Playground

Chapter 1

I was alone in my room. Watching the rain harshly hit my window pane. It was a drowsy day for the most part, with the sun ever so slightly beaming through the trees. If only my father was still here. We could be out at lunch, playing outside, or even telling jokes, because he told the best jokes. But instead I'm here, bored as ever. My mother is with her new boyfriend, Rick. I just hate him. I mean, he's a nice guy, but there's just something about him that makes me feel uncomfortable.

"Rosemary, it's time for lunch!" my mother called to me from the kitchen.

I normally don't go downstairs until Rick leaves, but today I'm feeling an urge to eat. As I creeped downstairs I could hear my mother on the phone with her boss, Jennifer. Since Rick wasn't anywhere to be found, I dragged myself the rest of the way down to the dining table. On the table before me lay a plate with a ham and provolone cheese sandwich. As I begin to devour my sandwich I remembered my mother and I are going to the park today. The playground is my favorite place, although it sort of creeps me out. I never really thought of my neighborhood as safe. I always felt as if someone was watching me. Watching my every move in deep thought, waiting to strike. But I think it's just my imagination, right? I think it's just the thought of my father not being around anymore. I felt safer when he was here. I remember the night he passed away, March 17, 2011, his birthday. We were sitting at the dinner table and he had just opened the present I got him. It was a scrapbook. As we were looking at the pictures, he had a heart attack. Before my mother and I got the chance to save him, his head hit the table and you could see his lungs slowly contracting to nothing.

"Are you ready to go, Rosemary?"

"For what?"

"The park, did you forget?"

"Oh right! Hold on I am going upstairs to get my jacket"

"Ok be quick! We are meeting Jennifer"

I hope Alana is with Jennifer today. I haven't seen her for a while and it would be nice to catch up on things. As I walked up the staircase and appeared in my bedroom, I found my jacket on my bed. As I pulled it on a small piece of paper fell out of my right coat pocket and onto the floor. I leaned down to pick it up and my heart stopped almost immediately. The paper read "Come to the playground, I'm waiting"