A Home Among the Stars (EDITING NEW VERSION TO BE POSTED)

Prologue

Prologue

          I turned to corner onto my street, watching the moths out of the corner of my eyes. They swarmed around the street light, casting shadows onto the sidewalk. I walked a few more feet and looked around the curve of the street. I froze at the sight.

          A house was on fire, cracking and popping as the flames licked up the sides. There were three fire trucks parked in front and people rushing about like busy ants.

Who’s house was on fire?

I screamed when I realized who’s it was.

I was mine.

Without thinking, I was running towards it, tears already streaming down my face. A fireman stopped me from running into my house and I sank down to the ground, sobbing.

I was staring at it. My house, engulfed in a raging fire.

The black sky glowed orange as the tendrils of flame licked up the sides, weaved their way in and out of the windows and burned everything in their path. A wave of helplessness washed over me. Everything I held dear was burning to the ground and I couldn’t do anything about it.

I sat numbly as the fire department sprayed tons of water on my house.

Before I knew it, they were bringing out body bags.

There was only one conclusion I could make from that. My parents had to be in them.  As they were placed in the back of an ambulance, tears cascading down my face.

Now that my house wasn’t on fire anymore, people could begin paying attention to me, the only surviving member of my family. One lady came up to me, peeling her mask off.

“Honey, are you okay?” I didn’t look at her. I just looked the ashen remains of my house. My home.

“I’m an orphan,” I whispered, almost not believing it.

“Oh, honey, I know. It’s going to be alright though. I promise.” I slowly turned to look at her. I was 14 and she was talking to me like I was 7. For some strange reason, that was making me mad.

“And how can you promise that? My parents are dead. They died right there!” I screamed as I pointed to my house. “Right through that window! How can it be alright?” She stood dumbstruck, staring at me with a mixture of fear and regret.

“I should have been there. I should have been in that house too,” I whispered to myself. A wave of guilt washed over me. If I hadn’t snuck out and gone to that stupid party…

“Sweetie, I know that this is painful for you, but I’m gonna need you to come with me. I’m gonna find you a good home.”

“A good home? My home was perfectly fine.”

“I know, but it’s gone now. You have to move on.” I glared at her and sat on the ground, refusing to move. I turned away from her and looked back at my house, a black ashen mess. What was left of the walls was now crumbling in, falling periodically. Looking at it, I flashed back through my memories, happy and sad.

The Christmas before my grandma died. It had been a happy day, filled with warm light from the fire place and hot coco. We joked and laughed all day long. That laughter rang in my eras.

As did my mother’s voice solemnly telling me that my dog died. The salty tears that streaked down my face, just as they were now. But now, my mom wasn’t here to comfort me. Her arms couldn’t wrap me in one of those motherly hugs. She couldn’t hold me and tell me that everything was going to be okay.

Neither could my dad. I was daddy’s little girl, always teasing him about anything and everything. He would pretend to be mad, but then he used to pick me up and turn me upside down, acting like a bully. There would be a silly grin on his face, as on mine. I would squeal with delight.

These images now floated in front of me; in the ashes of what had been my home.

**********

“Do you have anyone that we can call?” I silently shook my head at the blonde behind the desk. “Is there anywhere you can go?” again I shook my head. I had no one now.

“Well, we have many families looking to adopt a sweet girl like you.” I frowned at her. “You’re going to have a new family soon, I promise.”

A couple of tears made their way out of my eyes.

“I don’t want a new family,” I choked out, “I want my parents. I don’t want to be adopted.”

“Honey, I’m sorry, but that’s the way it is.”

“Then change it,” I said forcefully. The lady opened her mouth to say something, and by the small fire in her eyes, I suspected it was a nasty comeback she would regret later.

“Jodie, I’ll take her. She doesn’t need the foster care system.” She nodded and left the room. I turned to the voice that saved me. Friendly green eyes and a small smile met me. The middle-aged man leaned up against the door frame.

“Who are you?” I asked quietly.

“My name is Darrel. I run a… well I guess it’s a gang. I run a gang of orphaned kids. I have an entire apartment building dedicated to it. There are kids there, all about your age. They are well fed, and clothed. You can go there if you want, instead of going to some random home in Michigan.” I shook my head.

“I love New Mexico. I can’t leave the only home I have left.” Darrel nodded in understanding.

“Then you can come live with me. If you find you don’t like it, you can leave anytime.”

I’ll admit, the offer was tempting. But I head learned about strangers and trusting them. This man could be trying to kidnap me and turn me into some kind of slave. The promise of leaving if I wanted could all just a scam to get me to come.

But then again, he was right. I could be shipped off anywhere. I would have to leave the deserts of New Mexico. It was my only home left. The sands and the cool breezes were all I had left now. How could I leave that behind?

A red-head girl stepped into the room. She looked my age, but there was happiness in her features, unlike my frowning ones.

“Hi! My name is Robyn! I heard Darrel was trying to recruit someone else. You have to come! It’s almost all guys now! It’s driving me absolutely nuts!” she said, smiling warmly at me. So this was someone from the place that Darrel was talking about? She did look well feed, and clothed and well… happy.

Was it really possible for me to be happy after this?

I turned towards Darrel and nodded.

“I’ll go."

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K so there it is! next chapter!! and if u guys dont like this one, well the next chapter is the beginning of the REAL story and I think its perty good if i do say myself. so stay tuned!!