Guilded

Guilded - Chapter 1

The next day I spent unpacking boxes. When the day came to an end, I couldn't sleep. I grabbed my jacket and put on some pants before leaving to practice parkour on a nearby playground.

I jumped from the swings and onto the merry-go-round. It's automatic and powered by a motor. A quick glance at my watch tells me it's almost 11:00 pm, which shouldn't be a problem since Noel is at work. When I look up again, I can barely see the zip-line bar a few feet away from where I'm spinning and I jump for it once I spin in the right direction. I get across and roll onto the platform next to it. Picking myself up quickly, I grab the edge of my next obstacle and swing my feet up on top of a green crawl tube. I walk across it and grab the roof of the next section, pulling myself up easily. I sit at the top, expecting to look at my new city, but don't get to for too long before I have to shield my eyes from a bright light walking towards me.

"Get down from there!" A man yells at me.

I obey and jump straight down onto the wood chips, forcing my momentum forward into a roll. I stand, brushing myself off, and the man shines the flashlight at the ground. I now see clearly that I am standing before a cross-looking police officer.

"What's your name, miss?" He asks.

"Ava Kinsley, sir. Have I done something wrong?"

"Well, it's certainly not something I'm going to lock you up for. For one thing, you really shouldn't be out this late. It's almost midnight and you're doing some really dangerous stunts. Why don't I give you a ride home?" He tells me.

I hate this new town. Ever since I moved here, I've had rules and regulations. Back in New Mexico, Travis and the gang were there to spot me. Of course, we never did anything bad. We were just dare devils; adrenaline junkies. We were adventure seekers.

"Yeah," I say, wiping my brow. "I'm sorry. I'm new to town. I didn't mean to offend you. My old town didn't mind stunts like that."

"Welcome to Salt Lake."

The police officer then opens the door for me and I hop in. The inside of it is in a bad condition. The seats are ripped apart and the handles on the doors have been gripped tightly. A grotesque looking, brown spot on the seat next to me makes me wonder what kind of things actually happen in Salt Lake.

"Where do you live?" The officer asks me.

"Federal Heights, sir. You can just drop me off at the church across from the children's home."

"Alright, but go straight home."

I hate how Utah is scattered with religious buildings. Where ever you go, you're bound to run into one. Sure, I am religious too, but this is going a bit far.

Eventually we pull into the parking lot and I get out quickly, glad I don't have to spend another minute next to that brown patch of... something gross. I thank the officer and start towards the Shriner's house. I watch as the officer makes a U-turn and starts off towards the capitol building. When I get home, I open the door to find my older sister, Noel, sitting on the couch watching The Office.

"Where have you been?!" She asks, sternly.

"I was at the park," I explain.

"Mom called. You're grounded for being out."

I moan. This can't be happening. If I'm grounded, I won't be allowed outside for a while.

"It's not like I was stealing from hobos or anything!"

"It's not my problem. Take it up with mom if you want to get out of it."

I go to the fridge and get myself a glass of water. "The police found me." I say without thinking, almost choking on my water.