Arabella Storm (An Alice in Chains Story)

Arabella Storm

        The year is 1986. Summer has just started and I have just turned 16. I have also just ran away from home. 

        My name is Arabella Storm. I'm from a small town in Wyoming. Don't get me wrong now, I love my family. I have three sisters and two brothers. I love them to death, but I just won't stay there anymore. I have to grow up and make a better life for myself. Let me paint you a picture of how my life is. 

        I grew up on a larger than life farm in Wyoming.I have three sisters: Susanna is 14, Amelia is 8, and Caroline is 6. Then I have two brothers: Houston is 10 and Arlo is 5. We all grew up on this huge farm. We had ponds to swim in, trees to climb and even a trampoline and tire swing. It's an awesome place to grow up at and I loved it. Until I turned 11. My dad was never around anymore. He started "working overtime." I was the one who found out he was having an affair. 

        Shortly after I found out, my mom found out. She started drinking more and more. Finding out about my dad killed her inside. Eventually she started doing drugs to. Now all she does is sit around drinking, snorting cocain, shooting up heroin, and watching TV up in her room. We barely see her anymore, except for the occasional time she has to go out and buy more beer or drugs. 

        Anyways my mom and dad never officially split up. Besides everything that happened, they had us kids to take care of. They didn't want to split us up, but I know it's just because mom would never be able to support any of us by herself and dad knew that too.

        After all of that finally settled down, we then had to let my grandma come life with us. My grandpa died and she didn't want to live by herself, so we had her come stay with us. She was my dads mom and she was the best women ever. She was the only one that could make me smile some days. 

        Once I turned 12 I learned how to play guitar and I loved it. I used it to express myself so I could let my emotions out. I didn't start writing until I turned 14 though. Many more events occured during thoughs two years and playing the guitar just wasn't enough for me anymore. My grandma noticed me getting quieter and quieter and suggested that I tried writing. She said "Write anything you feel you need to get off your chest. This way you don't pile up your feeling, but you don't have to tell anyone, anything. 

        I loved this idea and took the journal she had bought for me. It was the most beautiful journal she could have bought me, yet so simple. It was bound in an off brown leather with a jeweled chain, with different colored gems and jewels to keep it shut. I started at first just writing how I felt each day, but that eventually turned into songs. I eventually was writing 2 songs a day and I loved it. This was my passion. Music. 

        I started saving up the money my grandma would give me for helping her, and the money my dad would give me to go help mom, so I could get a record player. Eventually I was going to the record store every day after school, buying new rock, punk, and the new so called grunge albums. That's the kind of music I love, and the kind I write too.

        Now here I am, sixteen, jam packed into my grandmas 1973 4 door chevy impala, that she gave me as a birthday present. Ready to leave my family. No goodbye, just a note.

"Leaving to start a life worth living." -Arablla

Although I did leave a seperate note for my grandma.

"I love you. I'll call you on Fridays." -Arabella

Now where was I headed exactly. Oh yah... Seattle Washington.