My heart is pounding in my chest, the sound of my blood rushing through my veins echoes in my ears as I splash through the dark tunnels of Derry's vast sewer system. Why did I come down here looking for him? He told me not to.
I stop for a moment a...
There are two sides to every story, and each side has its share of the truth but mostly it is clouded with lies and deceit. You can never really know the truth of what really happened unless you experienced it all first hand, and even then, would you have lived to tell the tale? Probably not. This story isn't going to be the fairy tale most of you will probably want it to be, but the beauty in all of it is that you'll get to know the truth of what really happened to me.
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October 1957
Derry, Maine
The long stream of storms – which didn't seem like it would ever end – raged on outside the tiny town house which I lived in with my family. We were like any other family in Derry before the great flood, my mother was on the school board and my father worked for the Mayor, but all of that seems so ordinary to me. Ever since I was a little girl I dreamed of having a life of adventure, or at least some sort of excitement that would leave me with stories to tell my kids someday. Though, no matter how hard I tried to spice up my life, my mother always told me it was better for me to keep up appearances for her and my father.
"Emberlee!" My mother called from the kitchen.
"Coming mom!"
My parents were heading out tonight for a town meeting, they were trying to push a new initiative to tackle the crumbling streets caused by the flood. Many of the towns people had already closed a few of the roads down, a hoard of barricades and yellow police tape blocked off any declared and potential danger zones. With my parent's political value within the town they were confident their initiative will be voted through, so their heads were in the game and certainly not on me.
When I arrived in the kitchen my mother was taking a sip out of a glass of wine which she'd no doubt poured over an hour ago, and my father was straightening his tie in the mirror which hung next to the window in our small dinning room. They looked spiffy for a town meeting, and a part of me wanted to ask if they were doing more than what they had said they were this evening. I had learned a while ago not to question my parents, especially my father, because he was a stickler for respect and he has an iron fist.
"Looking good, momma!" I give her praise as I lean against the bar, eyeing her glass of red wine.
"Thank you, Dear. Your father and I will be out much later tonight than we expected to be."
"Really? Where are you guys going?" I was only curious, wondering where they'd be off too, but the immediate glare from my father let me know that I had crossed a line.
"That is none of your business, Emberlee. I suggest you get upstairs and get started on that speech you're supposed to give at the town festival."
"Yes father. I'm sorry."
"Don't stay up too late, okay?" Mom sat her glass of wine down on the counter and walked over to me. Soon she was wrapping her arms around me and hugging me to her chest. "I ordered you some pizza it should be here shortly. Your father means well, baby. Take my wine up stairs and write your speech. Goodnight."
