Little Girl Lost.

001.

Adrenaline rushed through me, I could feel its familiar buzz as my arms pumped and feet pounded against the dark, blue mats beneath my feet. I inhaled quickly, silently counting to myself as I hurled towards the stationary vault sitting at the end of the runway.

"1..2..3."

Suddenly, I was flying, twisting and turning through the air until I came to a stop, landing perfectly on my own two feet atop the dark, blue rubber. A loud noise, almost like thunder, filled the gym as I held up my arms satisfyingly in the traditional salute.

"Woo! You landed that perfectly," My coach congratulated me, tucking her clipboard beneath one arm as she clapped her hands together in applause, "Keep it up, we'll beat McKinley High in Vault this year for sure."

I smiled my gratitude, bending at the waist in attempt to catch my breath, "Don't put all your eggs in one basket, right?"

"Gymnastics isn't a chicken coop, Cay!" Coach yelled back over her shoulder as she headed to the uneven bars, giving one of the girls some last minute advice before calling it a night.

"I'll see you all, bright and early at 6:30! The meet is in two weeks, I want you girls to be ready." Coach McKinnon's voice boomed as the team finished their routines and hit the lockers. A unanimous groan resounded but nobody was really complaining.

With my auburn ponytail so elegantly sticking to the back of my neck, I jogged to the locker room. After a long practice, I was ready to head home-- where a nice, warm shower was waiting to soothe my aching muscles. I slipped into my sneakers and hoisted my gym bag onto my shoulder, my body protesting the extra weight on my joints.

"Hold up, Cay. Is Rodney picking you up? All the girls have a ride home and I don't feel comfortable with you walking in the dark." Coach hollered after me, just as I was pushing open the doors of the gymnasium.

"He had to work late, but I'll be fine. Besides, I'll stink up your car. Chicken coops, right?" I joked. I lived only two blocks away from the club and exhausted as I was, I needed the fresh air.

"Call me as soon as you get home or you're doing laps in the morning." She said sternly, pointing her finger at me before turning back to her beloved clipboard.

"Of course, mother hen." I grumbled under my breath as the crisp autumn air met my skin.

I inhaled deeply, this was my favorite time of year. Crisp leaves crunched under my feet as I trudged across the parking lot. I thrust my hands into the pockets of my sweatshirt as I mulled over my thoughts silently.

Streetlights flickered as I walked down the sidewalk, humming quietly to myself. The temperature was starting to drop and I was beginning to regret turning down Coach's offer for a ride home. Not to mention, I didn't realize it was as dark as it was and my street didn't have very many lamps illuminating the path home. The stars began to peak out from their dark blanket, twinkling softly as if they were winking to each other. I smiled softly to myself as I picked out constellations I recognized.

My neck craned to the dark canopy above me, I nearly tripped over the curb but I caught myself and restored my balance. The sudden conundrum snapped me out of my thoughts and back into the present moment; the moment when I realized there was a car following me. Heart suddenly pounding against my ribcage, I became very aware of my surroundings. Their headlights were off, driving so slowly they were almost at an idle.

"Coach won't let me hear the end of this." I thought to myself, panic beginning to take over my train of thought.

I was close enough to home, almost able to see the familiar brown tiles of the sloped roof and the tall, pine tree that grew next to my window. But half a block is still plenty of time for someone to jump out of their car and grab a teenage girl just trying to walk home from gymnastics practice. My heart pounding so loud I swore it was making my head spin, I fumbled in my pocket for my cell-phone and with shaking fingers; punched in Rodney's number to the keypad.

I held it to my ear and desperately prayed the blue glow from the screen would be enough to send the driver on his way. I don't know what type of person would stalk random people walking home but I hoped that those type of people were easily thrown off by a cell-phone.

"Hey it's Rodney, leave a message. You know the drill."

Just when I was about to desperately break into a sprint down the sidewalk, the car roared off down the road and sharply turned around a distant corner, screeching tires echoing with a shrill. I exhaled sharply, not realizing until then that I had been holding my breath. Re-adjusting the weight of my bag on my shoulder, I broke into a brisk jog towards home. The brown pillars of the front porch never looked so welcoming and the yellow porch light never felt so warm.

I fumbled with my keys, looking over my shoulder as I stuck the key into the lock and pushed open the front door. I collapsed in the front entry, gasping for air as I tried to calm down and reassure myself that I was fine. Thankfully, I had just been overreacting over what was nothing.

Right?
♠ ♠ ♠
Re-wrote the first chapter of this story, going to (finally) get a fresh start on this as it's always been the favorite of everything I've written and I hope Mibba enjoys it too~~

Please leave a comment and tell me what you think!