Without a Breath

Chapter I

''Hope, Hope, wake up'', I listen to my mother whisper several times until I'm finally awake.

The first thing I do after open my eyes is check my watch to see what time is it and I'm not happy about it. It's 4am, and I wonder why my mom is calling me in a very tense and hesitant way. I look around to see whats going on and after checking my room I finally realize what's happening and I get up really quickly because it's time and it's finally happening. My mother and I are leaving and we intend to never come back.

After I got out of bed and put my blonde and large hair in a ponytail, my mother give me some clothes, more specific a large white sweater and a blue jeans, to put on because all the rest of the clothes is already in the bags scattered around the room that she made probably when I was sleeping. I don't ask any question because I know how hard it is for her to leave my father and I also know that anything, even the smallest thing could make her change her mind.

My father is a very... complicated person. And we are done trying to deal with him and trying to do everything in is way and not living a free life. So... he is that type of man that lives in another century, he thinks that a women job is to be in the kitchen, cleaning the house and taking care of children. He doesn't let my mom go to the hair stylist or let her were a dress of her choice. Every day he goes to the cafe, comes home drunk and starts yelling at my mother for everything and for nothing and already left her with some bruises. If I try to step in I also ended up with some bruises of my own.

Every day I tried to convince my mother that this isn't right, that we needed to be happy and if we stayed here that was not going to happen.

My social life wasn't a very good one. I had some friends but none of those that I would risk my life for and tell my biggest darkest secrets like you see in the movies, so was easy to let them go and not tell anyone about my departure.

My mother didn't said much during the time that we packed all up and prepare to leave. But this is it. We are leaving and I couldn't be more excited but still a little worried about my mom and what's going on inside of that head of hears .

''Are you ready?'' I didn't even realize my mother was by my side while I was saying a mental goodbye to my room and my old life but it's time to start a new one and I quickly started to carry all the bags to the car.

''I'm as ready as I'll ever be'' I respond thoughtful, glance at her, gave her a little smile and at the same time close the door behind me and throw the keys to the ground.

***

''Where are we going?'' Only now occurred to me that I still don't know where we are headed. We are inside the car for at least three hours and both of us haven't said much.

''We are going to a small town named Chance Harbor in the state of Washington, You are going to like it, I'm sure of it. I already rent a place for both of us and the first thing we are going to do when we get there is to find me a job and to put you in school.'' My mother doesn't look like my mother. She wasn't happy with my father, but when it was just the two of us we could be ourselves and we were happy, even if it was only for a moment. We are like sisters, best friends, and I can tell you right now that she is scared as hell because everything is changing and doubting every choice she made so far. I can't let her do that because All she did was for us to have a good life and to be happy.

'' Mom, you know that I love you, right? And that you made the right choice? '' I gave her a little smile and my hand touched her arm. She look at me and reciprocated the smile.

'' I know my love, I just think it's going to be a rough path from now on but we are together and that's all that matters.'' Her gaze turned to me and then to the road again.

I slept for another 2 hours and when I woke up I saw a panel saying '' Welcome to Chance Harbor'' , I could see that it is a small town but it seems cozy, maybe? Everything was very close: the church, the supermarket, the playground, and the beach. There is a beach here and that is liberating and Transmits, what I think I can call, freedom.

We stop in front of a white house, it isn't big but I can say it isn't small either. It was still early in the morning, so the town was still waking up but I could hear the birds, fell the wind and a very peaceful breeze. A woman approaches us to give us a key and it looks like my mother got everything in place with her.

We enter the house with all the bags and like the town, the house it's very cozy.

'' Do you like it? '' My mother asks with hesitation in her voice and I try to give her the answer she wants to hear the most.

'' I love it. It's perfect mom. '' And of course, I couldn't miss the little smile. I don't think I'm a very smiley person (with everything that's going on in my life) I'm lonely and some say arrogant but for my mother, I do everything in my power to make her fell a little better.

'' Now, I have to go look for a job and you have to go to the school to start as soon as possible.'' She always tries to have total control over things so, right now, the best I can do is making everything she asks me to without questing it.

''OK Ms. Rose, I'm going right now to the school and after that I'm going to walk around the town and get to know it. Bye'' I give her a soft kiss in the cheek and star leaving the house, then I remember and turn around ''Good Luck with the job.''

'' Thanks honey. And don't forget it, if you get lost, call me !''

'' Yes mom. Bye'' I turn around and leave the house.

It is time to star a new life and forget that the old one ever exist.