Please Just Let Me Go

Small green land, tons of trees, little shopping area, and a beach this place is also known as La Push, Washington; my new home. Driving from Texas to Washington wasn’t fun. Considering my mom and I were scared shitless, and we didn’t pack anything to take with us didn’t make this a fun journey.

I didn’t know why we were going to Washington. We didn’t know anyone there or did we? I had no idea, and I was very confused, but mostly scared. What if the cops thought we killed my stepfather? I mean we didn’t, did we? He just kind of dropped dead, and we were scared so we left. That doesn’t mean we killed him, does it?

I shook my head and looked over at my panicked and beaten mother. No, she couldn’t have killed anyone. My mother was too sweet to hurt anyone. I on the other hand, well, that was a different story. Yes, I took the beatings from him, but I would do anything to protect my mother. She was the only family I have, or at least the only family I know of.

“We’re almost there,” my mom’s voice cracked as she drove down another dirt road only to see, well what you know, more trees.

“Is there anything else in this state beside trees?” I asked looking out the window.

“Yes, go to Seattle. There are barley any trees there,” my mom said laughing.

I smiled at my mom. “I meant in La Push.”

My mom sighed and smiled. “Yes, there is.”

“Like what?” I asked whining. My mom shook her head, but before she could say anything we were pulling up into a small two story house with a bunch of flowers everywhere.

“We’re here,” my mom said smiling. I put on a fake smile and nodded. It was a cute house, don’t get me wrong there, but it was so small. It looked like it couldn’t fit anymore than four people, if that.

“Whose house is this?” I asked as we stepped out of the car and looked up at the house.

“Your Aunt Sue’s,” my mom whispered.

“Who’s Aunt Sue?” I asked looking at my mom. “My sister and your aunt,” She said as she walked up to the small house with the many flowers. I ran after her as she knocked on the door with that smile stile on her face.

“Why didn’t we ever visit? Why didn’t you tell me I had an aunt?” I asked getting frustrated now.

“I don’t know, okay. I don’t know. I guess I thought we would never need their help, but we do.

We really need their help,” She said. I was about to say something, but the door opened to reveal a middle age women in her late forties or early fifties. She had scatters of gray hair and some wrinkles were starting to form, but you could see the resemblance with my mom and her.

“Jennifer?” the women asked looking my mother up and down.

“Sue, it’s been a long time,” my mother said still smiling. Sue smiled at my mother and pulled her into a hug. I stood there awkwardly, not sure what to do, as two siblings reunited. Sue separated from my mother and looked at me.

“You must be my niece, Teresa.” I nodded and she walked over to me and brought me in a bone crushing hug. I put my arms around the aging women and patted her back awkwardly.
She pulled away from me and gestured to the house. “Please, please come in.” My mom quickly walked inside with Aunt Sue, but I stayed outside. I wanted to go inside and see my new home, but I was sort of afraid to see my new home.

I heard ruffling in the woods and dashed into the house. No, I’m not afraid of the woods, kind of. I get afraid of the dark sometimes and being stuck in woods I don’t know freaks me out. Plus, what about all the things that hid and live in the woods. I don’t want to come face to face with them.

I shut the front door behind me and walked down the hall way to where I heard voices. The hall walls were filled with photos of Aunt Sue, an elderly looking man, and two kids; one was a boy the other a girl. The children in the pictures were fairly tall and both buff, though the girl still looked very feminine even with her short, choppy hair. I turned the corner and found myself in the kitchen. Just as suspect the kitchen was Farley small. I’m not sure if it was actually because the kitchen was small, or if it was because of the two giant people in the room with my aunt and mom.

The boy looked about seventeen, but I was sure that wasn’t his real age, because looking at his face he only looked about fifteen or so. His giant muscles and 6’4 height made him look older then what he really was. He was the tallest guy I’ve ever been by, and he made me feel like a little Barbie doll.

The girl looked older than me and the boy with her short black choppy hair and 6’1 height. She was defiantly gorgeous though. Even though her hair didn’t suit her at all something about her just made you think, ‘wow she’s really pretty.’

My mother smiled over at me. “Leah, Seth this is my daughter Teresa…”

“Call me Teddy,” I said interrupting her. Seth started chuckling, but tried to cover it up by coughing. It didn’t work well.

My mom gave me a look and then continued, “Anyways, this is my daughter and your cousin.

Teresa these are your cousins Leah and Seth.”

“Hi,” I said waving slightly while stuffing the other hand in my black skinny jeans.

Leah just nodded, but Seth came over and gave me a giant huge. When he finally put me down I was laughing like crazy. The big grinned boy smiled down at me. “Hey I’m Seth. It’s cool to finally meet you. I wish we could stay around, but we’ve got to get going.”

“Where are you going?” I asked cocking my eyebrow.

“Um, work. We’ve got some things we need to take care of at work,” Seth said rubbing the back of his neck. I nodded not buying a word he was saying as he and Leah walked out of the room.

I heard Leah mumble, “Real smooth,” under her breath at Seth as they left.

I turned to look at my bubbly mother and smiling aunt. “Well, let’s get you guys settled in shale we.”

“Are we staying here?” I asked my mom.

She shook her head. “We’ll only be staying with Sue until our house is ready for us to move into. There doing some last minute repairs on it, so we can’t move in yet.”

“I know you guys don’t have any clothes yet, so if you want to, Teresa, you can go shopping with
Leah when she gets back,” Sue suggested.

“No thanks. I think I’ll just go by myself. It will give me some time think and relax.” My mom and aunt nodded as I walked out of the house and down the dissertated street.