The Foretelling
Let's Start at the Very Beginning
“You goddamn son of a bitch.”
It was that type of day.
No matter how many times I had turned the key ignition, the Car from Hell refused to start.
I also remember that day, the first of May, to be quite hot so there was tension in the air that you could practically feel sitting on your chest.
“I will make it my life’s purpose to make sure you end up broken into pieces in the most repulsive corners of this town. Now START!”
Despite my threats, the lemon continued its state of rebellion. My watch read the time 7:19 A.M. I had exactly four minutes to reach my bus stop which was currently three blocks away for a grand total of 780 feet from my location.
"If I sprinted, I could make it," I thought.
But I would have to abandon the car in the driveway which would then lead to the very real event of getting screamed at by my parents when I returned home since I was blocking their respective cars. But then, I would get heat from them for missing school or from simply being late.
In other words, no matter the decision, I would be wrong.
But I saw the very back of a large yellow school bus behind some houses a block over and at that moment, I knew what my decision would be.
I was going to make a run for it.
I reached back to grab my backpack from the backseat and pushed myself out of the car. Running down the driveway with the wind blowing every which way, I just had time to remember to lock the car, which I did. I swung the leather straps of the bag over my shoulder and darted across the street after sufficiently looking both ways. The clattering noise of the bus’ engine was in my ear. I was facing the fence of my neighbors, the Shrouders.
“It’s not too tall,” I commented on it to myself.
“I could jump.”
With the screech of the bus making another stop, I knew my decision.
I was going to jump it.
Now, I had no idea that the Shrouders had installed a pool in April. To be honest, they had never really interested me or even engaged me in conversation since… well, ever. And, to be fair, who installs a pool on the very edge of their fence and so close to the front yard? Nobody. So, therefore, my landing in their pool after the jump wasn’t really my fault.
It was poor design.
I jumped their fence. Luckily for me, the Shrouders’ pool was filled to the brim with water. A little cold, but it was better than landing on hard concrete.
“WENDY!” shouted Mrs. Shrouder.
Like an idiot, I stayed where I was, treading water, and staring at her companion who wasn’t Mr. Shrouder.
“Terribly sorry, Mrs. Shrouder,” I offered as I regained some sense and began to swim to the edge of the pool.
“WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING?”
She’s a fan of shouting even when she’s not fuming.
“Just, uh… don’t want to be late for school!” I said as I finally got out. The man got out as well and grabbed a towel. I didn’t recognize his face at all.
I didn’t waste any more time. I ran and jumped her other fence into another, more empty yard.
“Yikes.”
I wasn’t interrupted this time, thankfully, so I kept going. I could still hear the bus but this time it was behind me. With a relieved sigh, I ran faster. I was going to beat it with extra time to spare. I had just jumped over another set of fences and landed on a paved sidewalk. The wind dried off at least a portion of the damage the water had done. My hair was in tolerable shape by the time I reached the corner where I could wait. The rest of me was just going to have to suffer being damp. I remembered the jacket in my backpack and pulled it out as I saw the bus coming up. The great yellow gift from God pulled up to my corner and I walked around it to the sliding door. I was walking up the steps when the bus driver, a middle-aged woman who enjoyed her share of cigarettes, grumbled at my state. We exchanged a look.
“You don’t want to know,” I told her.
“I believe it.”
It was that type of day.
No matter how many times I had turned the key ignition, the Car from Hell refused to start.
I also remember that day, the first of May, to be quite hot so there was tension in the air that you could practically feel sitting on your chest.
“I will make it my life’s purpose to make sure you end up broken into pieces in the most repulsive corners of this town. Now START!”
Despite my threats, the lemon continued its state of rebellion. My watch read the time 7:19 A.M. I had exactly four minutes to reach my bus stop which was currently three blocks away for a grand total of 780 feet from my location.
"If I sprinted, I could make it," I thought.
But I would have to abandon the car in the driveway which would then lead to the very real event of getting screamed at by my parents when I returned home since I was blocking their respective cars. But then, I would get heat from them for missing school or from simply being late.
In other words, no matter the decision, I would be wrong.
But I saw the very back of a large yellow school bus behind some houses a block over and at that moment, I knew what my decision would be.
I was going to make a run for it.
I reached back to grab my backpack from the backseat and pushed myself out of the car. Running down the driveway with the wind blowing every which way, I just had time to remember to lock the car, which I did. I swung the leather straps of the bag over my shoulder and darted across the street after sufficiently looking both ways. The clattering noise of the bus’ engine was in my ear. I was facing the fence of my neighbors, the Shrouders.
“It’s not too tall,” I commented on it to myself.
“I could jump.”
With the screech of the bus making another stop, I knew my decision.
I was going to jump it.
Now, I had no idea that the Shrouders had installed a pool in April. To be honest, they had never really interested me or even engaged me in conversation since… well, ever. And, to be fair, who installs a pool on the very edge of their fence and so close to the front yard? Nobody. So, therefore, my landing in their pool after the jump wasn’t really my fault.
It was poor design.
I jumped their fence. Luckily for me, the Shrouders’ pool was filled to the brim with water. A little cold, but it was better than landing on hard concrete.
“WENDY!” shouted Mrs. Shrouder.
Like an idiot, I stayed where I was, treading water, and staring at her companion who wasn’t Mr. Shrouder.
“Terribly sorry, Mrs. Shrouder,” I offered as I regained some sense and began to swim to the edge of the pool.
“WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING?”
She’s a fan of shouting even when she’s not fuming.
“Just, uh… don’t want to be late for school!” I said as I finally got out. The man got out as well and grabbed a towel. I didn’t recognize his face at all.
I didn’t waste any more time. I ran and jumped her other fence into another, more empty yard.
“Yikes.”
I wasn’t interrupted this time, thankfully, so I kept going. I could still hear the bus but this time it was behind me. With a relieved sigh, I ran faster. I was going to beat it with extra time to spare. I had just jumped over another set of fences and landed on a paved sidewalk. The wind dried off at least a portion of the damage the water had done. My hair was in tolerable shape by the time I reached the corner where I could wait. The rest of me was just going to have to suffer being damp. I remembered the jacket in my backpack and pulled it out as I saw the bus coming up. The great yellow gift from God pulled up to my corner and I walked around it to the sliding door. I was walking up the steps when the bus driver, a middle-aged woman who enjoyed her share of cigarettes, grumbled at my state. We exchanged a look.
“You don’t want to know,” I told her.
“I believe it.”