Past Forgotten
Prologue ~ Never Look Back
Amanda sighed as she hit her stereo for what seemed like the eightieth time this night. Another radio station had slowly faded to white noise. She fiddled with the dial trying to locate any music, or even talk radio, but everything refused to come through the speakers. Giving in, Amanda pushed the power button as the dark and windy road was already giving her the creeps with music, let alone having to listen to white noise.
She looked down at the clock once more. The bright green numbers shone back at her, reading 10:48. She gazed out the window looking for any clue to where she was. Kylie had been expecting her at the Christmas party at 10:15 but Amanda’s amazing directional skills had gotten her lost…again. Now she was stuck driving down the darkest road she had ever come across with no way of getting help. The bigger problem was she hadn’t passed anything but trees in the past 15 minutes and she was about to run out of gas. It would be a long walk to anywhere through the snow and the cold of December.
She was just about to give up hope when something caught her eye. There was a light emanating from somewhere ahead. Feeling slightly renewed, she drove closer. She gave a sigh of relief when she made out the shape of a house sitting on top of a large hill. There was a massive wrought iron fence going along the property for as long as she could see. The lights that she had seen were flickering as if they were candles. Hopefully, someone was home and they weren’t just decorations up for the holiday.
Amanda sighed again and moved her car over to the side of the road. If the people who lived here couldn’t give her directions they would at least have a phone she could use to call Kylie. She pulled her keys out of the ignition and was just about to get out of the car when a movement up the hill caught her eye.
Looking towards the house, she saw the front door had been suddenly flung open. With the light spilling through the doorway, she could make out the image of a young girl sprinting away from the house. Amanda was taken aback and quickly tried to take in the situation that was unfolding in front of her.
The girl couldn’t have been more than 5-years-old and was wearing what seemed to be a small nightgown. She had a small backpack, that looked about to burst, perched on her shoulders. Amanda’s mind finally clicked and she realized this young girl had to be running away from home. Once again, she moved to get out of the car and catch up to the small girl when a shadow blocked the light from the door. This time there was an older man coming out of the house.
Amanda breathed a sigh of relief to see that the young girl’s father was going to prevent her from leaving. At least she assumed he was the girl’s father. Amanda was not able to make out many defining features through the darkness of the night but she could see that he was holding something long and thin in his right hand.
Not wanting to get in the way of a family issue, Amanda waited in the car for a little longer just watching. The girl had almost made it to the gate when the father raised whatever he was holding and said something, though Amanda had no way of knowing what. She was shocked to see the little girl drop onto the ground and let out a blood-curdling scream as if she was in immense pain. Amanda realized that the man was somehow causing this pain when the girl got back on her feet as he dropped his hand. She didn’t quite understand but Amanda knew she had to do something. Right as the man was raising his hand for a second time, she flung open her car door.
“Hey,” she shouted into the night.
Successfully, the man’s head snapped in her direction. She noticed that during this time the young girl was scrambling over the road into the trees on the other side. Unfortunately, the man noticed too and did not seem to be happy about it. This time he raised his arm in her direction. Waiting for the same pain she saw on the girl’s face, the last thing Amanda saw was a flash of green light.
The small girl kept running off into the night, never looking back.
She looked down at the clock once more. The bright green numbers shone back at her, reading 10:48. She gazed out the window looking for any clue to where she was. Kylie had been expecting her at the Christmas party at 10:15 but Amanda’s amazing directional skills had gotten her lost…again. Now she was stuck driving down the darkest road she had ever come across with no way of getting help. The bigger problem was she hadn’t passed anything but trees in the past 15 minutes and she was about to run out of gas. It would be a long walk to anywhere through the snow and the cold of December.
She was just about to give up hope when something caught her eye. There was a light emanating from somewhere ahead. Feeling slightly renewed, she drove closer. She gave a sigh of relief when she made out the shape of a house sitting on top of a large hill. There was a massive wrought iron fence going along the property for as long as she could see. The lights that she had seen were flickering as if they were candles. Hopefully, someone was home and they weren’t just decorations up for the holiday.
Amanda sighed again and moved her car over to the side of the road. If the people who lived here couldn’t give her directions they would at least have a phone she could use to call Kylie. She pulled her keys out of the ignition and was just about to get out of the car when a movement up the hill caught her eye.
Looking towards the house, she saw the front door had been suddenly flung open. With the light spilling through the doorway, she could make out the image of a young girl sprinting away from the house. Amanda was taken aback and quickly tried to take in the situation that was unfolding in front of her.
The girl couldn’t have been more than 5-years-old and was wearing what seemed to be a small nightgown. She had a small backpack, that looked about to burst, perched on her shoulders. Amanda’s mind finally clicked and she realized this young girl had to be running away from home. Once again, she moved to get out of the car and catch up to the small girl when a shadow blocked the light from the door. This time there was an older man coming out of the house.
Amanda breathed a sigh of relief to see that the young girl’s father was going to prevent her from leaving. At least she assumed he was the girl’s father. Amanda was not able to make out many defining features through the darkness of the night but she could see that he was holding something long and thin in his right hand.
Not wanting to get in the way of a family issue, Amanda waited in the car for a little longer just watching. The girl had almost made it to the gate when the father raised whatever he was holding and said something, though Amanda had no way of knowing what. She was shocked to see the little girl drop onto the ground and let out a blood-curdling scream as if she was in immense pain. Amanda realized that the man was somehow causing this pain when the girl got back on her feet as he dropped his hand. She didn’t quite understand but Amanda knew she had to do something. Right as the man was raising his hand for a second time, she flung open her car door.
“Hey,” she shouted into the night.
Successfully, the man’s head snapped in her direction. She noticed that during this time the young girl was scrambling over the road into the trees on the other side. Unfortunately, the man noticed too and did not seem to be happy about it. This time he raised his arm in her direction. Waiting for the same pain she saw on the girl’s face, the last thing Amanda saw was a flash of green light.
The small girl kept running off into the night, never looking back.
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I love all comments and critiques so please review. I hope you enjoy the story.~Lexi Kate