Finding Adara

Chapter 1: In Which She Has a Brilliant Idea

The idea came to me like a ray of sunlight behind thick, heavy clouds.

For a moment, I was so dazzled by its brilliance that I just stared blankly at my ceiling in awe of it.

It was a crazy idea – and, that, perhaps, was the main reason why it fascinated me so. It was so crazy, so insane, that it was brilliant. The idea was genius. Prodigious. Nuclear.

Roughly forty minutes later, I had everything ready to execute my brilliant idea. My bag was packed, my letter placed conspicuously where my parents were sure to find it, and my room was as neat as I could make it.

With nary a glance, I went out my room and closed the door soundlessly behind me. In short order, I had tiptoed down the stairs, silently opened our locked front door, stealthily climbed up the gate, and was out of the house in record time.

The air outside was cool and crisp, and the streets were lit by flickering streetlamps. The neighborhood was dead silent.

I glanced at my watch – 2:48 AM.

It was time to go.

Adjusting the straps of my backpack, I breathed out and watched curiously as my breath fogged up in front of me. I did it again in rapt fascination, delighted at the tiny wisps of smoke that appeared. It was November, and tonight was perhaps one of the coldest nights of the year. Well, as cold as it ever could get in this perpetually-summer country.

It was a sign, surely.

This was going to be great, I just knew it. But when I took my first step into the silent, dark street, I felt all of my insecurities crash down on me, and I turned back to look at the gate, as if the piece of metal held any answers.

Was this really such a good idea? I asked myself.

I looked at my watch again – 2:50 AM – and back into the darkness of the street.

Yes. Yes, this was a good idea. No. This was not just a good idea – it was a brilliant idea. It was astronomical. Stupendous. Amazing.

It was a good idea.

So, I reached into my pocket, plugged my headphones inside my phone, and started walking.

I was going on a journey to find myself. And I wasn't coming back until I found who I was searching for.