I got up and started running.

"Wait! Where are you going?" one of the guys hollered at me. I turned around to face them.

"I don't know, I'm surprising myself." I threw my hands up. "I'm going on an adventure." I grinned enthusiastically and started running again.

"She's cute," I heard one of them say.

"Yeah. Yeah, she really is." said the other one. I grinned and headed off on my adventure.

And that's how I became the wanderer for three years, until I ended up on Plumb Street again, at Oliver's front door.