Story Book

“Are you sure you don't want a drive home?” Noah asked leaning up against the locker beside mine. I looked over at him well I shoved my books into my messy locker.

“I'd prefer to stay dry.” I stated monotoned.

“Yeah right, because you won't get wet when you walk home from your stop.” Noah threw back glancing over his shoulder at Ashley Per. Who was glaring at Noah as she headed for her locker that Noah was leaning up against.

I frowned at his words. Closing my locker door just as Noah leaned away from Ashley's locker. Ashley rolled her green eyes and flipped her dark brown straight hair over her shoulder as she leaned down to her lock.

Noah made a rude face towards her, making me giggle and quickly grave his arm and drag him away before Ashley got truly agitated.

I burst through the door. My blue rain coats hood dripped water onto the floor of the kitchen. I squeaked as I walked to the closet to take off my shoes and coat. Then I rolled up my pant legs so that I would not leave a trail of water.

I preferred not to appear as a snail.

I walked into the living room where my father watched bemusedly from the couch as I hobbled over to the stairs and then up them. When I got to my room I stripped off my jeans and threw on an old pair of sweats.

Falling backwards on my bed, the springs creaked in protest. I groaned I needed a new mattress. I was tired of this one insulting my weight. Rolling my head to the side I looked out my window, the rain streamed down making it impossible to see the tree that was directly in front of my window, or off to the left where the cemetery was located.

I blinked at the huge black splotch on my window, rolling off my bed I inched forward hesitantly and then I heard the meow.

“Charlie?” I called staring at the window recognizing my cat on the other side of the window. “How did you get – Ump th.”

I looked down at my floor to find what I had almost tripped over. There sat a book, white with a gold border, thick, the pages had gold trim. I frowned at the title, The Classic Story Book. It was the book my mother had read to me, leaning down I stared at the cover I felt an odd feeling as my throat clogged up.

I was just about to lose myself in self misery when Charlie meowed once more. I stared up at the window and then carefully placed the book on my bed, making my way out of my room, I flicked off the light.

“Did you let Charlie out dad?” I asked as I went down the stairs.

“Um, he might have got out when I came home." Dad replied completely focused on the television program he was watching.

I sighed and made my way to the kitchen. I pulled on my shoes and coat that I had just removed and then made my way outside.

I went around to the back of the house where my room was found, looking up in the tree well pelts of rain splashed my face. I couldn't see my black cat anywheres.

“Charlie?” I called looking around, my eyes landed on a black small body running through the graveyard. I hesitated and then rolled my eyes muttering, “Its just a graveyard.”

I picked up my pace running after Charlie careful not to slip on the slick grass. “Charlie!”

I walked through the over grown path that connected the graveyard to our property. “Charlie come back!”

I stalled when I entered the graveyard, just at the edge, a tree branch brushed up against my hood pulling it off. I swore, and then my eyes widened staring at the church just ahead.

Agitated at myself I walked forward yanking up my hood and keeping my eyes on the cat that was weaving through the headstones.

I followed calling out his name every now and then, I dodged the headstones numbly. Finally Charlie stopped sitting on top of someones grave and staring up at me innocently. I frowned down at him, “You know your not allowed outside.”

He meowed and looked towards the headstone. I glanced over and read my mother's name. I blinked and stared frozen in place all I could do was watch the rain trail down her gray marble headstone. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Charlie move, I spun around and watched as he headed towards the church.

“Get back here!” I called, forgetting my mother's grave for a split second. Then I swung back, shaking my head I started to go after Charlie again.

I ran down the gravel drive way to the church as Charlie ran out onto the main road.

“Charlie!” I called panic covered my voice as I picked up speed.

I saw the car lights threw the rain Charlie was half way to the yellow line. I reacted and stepped forward without out considering where I was stepping.

I tripped. Landing right into the middle of the left lane sprawled out. I could feel the start of the sting in my palms from trying to break my fall. I quickly tried to pull myself up, but found that my lower leg was bent at an odd angle.

I whimpered as the pain from my palms mixed with the screaming pain from my leg. I sat up and tried to crawl to the edge of the road, the car's headlights where almost upon me, but it would be to late when the driver would see me.

No time to stop.

I screamed at the feeling of a jagged knife ripping threw my leg as I moved it to get off the road. I closed my eyes and tried to move again, and when I could not I squeezed them shut and waited for the impact.

It never came, when I opened my eyes I found myself staring into a man's face his crystal blue eyes stared into me. As he leaned down to stare at me from where I laid on the shoulder of the road.

He was so familiar.

“Are you alright?” He asked his voice a hushed tone.

I stared at him the pain faded away, as I watched his lightly tanned face covered in worry.

Breathlessly I spoke, “I'm fine.”

“Clarissa!” Priest Marshall came running down the driveway just in jeans and a t – shirt.

I glanced towards the man, but he was gone and with that the pain came back. I squeezed my eyes shut and whimpered, my leg was most definitely broken.

“Dear me Clarissa, I saw you running and fall, its a good thing you didn't fall directly onto the road. The car that just went by wouldn't have saw you through this rain and fog.” The priest said bending down and eying me carefully. “I called your father before I came out he should be here in a second to take you to the hospital. Your leg looks like its in bad shape.”

I nodded rigidly my voice shook from the pain, “Thank you, Priest Marshall.”

“God works in strange ways I'm sure his reasons for this will soon become clear.” He said smiling at me, “Ah, here's your father.”

I thought about the man with crystal blue eyes.