I wrote this for English class a while back but I thought it was worth posting.
I stick my nose in the air and look around. Something isn’t too right about this place. It gives me strange tingles down my spine, that feel like little electric sparks in my stomach, making my palms produce tiny beads of sweat and my expression ever so puzzled. Nervous… yes, I’m very nervous. Gosh, I never knew it could be so tantalizing to be standing in a hallway. Waiting merely for a form to sign. It’s not like I don’t want this, oh trust me, I do, I want it so badly. I’ve been waiting since I got here. Being one of those young kids…
You know, one of those crazy 7 year olds with two little pigtails, each hanging down by a rosy pink cheek that had an innocent gleaming smile of amusement and happiness painted across in bright primary colours. With more knowledge than that of adults, unaware of things I was able to do. Innocence is all an act. But is it true when a 7 year old is able to burn down a building and laugh while watching it? With my tiny pair of glasses fixed onto my tiny button nose and my gleaming blue eyes that were glossy as if someone had just polished them. Being taken away and put behind bars, labelled insane… held down while the world expanded around me.
I start to pace up and down, making myself more and more nervous with every second that passes.
“Scarlet?” a voice calls out. ‘That’s me!!!’ I think to myself. “Scarlet Mayers?” The voice calls out again. ‘Oh God… I feel faint.’ I think again.
“Here.” Came a voice… I think it was mine. It was more of a squeak than anything else. One a dog makes when someone unkindly steps on his paw.
I start to walk in wobbly steps. I’m so weak to my nerves. She extends her arm and hands me an envelope. Then she pats me on the shoulder.
“Good luck, sweetie,” she tells me. I obediently nod my head and turn around. I stop for a brief second. This is the last time I’ll be in here. I start to run those words through my head. This is the last time I’ll be in here. Three particular words is all I can think about. The last time. The last time. The LAST time.
I close my eyes and breath in and out once. Then I open them again, smile, hold my head high and I take long strides across the grey, dimly lit hallway. I look around. Taking in every little mark, scratch and chip of the fading paint. It really was a miserable place, full of miserable people. I smile. Misery. The word made me smile. M-i-s-e-r-y. How unusual, in such a small and lovely world that God created. Misery.
I smile again. My heart stops and so does my pace of walking. I’ve come to a door. I know this door… I just can’t seem to place it in my mind. I’m so used to walking in the other direction of this hallway. I haven’t come to this door for a long time. But I know I’ve seen it.
Like when you remember something from a long time ago. As if it were a dream. But it isn’t as mystical and effective as a dream, that carries you away into another world and makes you as light as a feather as thoughts of happiness dance around your eyes.
I look up to the door, unsure of how to open it.
“Miss Scarlet?” A voice came out of nowhere. Like an angel from heaven, maybe. Suddenly I start to feel a hand on my shoulder.
“Who are you?” I stutter. I don’t turn to face him. I keep myself masked. I’m scared.
“Miss Scarlet, I’m just here to let you out.”
“Let me… out?”
“Yes,” the man then laughs a little.
“It’s not funny,” I’m offended now.
“I’m not laughing at you; you’re just not like the other girls. You’re younger, prettier.” Was I getting… compliments? No more ‘That girl’s crazy’? I smile a little. And turn around to face him. His smile disappears and he steps back. My face becomes a puzzle. Each piece flickering out of place, and easily put back together with the right amount of knowledge. I don’t know what to say. So I keep to myself. He walks around me not looking at me. Then unlocks the large door. I squint. It’s sunny out. I wait in the door for a moment just absorbing the light.
I see people walking around; trees start coming to life. Aren’t they just beautiful? The way their branches stretch out in the air. Freely brushing past the particles. Oxygen, Hydrogen, all moving out the way to make space for these long branches that are holding onto the leaves like their treasured possession.
“Thank you Sir,” I said to the man. He smiles at me again. Then closes the door as I take a step forward and out. Out these doors for the first and last time.
I look down the street just tracing the houses with my mind and taking in all the wonderful colours. I let out a sound of amusement. Like a new born baby. Just opening its eyes to the joys of the world around itself.
I lift up one leg. Admiring the freedom of this one step and I begin my way home.
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