The Attached

Homecoming

  I sat in the back seat peering out the cold window, the car rocking us back and forth as my dad drove us away from the hospital. My eyes almost burning with the light from the sun, scorching from the outside in. As if someone lit them on fire, as I squinted so hard, but I wanted to look outside, looking at the memories still slushing around in my head. I had not seen the sun in so long, getting used to the dim lanterns flicked on all the time in the bunker. I enjoyed the warmth of the sun in which I had forgotten, but not the brightness of the blazing yellow sky. I tried to work passed it, and blinked rapidly.

The nurses giving me a grey sweatshirt, matching sweatpants and black sneakers before I left, I fettled with the long sleeves that covered my hands. My dad kept on peering back at me in the rear view mirror, and my mom spying out her peripheral vision every few seconds, almost as if worried I would disappear. I didn't try to pay attention to their odd stares, looking out my window at the town I remembered so well. Quick flashbacks peeking up in my head as I saw something from the past, like the old park my family and I used to go to for picnics, or the museum I once loved as a kid. Memories popping up from everywhere, as the early morning sun had become high in the sky. My older siblings, Kaitlin and Johnny both in their own cars behind ours, following us back towards our old house. Their regular house to them, but older to me. Kaitlin, now in the ages of twenties, would be twenty-three now, with Johnny being twenty-five. My parents, also being the age of forty-eight now, however they still looked rather young for their ages. And I had to admit, so did the three of us as well.

Police cars followed behind and some in front of our car, as it was the same as it was ten years ago. Still owning the same silver car, as it would now be eleven years old. They bought it a year before I was taken away, when I was the age of seven, and believed the old car was something real cool back then. Although now I didn't care much what my parents drove, it was just a car after all. Looking at the clock in the car at the front, 10:34 am it read, my realization set aside while I wondered how it was possible for the time to tick by so quickly. Leaving the hospital earlier, the only cars around belonged to officers who circled around my family and me, protecting in a way as we made it to our cars in the lot. No one else around for awhile, I only imagined the story wasn't out yet. Otherwise, why wasn't there anyone at the hospital? But I found that out soon enough.

Making a right turn on the next street, a very familiar sense came rushing back to me, the scenery flashing and passing by us on the way home. The old neighbourhood catching my eye, remembering the times I would bike ride around the community with my old friends at the time; Logan Hayward and Timmothy Johnson. Both the same age as I was, both into similar things and interests. The times we would ride our bikes down the street to our school with the play structure and the swing set. Spending hours at a time, laughing and joking around. Having a great time as we would race and compete often, the loser having to do the other's homework. Those were the best times. Greatest. Where are they now? Are they still in the town? In this city? They are eighteen like me, making them out of school by now. Did they move away? Away from the city? Did they miss me? What did they think happened to me? Did they search for me too? Or did they give up, thinking I was really dead like everyone else thought? Did they remain friends after I left? Or did they split up when I was gone? I don't know, maybe I'll see them, and ask those questions eventually.

  And suddenly, turning around one more corner, a rather tiny school arose from behind bunches of trees, the yellow bricked school standing high, but not very wide. 'Meyers Elementary School' was written in large letters above the entrance to the school, letters that were coloured in red. My mind was astonished and blew, as I came to look upon this school from my memories, and realized for the first time it was not as big as I once remembered. Back then everything seemed huge to me, and now looking into it with my eighteen year old eyes, I realized that was not the case with many things. We passed by the school almost in slow motion, watching the bike rack swipe by in which I used to place my blue bike in, and the small view of the play structure far in the distance.