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Saturday, July 3, 2010

Anythingzombie's Week 8 Entry: Escape to Paradise: Part 1

Anythingzombie
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Anythingzombie's Choice: Both


Title:
Escape to Paradise: Part 1




Edward Masen – 1986

I had stolen my father’s car, but I did not fear getting in trouble. Trouble was not my intentions, and neither was what would happen to that car that same day. Even though Emmett had promised me that what we had planned on was far greater than any plot for college, I couldn’t help but to stress on the fact that we had only pockets full of dollars and pennies—we couldn’t survive off of that.

‘Don’t worry, Eddie,’ he had said to me, patting me on the shoulder. ‘Where we are going we won’t have to worry about cash! The only thing you need to think about is the world that is waiting for us!’

I stared at him with my second thoughts. Was I really going to give up the Chicago for the Colorado wilderness?

Bella Swan – 2010

I placed the supposed-ironic “Only Ugly Chicks Read” bookmark in between pages fifty and fifty-one, slowly shutting the book after. I sighed in content and pulled the book into my arms, holding it gently as I tried to force myself to put it down so I could get ready for school. I had already spent an hour wasted on reading, and by now I was going to miss the bus.

I rushed to put on my shoes and put all my things into my back-pack, watching the clock as I tried to remember if I my English essay was due today or not. Reading always swept me up into a world that made me forget about my own. It was bad on my part, but it wasn’t going to stop me. I mused on whether or not I should put the book I was reading in my bag or just carry it. But knowing me, I’d want to flaunt the thing that had me swept up in wonder.

It was raining today, just like it always was. As I started sloshing onto the sidewalks, I realized that my book was getting wet. I could have put it in my back-pack, but instead I opened up my jacket and slipped it in, zipping up the warmth and protection I could offer myself and the book.

“Hey, Bella!” a voice greeted. I looked up and spotted Mike Newton, a close friend.

I smiled. “Hi, Mike. Happy Monday?”

“When is Monday ever happy?” Jessica sneered from behind.

I shrugged and stood beside my group of friends as we waited for the bus. We all chatted about our weekends and complained about the school work we’d be assigned. Angela exchanged her home-made bracelet for a necklace my step-father had bought me. Eventually the bus came and I vanished to the back of the line; I wasn’t in any rush to find a spot.

Mike followed my lead and stood behind me, we both smiled at each other. As we stepped on the bus, he whispered in my ear, “You make my Mondays happy.”

He and I shared a seat in the middle of the bus. I could feel Jessica glare at me from behind, but I tried not to let it bother me. Instead I fished out my book and opened it up at the space I had left off. I bit my lip from excitement and was glad school didn’t start for forty minutes.

Edward Masen – 1986

As Emmett and I prepared for our trip, I couldn’t help but to feel bad for my mother. She and I had formed a close bond that had been burning since birth, and I knew that she was stressing over the fact that I would be off on my own for a long time. I’d miss her deeply, but I knew I had to get away from the caged life my parents had built around me.

Today was my escape from the shadowed life I had always been a part of. I was ready for this, and I knew that the world around me was, too.

Grabbing the last of my bags – which were only full of clothes and other things one might need on a primitive camping trip for months – I slowly left my bedroom, giving my thanks to God for allowing me to have such a great place of wonder. I’d miss my poster-covered walls, the squeaky window, the soft bed and the television that stayed on throughout most the day. It would be different from being away from all this. How was I going to cope without MTV and the Twilight Zone?

But I did not have to worry about those things; I had books, and plenty of them.

-:-


Four days into my drive with the only friend I had was enough to drive anyone a tad mad. The small car always seemed stuffy, and neither of us could compromise on what band to listen to or what place to stop and get food. I knew that at some point we’d both be strangling each other, and I feared the worst. My only ounce of escape from him was sleeping, and I could only do so much of that with the blazing heat and traffic.

‘I’m suffocating,’ I told my mother over a pay phone one day. ‘I knew that deep down this was a bad idea.’

She sighed motherly on the other end, and I rolled my eyes dramatically and pictured myself hanging up on her now before things got out of hand.

‘Edward, dear, things like this happen. It’s great that you and Emmett are best friends, but there is a reason why you two don’t hang out 24/7. But I suppose that this is a mighty test on your friendship.’

Her patronizing tone was more than I could handle.

‘I should come home,’ I said—mostly to myself.

‘Well, actually, you shouldn’t,’ she responded. She was hiding something from me.

‘And why is this?’ I asked with an immense fascination, but in reality it was anything but.

‘Your father and I are moving to Europe,’ she said as clearly as anyone could. I pretended not to hear it.

‘We have to go…I’ll call you next time we stop, or sometime.’

‘Alright, I love you. Try not to kill Emmett, alright?’

This isn’t a joking matter, mother of mine. ‘Love you, too.’

I headed inside the diner that was awkwardly placed in a nowhere town in Iowa. At our pace of traveling, we’d reach Colorado with gray hair and canes.

‘How’s life at Manor Masen?’ Emmett inquired as I took my seat next to him on the battered stools.

‘Apparently they’re moving,’ I relished.

I could see Emmett’s eyebrow rise in the corner of my eye. ‘Where to? Why?’

‘No clue. I decided to wait to find out. No need to have family ruining things for me.’ It wasn’t a lie. Not entirely.

‘How do you feel about strangers ruining your life?’ he asked me, a hesitance in his voice.

‘It’s less bad, but not that great. Why do you ask?’

‘Well,’ he coughed and a small, yet large, face appeared from behind the counter, ‘Alice was interested on joining us.’

‘I’ve always wanted to go on a nature trip, even though it’s more of a trip where a bunch of kids will probably get eaten by a bear.’

‘Getting eaten by a bear is our specialty,’ I said sarcastically. Apparently this was an ‘okay’ from me.

‘Yay! I’ll tell my boss that I quit and maybe you can take me home so I can get my things? Great!’ She didn’t even let us get a word in. As soon as her petite body was out of sight, I glared darkly at Emmett.

‘Dude, how could I say no? Plus I think she likes me, and I’m willing to share!’

‘You’re disgusting.’ With that I left the diner and sat in the car. Across the street was a bus stop. It was as if God threw me a sign. But just as I reached for the door handle, Alice and Emmmett walked out.

Bella Swan - 2010

The bus came to a stop and Mike tapped on my shoulder to let me know. I grinned softly at him and closed my book, wondering how fast it would take me to get to my locker and then to my first class. Hopefully not too long.

Slowly the bus emptied. I barely made it out without breaking an ankle.

“Oh, my gosh.” Jessica gasped as our group collected just beside the bus doors.

“What?” I heard a voice asked, panicked. Angela.

“A school dance. A high school dance!” she nearly screamed as she pointed towards a banner just above the school’s front doors.

I shrugged my shoulders. “That’s cool. Well, I’m off to class.”

I couldn’t have left faster.

But behind me I heard the remarks from my so called “friends”.

“God, she’s such a negi-Nancy. I wish she’d go back home to her whore of a mother.”

I wasn’t one-hundred percent sure who this voice belonged to, all I knew was that it hurt. My eyes began to sting as tears formed, and I felt my stomach quiver in pain.

“Jeeze, Lauren, why do you have to be such a bitch all the time?” I recognized this voice. “Hey, Bella! Wait up!” Mike ran after me, half angry-half hopeful. I stopped and smiled at him, thankful to have at least one person to stand up for me.

He put an arm around my back and pushed me forward, but kindly, as if he was trying to get me away before I could get hurt anymore.

“She’s just jealous,” he said once we got inside.

“Jealous of what?”

“You. Duh.” He winked and continued to walk with me. “Though, I don’t blame her. Who wouldn’t be jealous of you?”

“Or the guys who are shoulder to shoulder with me?” I prompted.

He smirked widely, and his eyes grew wicked with sudden humor. “Ah, yes. I am one to be jealous of; my looks are the best in the school – next to yours.”

I looked into his charming blue eyes.

“That they are.”

Edward Masen – 1986

‘Wow, are we really planning on living like this?’ Alice asked as we all came to a full stop on our hike.

I set down my bags and looked at where she had been so transfixed upon. Immediately my eyes were struck with magnificence far beyond anything I had ever seen before. The mountains were vibrant with multi-colored greens and blues. It was as if a painting or a photograph had suddenly came alive, and I was breathing it all in.

A waterfall gushed water far ahead of us, making a loud yet calming noise.

‘I could seriously live like this,’ Emmett said in awe as he answered her question.

I spoke then. ‘I don’t think I’d believe in the world after this.’

‘Who could?’ the small girl responded.

The three of us stood on top of the highest bit of land we’d make our home.

‘Yeah, this is life.’

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