Passion Beyond Illusion

It was just like any other day, I was sitting down at my old, time-worn wooden desk with the broken leg and ever so disappearing black paint (that poor desk has most certainly seen its better days) in my meager apartment, located in the northern region of Michigan racking my brain on how to begin my next writing piece. I absolutely adored writing, it’s been a passion of mine ever since I was tot, while most girls my age were playing with dolls, I was releasing my inner Meg Cabot and Neil Gaiman, pushing my ever so creative imagination to its limits, now of course I had my parents actually write everything out, but I told them precisely what I wanted my work to say and even looking back now, it was pretty good. Now, I’m not one to brag, but I am a brilliant writer once I get started, it’s just the initial kickoff that I struggle to spawn, after that, it’s a second nature to me and it flows out of my mind like a gentle stream. Oh goodness, I guess got a little carried away proclaiming my love for the glorious written form of art, that happens with me a lot. So does daydreaming, yeah, I’m a daydreamer. When I was in school, most of my fellow pupils got trouble for running their mouths, whereas with me…it was for “going to la la land” as my teachers put it, but, hey I can’t help it…I’m a dreamer.

Oops, got a little off track there, rambling on as I usually do which is kind of odd, considering I’m typically very timid when it comes to communicating with others.
Anyway, I could have never predicted a typical day in my life such as that would also be the day that propelled my life causing it to make a huge change, which surprisingly turned out be for the better rather than the worse, for the most part that is. I didn’t think that at first, but looking back on it now, I’m glad that I didn’t just let that day pass me by, I’m glad that it happened, even though all of this joy in my life spawned from one of the worst tragedies I could have ever imagined. I guess that just goes to prove that it is possible for something wonderful to originate from something so terribly horrific and that life really is always full of surprises, twists and turns.

...

It was barely noon and the phone suddenly started buzzing deafeningly in my ear.
Startled, I shook loose from my daydream and scrambled up from the desk to pick up the cordless phone, I got to it just before the third ring and pressed it to my right ear.
“Hello?” I asked trying to not sound too startled but I ultimately failed thanks to the frantic and shook up voice on the other land which was impossible for me to mistake.
“Eris!” my sister screamed sobbing into the phone. At that point, I knew it wasn’t pretty.
“Starlene, what’s wrong?” I asked, my heart taking a leopard like leap into my throat.
“It’s…it’s…,” she started, though unable to finish before having to stop and pull herself together, I could hear her blubbering on the other end. One thing I really hated was to hear was my older sister crying. She was so enthusiastic and perky, so to hear her cry… meant something serious was really wrong, I had to fight the urge to cry myself.
“Starlene…what‘s wrong?” I asked again softly after giving us both a little time to collect ourselves.
“It’s Nadiya” she choked out, anguish flooding her voice again. Then suddenly, my heart stopped and a rush of despair came over me, the same way when realization of something tragic hits.
“What’s wrong with Nadiya?” I asked the despair now possessing me, taking over my entire body.
“She…she started shaking uncontrollably and then just passed out, I don’t know what’s wrong, Eris” Starlene responded.
“You mean like some sort of seizure?” I asked her attempting to hold back everything inside me so I could prevent having a breakdown, at least one of us had to remain somewhat calm, otherwise everything would just become udder chaos.
“That‘s what it seemed like…I took her the hospital.” she answered me, before taking a brief pause.
“Do you think you can come to Vegas for a bit?” she asked me, taken me by surprise. Go to Vegas for a few days, I’d love that…but for what the reason I had to go…hm. Also, I had a job and…oh screw it, my boss would understand, family’s more important than work anyway. Besides this was Nadiya we were talking about, my niece, my beautiful, wonderful, loving niece, I couldn’t just abandon my niece and sister like that in a time of need. And they really needed me right now, my sister was on her own raising the girls, Nadiya and Julliana, she never had luck with relationships(don’t ask) so I had to kind of help her raise them, well Nadiya at least so we were really close and I mean really close. It’s almost like Nadiya was my own daughter…It’s been decided I’ll go.
“Of course, I’ll be there as soon as I can.” I responded. I would hop the first plane I could, I knew it would be a long flight, but it’d be worth it. More worth it then I could have ever imagined
“Thank you sooooo much, Eris,” Starlene said, sighing with relief “You don’t know how grateful I am.”
“Yeah, no problem.” I replied back, “See you later, okay?”
“Alright, bye” Starlene said hanging up the phone.

Taking a deep breath, I too hung the phone and began to gather anything that I’d need. Here I was packing for Vegas, as in Las Vegas, Sin City…and I wasn’t the least bit thrilled, in fact I was devastated. Normally, I would have been ecstatic to go to Vegas, I’ve wanted to go there for the longest time and I was going to last year for my twenty first birthday but life had other plans for me and I couldn’t make it. Therefore, I should have been thrilled to go, however, the situation made even the mere thought almost unbearable, I dreaded having to go to one of the most beautiful US cities, what a life. Nadyia was in the hospital… I gulped and tried to shake away the thought, I was not about to let the tears flood out my eyes, I wouldn’t, I would fight them back if I had to, as if I were the world’s greatest monster slayer, but I wouldn’t cry, I COULDN’T cry, I had to be strong. It’s hard to always be the strong one, but out Starlene and myself, I always was, even though I was the younger sister. I was always the one that had to give her advice, not the other way around and I was always the one who had to comfort her in times of need, again not the other way around. At times, I felt as if I were the older sister as opposed the younger one, but then again, Starlene was always there for me when I needed her and she did take charge whenever it was necessary to a point, I guess she did act like the older sister when she needed too, the situation was just reversed a vast majority of the time. We had a really complex relationship for quite awhile, one day we would be best friends and the next, we’d bite each other’s heads off, like I said, it was pretty complex, but we’ve managed to get past all that and have become really close here of late, which is a good thing actually, seeing as she’s my only sibling and I never was so great at making friends. Yeah, I was always the shy one of the Wrythern family, and it really sucked; everyone else was a social butterfly and then me, I was Miss Oh-So-Awkward-Avoid-Me-Everyone.

I had packed enough clothes and accessories for five days, I shouldn’t need to stay any longer, hopefully everything would be okay within a couple days and I could use the remainder of time for some fun, I didn’t have a whole lot of money for a hotel either so yeah, whatever I had would have to do seeing as my job was obviously the best one anyone could ever ask for, sarcasm intended there. I mean my boss was nice and all, but quite frankly, this job isn‘t what I wanted to spend my whole life doing, I wanted to be a writer, that was my real dream. Most of the girls I knew wanted to be singers or actresses but not me, I wanted to write. Most people thought I was crazy and even mocked me, but I just shrugged it off, it was MY dream not their’s and no one would stand in my way. However, what was standing in my way was money, so I was stuck just trying to get by for now, oh well, I‘m still young, there‘s still plenty of time to achieve my dream and I would, someday. No matter what, I would be a writer someday, I felt it, I really felt it. “I’m missing something,” I said to myself looking through my “suitcase” it was more of a book bag with wheels, I didn’t actually own a suitcase but I wasn’t going to bring much, just clothes, shoes and…my notebook, that’s what I was missing. I began to rummage through my mess of a room, attempting to locate where I’d left it. Yeah, my apartment wasn’t any rose garden or anything fit for those with an expensive taste, it was a little run down to be honest, but it was okay, very suitable for living, for me it was anyway. I went back to looking for my little black notebook and finally found it…under my pillow, along with my trusty pen. “Now do I need ANYTHING else?” I asked myself as I scanned the room one last time. I could do without my computer for a few days…I had my notebook, maybe my I-pod? Yeah, I’d bring that with me…with a near six hour flight ahead of me, it would come in handy, no doubt about it so I grabbed that and a pair of pajamas(I’d need something to sleep in after all) and stuck them in my “suitcase” before closing it up. I would buy any of the toiletries I needed once I got there, no reason to really bring mine along, it was only a few days after all, or so I thought. “That’s about it,“ I said at last, picking up my “suitcase” and heading out my apartment door, remembering to lock it up behind me and throwing the key into my bag. Pulling my luggage behind me, I slowly walked to my car, a black 2002 Chevy Impala. I took a deep breath, preparing myself drive to the airport, I could do this…I could do this. The Impala was used car when I got it, not in the best shape(it too had seen its better days) but it still held up quite well, it got me to where I needed to go, and that’s all I really needed it to do, I didn’t need a Cadillac or Volvo nor did I desire to own one, I didn’t drive around to impress people, it was simply to get me from one place to another. I opened the passenger door, put the bag down in the seat, closed the door and entered in the driver side. Luckily I was only about thirty minutes from Cherry Capital Airport, I wouldn’t waste a crap load of time on the drive to the airport that way, though the plane ride would still be long and excruciating. Pulling out of the apartment’s parking lot I sighed to myself, ready, not excited just ready to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.