Bridging the Gap
Leaving
Her bare feet flattened the dewy grass. The night had peaked to early morning, with only a few hours until sunrise. In several hours time a wedding would begin, as a new chapter in the lives of the Fosters. She had hauled herself over the fence and was now pushing up the window of her room, Winnie’s room.
Once inside the white house she scanned the bookshelves for frames of pictures which she quickly pulled from the silver and gold borders. After pocketing the photos she picked Winnie’s sketch books from the shelves. She found one specific volume and took revenge on the rest by ripping the pages from the bindings and tearing them to shreds.
Michelle went to the wardrobe and pulled out a small olive duffle, which had once been military issue. Inside she stuffed a mixed change of clothing and placed a small journal and the sketch book right on top, then zipped it closed.
She crept into the hallway. All the doors were closed, indicating Mr Sandman had done his deed. She tip-toed to the line of photos on the wall that chronicled her last seventy-six years. She pulled them carefully from the walls and stacked them together on the hall table next to the land line.
The house creaked under her and Michelle’s eyes shot to the door of Claire’s room. An orange glow flickered in the room. Michelle pushed the door open slowly, revealing the candle on the fireplace mantel, flicking shadows across Claire and her blond fiancé’s faces. Michelle’s eyes wandered to the candle. Burning the evidence would be much easier than shredding it all.
“I’ll start it up once we’re down the road,” Jesse lead his motorcycle down the side of Mainstreet with Michelle at his side, clutching her duffle to her chest. She had been quiet since they had left the Foster grounds. He glanced every once-in-a-while at her as he pushed the bike along. She walked with her eyes watching the road ahead, not a bit of happiness in her face.
Jesse stopped and kicked the stand into place, “We can start it now,” he placed one hand on the bars and the other on the seat, “Are you sure about this?”
Michelle pulled the duffle strap over her head and pushed her hair behind her ears, “I’m starting to think I should have burned it down. How can I leave Mama?”
Jesse passed her his helmet, “We’ll come back.” He swung onto the bike, kicking the stand up, and turning the engine. She shoved the helmet on and swung on behind him. Her brown boots rested on the pegs and her hands on his waist, as his gripped the throttle and break. The bike lurched from the dirt edge of the road and sped up to the center of the lane. As their speed increased her grip tightened, causing a small smile to cross Jesse’s face. The wind whipped his hair and dried his eyes, but he was happy as a lark.
The headlight of the bike lit the curved roadway. Michelle watched the world whizz by. The black sky turned to a deep blue and spun to a light pink soon after. The trees grew from a menacing green drenched in shadow, to a golden yellow. Her cheeks and lips were sore from smiling beneath the helmet, and she leant as close to Jesse as she could. The tires of the bike rolled around another bend, whipping up leaves and blades of grass. She could see the early rising deer prancing through the trees. She was amazed by just how close they came to the road.
Once inside the white house she scanned the bookshelves for frames of pictures which she quickly pulled from the silver and gold borders. After pocketing the photos she picked Winnie’s sketch books from the shelves. She found one specific volume and took revenge on the rest by ripping the pages from the bindings and tearing them to shreds.
Michelle went to the wardrobe and pulled out a small olive duffle, which had once been military issue. Inside she stuffed a mixed change of clothing and placed a small journal and the sketch book right on top, then zipped it closed.
She crept into the hallway. All the doors were closed, indicating Mr Sandman had done his deed. She tip-toed to the line of photos on the wall that chronicled her last seventy-six years. She pulled them carefully from the walls and stacked them together on the hall table next to the land line.
The house creaked under her and Michelle’s eyes shot to the door of Claire’s room. An orange glow flickered in the room. Michelle pushed the door open slowly, revealing the candle on the fireplace mantel, flicking shadows across Claire and her blond fiancé’s faces. Michelle’s eyes wandered to the candle. Burning the evidence would be much easier than shredding it all.
“I’ll start it up once we’re down the road,” Jesse lead his motorcycle down the side of Mainstreet with Michelle at his side, clutching her duffle to her chest. She had been quiet since they had left the Foster grounds. He glanced every once-in-a-while at her as he pushed the bike along. She walked with her eyes watching the road ahead, not a bit of happiness in her face.
Jesse stopped and kicked the stand into place, “We can start it now,” he placed one hand on the bars and the other on the seat, “Are you sure about this?”
Michelle pulled the duffle strap over her head and pushed her hair behind her ears, “I’m starting to think I should have burned it down. How can I leave Mama?”
Jesse passed her his helmet, “We’ll come back.” He swung onto the bike, kicking the stand up, and turning the engine. She shoved the helmet on and swung on behind him. Her brown boots rested on the pegs and her hands on his waist, as his gripped the throttle and break. The bike lurched from the dirt edge of the road and sped up to the center of the lane. As their speed increased her grip tightened, causing a small smile to cross Jesse’s face. The wind whipped his hair and dried his eyes, but he was happy as a lark.
The headlight of the bike lit the curved roadway. Michelle watched the world whizz by. The black sky turned to a deep blue and spun to a light pink soon after. The trees grew from a menacing green drenched in shadow, to a golden yellow. Her cheeks and lips were sore from smiling beneath the helmet, and she leant as close to Jesse as she could. The tires of the bike rolled around another bend, whipping up leaves and blades of grass. She could see the early rising deer prancing through the trees. She was amazed by just how close they came to the road.