Fallen Memories: Book Two

Fallen Memories - [1]

Fallen Memories - 1

    “Ivy Cecelia Goodwill! Do you want to be late? It’s your senior year, for God’s sake...” Even after my mother’s voice trailed off, I could hear her going on and on, inside my head. She would continue to lecture me about punctuality and its importance, especially when it came to education. I rolled my eyes. That came from the woman who scraped by in college, somehow managing to graduate with her associate’s degree.

    “Shut up, will you?” I called back, through my closed door. I turned back to my mirror, running my brush through my dark, wavy hair once more for good measure. She did have a point. It was my last year of high school. I should go out with a bang and all that. Instead of trying to focus on getting ready and looking nice, my mind kept wandering off in other directions. I was thinking about breakfast, my best friend Jane, and most importantly: what I had dreamed about last night.

    I couldn’t recall the entire dream; bits and pieces of it came fluttering back every once in a while. It had been a lengthy, very detailed and intricate dream despite the fact it had really only lasted about thirty minutes. According to my alarm clock, which had been wailing for a half hour before Mom came up to shut it off. As I threaded my fingers through my hair, I sorted through the images in my mind. Attempting to pull up a full, colored image of the dream fell short. I only got a montage of flashes.

    Most of them were black. Black, silver and white. Then it was cold. Bone-chilling, invisible icicles plagued my body, biting into my skin. It felt like snow falling, cool winter breezes  brushing by. I shivered, finding the coldness to be pleasantly welcoming. Like my room had turned to winter overnight. Closing my eyes, I could almost picture the snowflakes, drifts and frozen lakes. I could almost hear the sound of light footsteps coasting over icy snow. But when I opened my eyes and glanced out my bedroom window, the early September weather showed no signs of snow anytime soon.

    Downstairs, my two-year-old mess of a sister was having a joy throwing her Cheerios at the floor. Sighing, I bent down to scoop them up. A flash of black obscured my line of vision. My spine stiffened as I straightened up. Marty, our black cat, stood there, blinking at me. It was just the damn cat, I thought to myself. What were you expecting? My mom walked into the kitchen, drying her hands on a towel. At the sight of me up and ready to go, she smiled. She ruffled Layla’s hair as she bypassed her, heading for the fridge.

    “Breakfast?” she asked, voice muffled.

    Though she couldn’t see me, I shook my head. “I’m not hungry.”

    When she turned back, she caught sight of my expression.

    “Are you okay?”

    “I’m fine. I’ll be late if I don’t get going.” Hooking my thumb over my shoulder, I gave Layla a kiss goodbye and hurried out the door. My 2003 Dodge Neon sat in the driveway, glistening under the sunlight. I unhooked my car keys from my belt loop, answering my phone with the other hand.

    “Where are you?” a shrill voice said, down the other end. That would be Jane Liryca, my best friend.

    Strangely, I felt as if I hadn’t seen her in quite some time. Yesterday was foggy and distant. What had I even eaten for dinner last night? My mind raced as I waited for the memory to surface, a blank screen coming up when it didn’t.

    “I’m on my way, don’t have a hemorrhage,” I told her, folding myself into the Neon. I jammed the key into the ignition, stopping short.

    You passed your driver’s test, why the hesitation? Sharply, I shook my head to clear it of the lingering thoughts. I backed down the driveway, easing onto the street. Jane only lived about fifteen minutes away. The drive seemed to last ten, and soon I found myself sitting in her driveway. I lifted my hand to beep the horn, when her front door whipped open.