Status: Complete
Wild Child: Love Cannot Save You Part 1
Wild Child
.Prologue.
Wild Child
January, 1961
Caroline Andrews stared out the mist-covered window, watching as the scenery flew by-becoming more and more rural with each passing minute. The bright lights and glamorous streets of the city she called home were gone-left about 200 miles back, along with the past 15 years of her life.
Eventually, she grew bored of the endless green hills and instead began to study her reflection.
Big green doe eyes stared back at her, her little nose-sprinkled with freckles- crinkled up like it always was when she was on the verge of tears. Her dark red hair was getting quite long-it had already grown past her shoulders! Good, she thought. Her parents might be trying to put an end to her “disrespectful, thoughtless” ways-going so far as to pick up and move almost 300 miles away-but that didn’t mean she was going to let them.
As a sophomore in high school, Caroline had just recently begun to find her way. She had started hanging around with a new group of friends, most of whom were older than her by at least 2 or 3 years. “Beats” they were called. Unique individuals who were antimaterialistic and did not conform to society’s rules and regulations. They, like her, were dissatisfied with modern culture. They felt out of place and yearned for something more.
Caroline had never in her whole life felt such a strong connection to a group of people. She had always loved poetry, and was always intrigued by philosophy. She spent most of her time at the library, reading the works of Rimbaud, Kafka, and even Plato. She devoured the works of Kerouac, Ginsberg, Holmes, and Burroughs just to name a few. She appreciated Negro culture, particularly jazz and blues music and fully embraced the idea of bettering her inner self over and above material possessions.
Her friends had turned her on to a different way of life; giving her the opportunity to show off the individuality she had always been somewhat tentative to fully embrace. She had so much more that she wanted to experience, and now she was being exiled to suburbia. Caroline had vowed that she would never let anyone compromise her individuality, but her parents sure were compromising her opportunity!
A small sign off to the side of the road read “Virginia welcomes you” and it was then that the reality of what was happening really sank in-and it hit her like a kick in the gut. Her life as she knew it was over. Panicked, she turned to her brother, Phil, who seemed to be lost in his own thoughts at that moment.
Two years her senior, Phil was constantly trying to set a good example for his younger sister, whose free spirit and rebellious ways had been the cause of countless family arguments in the past. He himself had an affinity for the beat writers and a strong appreciation for the blues. In fact, it had been through him that Caroline had discovered the beat movement in the first place.
She had always looked up to him. More than anything she wanted him to view her as an equal, and not as his baby sister. And while it annoyed her that he was so protective, it was always him that she looked to for comfort and advice.
Now was one of those moments, as Bing Crosby’s voice filled the car, making Caroline crawl out of her skin. The anticipation of the corny lyrics and dull melodies finally coming to an end almost made her look forward to reaching their destination…almost.
“Hey,” said Phil, placing an arm around his sister as she cried onto his shoulder, “it’s ok.”
But Caroline could see in his face, and hear in his voice that he was anything but okay. She knew that this move was affecting him a lot more than he let on, and she wished that just once he wouldn’t feel like he had to be strong for her.
When they passed a second sign, this one reading “Alexandria, 10 miles” Caroline felt her heart sink. Any far off notion she’d been harboring that her father would have some kind of epiphany and turn the car around no longer existed. They had come too far now, and it was clear that there was no going back.
And so, as the car continued toward its destination, Caroline closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
‘This is it’ she thought, ‘this is the end of my life as I know it.’ Of course, she had no way of knowing that it was only the beginning.
Wild Child
January, 1961
Caroline Andrews stared out the mist-covered window, watching as the scenery flew by-becoming more and more rural with each passing minute. The bright lights and glamorous streets of the city she called home were gone-left about 200 miles back, along with the past 15 years of her life.
Eventually, she grew bored of the endless green hills and instead began to study her reflection.
Big green doe eyes stared back at her, her little nose-sprinkled with freckles- crinkled up like it always was when she was on the verge of tears. Her dark red hair was getting quite long-it had already grown past her shoulders! Good, she thought. Her parents might be trying to put an end to her “disrespectful, thoughtless” ways-going so far as to pick up and move almost 300 miles away-but that didn’t mean she was going to let them.
As a sophomore in high school, Caroline had just recently begun to find her way. She had started hanging around with a new group of friends, most of whom were older than her by at least 2 or 3 years. “Beats” they were called. Unique individuals who were antimaterialistic and did not conform to society’s rules and regulations. They, like her, were dissatisfied with modern culture. They felt out of place and yearned for something more.
Caroline had never in her whole life felt such a strong connection to a group of people. She had always loved poetry, and was always intrigued by philosophy. She spent most of her time at the library, reading the works of Rimbaud, Kafka, and even Plato. She devoured the works of Kerouac, Ginsberg, Holmes, and Burroughs just to name a few. She appreciated Negro culture, particularly jazz and blues music and fully embraced the idea of bettering her inner self over and above material possessions.
Her friends had turned her on to a different way of life; giving her the opportunity to show off the individuality she had always been somewhat tentative to fully embrace. She had so much more that she wanted to experience, and now she was being exiled to suburbia. Caroline had vowed that she would never let anyone compromise her individuality, but her parents sure were compromising her opportunity!
A small sign off to the side of the road read “Virginia welcomes you” and it was then that the reality of what was happening really sank in-and it hit her like a kick in the gut. Her life as she knew it was over. Panicked, she turned to her brother, Phil, who seemed to be lost in his own thoughts at that moment.
Two years her senior, Phil was constantly trying to set a good example for his younger sister, whose free spirit and rebellious ways had been the cause of countless family arguments in the past. He himself had an affinity for the beat writers and a strong appreciation for the blues. In fact, it had been through him that Caroline had discovered the beat movement in the first place.
She had always looked up to him. More than anything she wanted him to view her as an equal, and not as his baby sister. And while it annoyed her that he was so protective, it was always him that she looked to for comfort and advice.
Now was one of those moments, as Bing Crosby’s voice filled the car, making Caroline crawl out of her skin. The anticipation of the corny lyrics and dull melodies finally coming to an end almost made her look forward to reaching their destination…almost.
“Hey,” said Phil, placing an arm around his sister as she cried onto his shoulder, “it’s ok.”
But Caroline could see in his face, and hear in his voice that he was anything but okay. She knew that this move was affecting him a lot more than he let on, and she wished that just once he wouldn’t feel like he had to be strong for her.
When they passed a second sign, this one reading “Alexandria, 10 miles” Caroline felt her heart sink. Any far off notion she’d been harboring that her father would have some kind of epiphany and turn the car around no longer existed. They had come too far now, and it was clear that there was no going back.
And so, as the car continued toward its destination, Caroline closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
‘This is it’ she thought, ‘this is the end of my life as I know it.’ Of course, she had no way of knowing that it was only the beginning.
♠ ♠ ♠
Hello! I know it's been ages since I've even been on this site. Believe it or not I've been writing and re-writing this story until I was 100% satisfied with it. Very recently, I finally found the time to sit down and finish LCSY Part 1. And here it is. The new and improved version. Enjoy!