Invisible Wall
Finding the Bridge
Denver didn’t look very welcoming. I stared out my window, watching the houses roll by until my dad slowed and pulled into a driveway with a mover’s truck parked on it. We were there.
Theresa jumped out of the car and ran up to the door, her blonde ponytail swishing to and fro.
“Isn’t it perfect?” she asked excitedly. My dad got out of the car and slung a duffel bag over his shoulder, smiling.
“Just like you,” he said, kissing her. I wanted to throw up.
I couldn’t stand being in the same room as the two of them. It’s her fault that mom was dead. It’s her fault that we left Paxton and had to move to Denver. But most of all, it’s my dad’s fault for screwing around.
“Evangeline!” He called. “Come see the new house!”
“Fuck off.” I muttered to myself. But I did as I was told.
I stepped out of the car, but kept my distance.
Theresa skipped toward me and tried to pull me toward the house.
“Don’t touch me.” I growled.
“Evangeline.” Dad warned.
I ignored him and began to get some of my things out of the car.
“I’m going to find my room.”
“Go ahead, sweetheart. The movers have your bed ready to go.” My dad said, gesturing to the guys standing by the mover’s truck.
“And if you, erm, see anything,” he began, “I have your medicine in my bag.” I nodded slowly.
Of course. I had nearly forgotten. He had to bring my crazy pills. I was clinically insane, after all.
I rolled my eyes and walked into the house with my suitcase trailing behind me, two duffel bags slung over my shoulders, and one of my boxes in my arms.
“It doesn’t look too bad in here,” I commented.
I made my way up the stairs, struggling with the weight of the suitcase and the box every few steps.
Dad and Theresa’s room was the closest to the stairs. I made my way down the hall and came to a small fork. I continued in the same direction until I came to another bedroom.
It was spacious, but not my ideal room. I backtracked and went down the other hallway, finding the third bedroom.
It wasn’t too big, nor was it too small. It had a high ceiling and dark walls. A giant window overlooked the street. It was perfect.
I sat my stuff down in a corner of the room and made my way back downstairs to state my claim.
***
It turned out that Theresa had hired a maid to cook and clean for us. I was glad. I knew Theresa wouldn’t do either of those jobs and I knew that I wouldn’t have the time, due to school.
The maid’s name was Leah. She was probably in her mid-thirties and she had sand-colored hair that hung like a curtain over her shoulders. Her caramel eyes seemed to hold kindness within them.
She was good at what she did, no doubt. She made sure everything was in order and she prepared a nice dinner for us.
It was over that dinner that I finally heard the dreaded news. I felt it coming.
“Evangeline,” my father started. Theresa smiled widely and my father grabbed her hand.
Gross.
“Theresa and I are getting married.”
Anger flared up in me, but I didn’t dare say a word. I glared angrily at my potatoes and stabbed them repeatedly with my fork.
My dad continued.
“We think that it’s time for you to have a mother again.”
I leapt up, knocking my chair over.
“She’ll never be my mother!” I yelled. “I already have a mother! She’s dead because of the two of you!”
My dad’s mouth hung open. Theresa clamped a hand over her mouth. I didn’t care.
I didn’t even let them speak.
I was already out the door.
***
I raced down the sidewalk. I had no idea where I was going, but I didn’t care. I had gone several blocks and crossed two streets before I even bothered to stop and take in my surroundings.
I was under a bridge of some sort. I heard a rumble and a whistle above me. It was a bridge for a train.
There were several piles of old steel and wood stacked up against the legs of the bridge. Lime green and black graffiti covered several parts of the bridge.
There were a few cream colored buildings with some of the windows busted out. It seemed like an abandoned warehouse. Just across from one of the warehouses were gigantic scorch marks. It looked like one of the buildings caught on fire.
I marveled at my discoveries and shivered. It was a bit chilly outside. The sun was slowly sinking.
I should get back, I thought.
But before I could take a single step, I heard a voice.
“Go home.”
Theresa jumped out of the car and ran up to the door, her blonde ponytail swishing to and fro.
“Isn’t it perfect?” she asked excitedly. My dad got out of the car and slung a duffel bag over his shoulder, smiling.
“Just like you,” he said, kissing her. I wanted to throw up.
I couldn’t stand being in the same room as the two of them. It’s her fault that mom was dead. It’s her fault that we left Paxton and had to move to Denver. But most of all, it’s my dad’s fault for screwing around.
“Evangeline!” He called. “Come see the new house!”
“Fuck off.” I muttered to myself. But I did as I was told.
I stepped out of the car, but kept my distance.
Theresa skipped toward me and tried to pull me toward the house.
“Don’t touch me.” I growled.
“Evangeline.” Dad warned.
I ignored him and began to get some of my things out of the car.
“I’m going to find my room.”
“Go ahead, sweetheart. The movers have your bed ready to go.” My dad said, gesturing to the guys standing by the mover’s truck.
“And if you, erm, see anything,” he began, “I have your medicine in my bag.” I nodded slowly.
Of course. I had nearly forgotten. He had to bring my crazy pills. I was clinically insane, after all.
I rolled my eyes and walked into the house with my suitcase trailing behind me, two duffel bags slung over my shoulders, and one of my boxes in my arms.
“It doesn’t look too bad in here,” I commented.
I made my way up the stairs, struggling with the weight of the suitcase and the box every few steps.
Dad and Theresa’s room was the closest to the stairs. I made my way down the hall and came to a small fork. I continued in the same direction until I came to another bedroom.
It was spacious, but not my ideal room. I backtracked and went down the other hallway, finding the third bedroom.
It wasn’t too big, nor was it too small. It had a high ceiling and dark walls. A giant window overlooked the street. It was perfect.
I sat my stuff down in a corner of the room and made my way back downstairs to state my claim.
***
It turned out that Theresa had hired a maid to cook and clean for us. I was glad. I knew Theresa wouldn’t do either of those jobs and I knew that I wouldn’t have the time, due to school.
The maid’s name was Leah. She was probably in her mid-thirties and she had sand-colored hair that hung like a curtain over her shoulders. Her caramel eyes seemed to hold kindness within them.
She was good at what she did, no doubt. She made sure everything was in order and she prepared a nice dinner for us.
It was over that dinner that I finally heard the dreaded news. I felt it coming.
“Evangeline,” my father started. Theresa smiled widely and my father grabbed her hand.
Gross.
“Theresa and I are getting married.”
Anger flared up in me, but I didn’t dare say a word. I glared angrily at my potatoes and stabbed them repeatedly with my fork.
My dad continued.
“We think that it’s time for you to have a mother again.”
I leapt up, knocking my chair over.
“She’ll never be my mother!” I yelled. “I already have a mother! She’s dead because of the two of you!”
My dad’s mouth hung open. Theresa clamped a hand over her mouth. I didn’t care.
I didn’t even let them speak.
I was already out the door.
***
I raced down the sidewalk. I had no idea where I was going, but I didn’t care. I had gone several blocks and crossed two streets before I even bothered to stop and take in my surroundings.
I was under a bridge of some sort. I heard a rumble and a whistle above me. It was a bridge for a train.
There were several piles of old steel and wood stacked up against the legs of the bridge. Lime green and black graffiti covered several parts of the bridge.
There were a few cream colored buildings with some of the windows busted out. It seemed like an abandoned warehouse. Just across from one of the warehouses were gigantic scorch marks. It looked like one of the buildings caught on fire.
I marveled at my discoveries and shivered. It was a bit chilly outside. The sun was slowly sinking.
I should get back, I thought.
But before I could take a single step, I heard a voice.
“Go home.”