SHERRYWOOD BRIDGE

I walk to my bus stop every morning. It's on the corner of Sherry Wood Drive, and Clarks Ave. Every morning I stop and pet Mrs. Harbor's dog. Then I walk pass the Johns household. Then we go to the bus stop. I wait for a great amount of time, then up pulls my bus driver. The creaky doors open and my bearded bus driver smiles through the professionalism. He waits for me to get on. I sit in the third seat back on the right side. I put my backpack next to me and wait for the bus to drive away. I look out my window and watch the leafless trees. They seem so slum and sad. Their leaves have left them for the year. They won't return until the sun decides to get warm again. We pull into the school and I put my bag on my back. I stand up and the glum teenagers get off the metal contraption. They walk into the prison of knowledge and go on with their days. I wait until I'm the last to get off. I smile at my driver through the glass mirror. He smiles back and his yellow teeth seem like they are miserable to be in his mouth. I brush away my bangs and get off the bus. I then walk through the crowds of children. They all follow the same rules. The next thing I do, I walk up the stairs to the school. The stone crumbles under my feet. The stairs clink and crash. But yet, we still come every day. I go to my classes, I leave the school and walk home. I have missed the bus again. I don't care though. I like the cold wind in my ears. I feel numb, but isn't that every day? I put my hands in the pockets of my coat. I fiddle with the lint in the bottom of my pocket. I've spotted a cat. A small one. Its tail was swinging back and forth in the air. The motion was an indication of his friendliness. I pet the cat softly with one hand. I continued to walk. I was standing over a bridge. We would swim here in the summer. She would tell me to stay by the edge of the bay so I didn't float downstream. Downstream sounded like fun. I continued to walk home. I decided it would be a good idea to cut through the forest. I pushed the leaves and branches out of my way. I struggled to push the branch away then it snapped. It snapped away and I stumbled. That was a close one. I stood back up and walked to the next opening. I reached Clarks Ave. Next to Sherrywood. I looked at the red brick building. The rickety sign was about to fall. I should tell someone about that. I moved my bag onto my shoulders farther. The orphanage is where I spend the rest of my days. Well, until eighteen anyway. I started into the door. I then walked to my room. I pulled away the covers and laid down in my bed. My sister was already asleep. Goodnight, world. Goodnight my sick, terrible, forgetting world.

"Alice, wake up!" I heard her say. I snapped awake. Alice was the name I was given at birth but it wasn't me. I didn't believe the name suited me right. "It's noon." She said as I started on my daily routine. No school today. Winter has struck again for a day off school. It was about time. I left my house behind and took a walk. The water was starting to ice over. The cat I had seen the night before was frozen and smashed into the road. I guess he didn't see that car coming. Death hits us all eventually. I shrugged it off. It wasn't my life so It doesn't matter. I peered over the side of the bridge. What a beautiful day for a swim? Well I don't feel like it. And there are too many ice chunks in the water. I might freeze up and die. Death hits us all eventually. I continued to walk. I eventually got to a small park in the middle of the forest. The forest... I considered staying. I ended up staying. The cold slide made me shiver so I moved to the swings. I rocked back and forth on the swing. The swings bars were frozen and about to break. I didn't care. It was about time anyway.

"Hey." A voice said from above me. I looked up to see a boy. No older than me

but about the same age. It was about the time that kids realized they were independent and alone. More alone then independent. He was looming over me with the look of a thousand words. I didn't have to know what he wanted to say next. He said it. "May I sit here?" He pointed to one of the rickety, breaking swings. I nodded and he sat down. "You don't talk?" He asked. He had a slight accent. I shook my head. "Huh. I haven't seen you around here."