The sun was setting when she finally arrived home.
Emily scanned her surroundings. There was no wind, not even a leaf or a bird drifted in the sky. Shequietly got out of her car and walked the short distance to the small courtyard.
There it was.The house she once knew. It was deserted now but there was a time when it was witness to the summer vacations she always looked forward to with much anticipation.
“Rise and shine, kids!” her father used to barge in on their room at the crack of dawn.
“Is it time already?” Emily would ask, a big smile forming at the sides of her mouth.
“It is time, princess. Get dressed and come down. Mom’s making some pancakes,” her dad answered as he nudged Kate off her bed.
“Okay Dad, I heard you the first time” Kate murmured in her audible but sleepy voice.
Those were the days when life was happy, simple, and real. Now, there was nothing to give; nothing to take away.
Emily’s hand trembled. Slowly, she folded her fingers into a fist, trying hard not to break down. It’s been twenty years. Does anyone ever outgrow such memories?
She took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. It would soon be dark. She braced herself and went around the house. She stifled a cry at the sight of the garden. Despite the pangs of anguish that burned inside her heart, Emily smiled at the recollection.
The garden was once beautiful. Mom loved to spend most of her time here while she, Kate and Dad went down to the river for a swim. They’d come back dripping wet, ready to devour Mom’s delicious chicken casserole and apple pie for dessert. After dinner, they’d play charades. Other times, she and Kate would crawl into Mom’s arms to read while Dad reviewed community events with a day-old newspaper.
Those were the memories she wanted to keep. Not this rotten garden. Not the old house whose walls now stood only to remind her of that fateful day. And certainly not that old crappy red van...
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Emily stood transfixed. There it was, under the old maple tree, exactly where they had left it, after the ambulance came and took her family away.
They were on their way back to the city. She was pleading her Dad to let her go to camp next summer. He wouldn’t hear of it, said she wasn’t old enough.
Then it happened. A deer came out of nowhere, ran past the van, and swept it into a mad turn towards the woods. Emily felt the van being tossed and turned. Seconds later, things turned quiet except for the slow hum of an engine, willing itself to live.
That brief moment took away her family. Once a happy little girl, one singular incident transformed Emily into an angry and bitter orphan.
Coming home was not a good idea after all.
Maybe next year...
This is my first time linking up with yeah write speakeasy. We had to start with the sentence “The sun was setting when she finally arrived home” and refer to the photo prompt in some way. Come and join the fun!
Emily scanned her surroundings. There was no wind, not even a leaf or a bird drifted in the sky. Shequietly got out of her car and walked the short distance to the small courtyard.
There it was.The house she once knew. It was deserted now but there was a time when it was witness to the summer vacations she always looked forward to with much anticipation.
“Rise and shine, kids!” her father used to barge in on their room at the crack of dawn.
“Is it time already?” Emily would ask, a big smile forming at the sides of her mouth.
“It is time, princess. Get dressed and come down. Mom’s making some pancakes,” her dad answered as he nudged Kate off her bed.
“Okay Dad, I heard you the first time” Kate murmured in her audible but sleepy voice.
Those were the days when life was happy, simple, and real. Now, there was nothing to give; nothing to take away.
Emily’s hand trembled. Slowly, she folded her fingers into a fist, trying hard not to break down. It’s been twenty years. Does anyone ever outgrow such memories?
She took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. It would soon be dark. She braced herself and went around the house. She stifled a cry at the sight of the garden. Despite the pangs of anguish that burned inside her heart, Emily smiled at the recollection.
The garden was once beautiful. Mom loved to spend most of her time here while she, Kate and Dad went down to the river for a swim. They’d come back dripping wet, ready to devour Mom’s delicious chicken casserole and apple pie for dessert. After dinner, they’d play charades. Other times, she and Kate would crawl into Mom’s arms to read while Dad reviewed community events with a day-old newspaper.
Those were the memories she wanted to keep. Not this rotten garden. Not the old house whose walls now stood only to remind her of that fateful day. And certainly not that old crappy red van...
They were on their way back to the city. She was pleading her Dad to let her go to camp next summer. He wouldn’t hear of it, said she wasn’t old enough.
Then it happened. A deer came out of nowhere, ran past the van, and swept it into a mad turn towards the woods. Emily felt the van being tossed and turned. Seconds later, things turned quiet except for the slow hum of an engine, willing itself to live.
That brief moment took away her family. Once a happy little girl, one singular incident transformed Emily into an angry and bitter orphan.
Coming home was not a good idea after all.
Maybe next year...
This is my first time linking up with yeah write speakeasy. We had to start with the sentence “The sun was setting when she finally arrived home” and refer to the photo prompt in some way. Come and join the fun!
