Gravity

CHAPTER 1

All around me, all I see are trees, and darkness. I'm running. I don't know where or from what, I'm just running. Then I hear it bombs going off, screaming. So many people, screaming for help. All of it behind me as I keep running.

The trees are gone. So are the explosions. Just darkness, but for some reason, I'm still running. Suddenly a light appears. It is the brightest light I have ever seen in my entire life. And in it are voices. I make my way,slowly at first, than faster, following the voices. Right as I reach the light I realize, the voices are cries of pain.

I step into a clearing, everywhere I look there are people. Hurt people. dying people, crying for help. It's all so overwhelming. I fall back in my efforts to flea the horrendous scene, exept I don't stop falling.

The darkness surrounds me now, encasing me in its grasp. My whole world disappears around me as I fall into the blackness.

Light flows in through an open window. I sit up, quickly, gasping for air. Just another nightmare. I've been having them a lot more lately since father left to the Army. I have no idea why I have them though. He is not injured, as far as we know that is. It must just be the overall thought of war that gets to me. I mean it's been three years since he joined the military. Nothing bad can happen to him now... Right?

I get out of bed, get dressed, and make my way down to the kitchen. My mother and sister are waiting for me.

"good morning sunshine!", my mother beams."Exited for your big day?!"

"huh?" I ask in confusion. I don't remember anything special today... I don't even remember what day it is!

"it's the seventh silly! Remember...your birthday? Don't tell me you forgot your own birthday!" oh, right. I did forget. Well that answers that question. "September seventh hunny do we need to re-enroll you in kindergarten? Never the less your grandparents are coming down from Connecticut on the seventeenth. There sorry they couldn't come sooner, they didn't want to miss your fourteenth birthday!"

"Okay mom." I get up and make my way outside. I've lost my appetite.

My best friend Elizabeth is waiting for me like we do most teacher work days She lives a few houses up the road so it's easy to see each other whenever we like. As I approach her she gives me a worried look.

"Happy birthday!" she smiles, but I know it's not real.

"Thanks... You okay?" I ask her

"Um.. Look, I need to talk to you... But first I couldn't get you a present, I'm so sorry." she replies.

"it's fine", I never expect her too, her family doesnt have much money. "what do you need to tell me?"

"it's about Toby..." Toby is her little brother.

"what about him, is he sick again?" the instant I said that she burst into tears. Toby was diagnosed with leukemia when he was seven. For the past two years it has been slowly fading away, until now.

There are no need for words, I know it must be bad, she never cries a lot no matter what she goes through.

We sit there for a while. Finally after about Ten minutes she speaks up.

"McKenzie", there is disappointment in her voice.

"Yea?"

" It's... It's really bad this time, the doctors are transporting him to a more advanced hospital in New York tomorrow, we are staying with my Uncle for two weeks, maybe longer."