Out of the Funk

The last several posts have been very serious. A little too serious, I think. So, I was looking back through some writing that I did in the past, and I thought I'd let you in on a little of it.

This is my first attempt at an actual piece of fiction - with chapters and everything. So, if you like it, I'll continue to post bits and pieces. Keep in mind that it's very raw and unedited AND completely fictional - even though you may recognize similarities in some of the characters and people in my personal life. It's fictional - roll with it.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Addie peered out across the open field and there it was- the big oak that marked the spot. With the sudden burst of energy she received from the mere thought of the comfort she knew would be hers once she arrived, she hiked up her white dress and took off across the field, her bird legs flying out like propellers, slapping the tall grass out of her face as she flew. As she reached the old birch, she collapsed as the shade washed over her in a cool wave. For a while she laid there catching her breath and thinking about what a dumb decision her getaway would probably prove to be.

“What am I runnin’ from anyway?!” The sound of her voice sounded funny out there in the middle of all that nature. Things always seemed different out there.

“Not now. Not yet.” She had already made her decision. She had run away and now she needed to get to her destination. Once there, she could sit down and think on things. She stood and found the pink spot on the back of the tree that marked her starting point. She put her back to it and walked straight ahead toward the line of trees in front of her. As she reached the line, she glanced around for the first pink polka dot, and on a towering pine to her right she saw it. Addie ran to it and looked for the next dot. She found it, and as she moved from tree to tree, her heart beat quickened in excitement. She knew that if she could just get there, she could find some answers. After about the 10th polka dot, she came to a clearing and there it was. Her heart sunk a little. Time had taken its toll on the little cottage. The hot pink on the front door had chipped away to reveal the rotting gray wood behind it, and its decaying state was a good representation of the condition of the rest of the house. Even so, there was an air of magic in that clearing. Addie moved toward the door and found that it was locked. She stood there thinking for a moment, “Where did she keep that key? It’s been so long…”

Just then a rusted wind chime at the far end of the porch caught her eye. A smile crept across her lips and hope filled her heart. She remembered how proud she had been of that wind chime. She found it at a garage sale when she was 8 years old and thought it would make a perfect addition to the cottage. It was a fat, sassy old lady holding an umbrella. The wind had blown both her dress and umbrella up and she had the funniest look on her face. The rain and time had washed most of the paint away now, but Addie had a perfect picture of it tucked away in her memory. She reached up and felt inside of the upturned umbrella. Her heart leapt as she felt the jagged edge of the key against her fingers. She pulled it out, wiped off the cobwebs, walked to the door, inserted the key, and with a little force, turned the knob.

The door creaked open to reveal the happiest memories of Addie’s childhood neatly stored away and somewhat preserved. She collapsed into the lime green couch by the window on the far side of the living room, soaking up every happy color splashed across the room, remembering every glass of sweet tea that had been enjoyed on the porch, every flower that had been planted in the garden, every memory it all represented, and the two relationships that had molded her the most. It had all taken place here. Suddenly, she could hold the tears back no longer. She let them fall, there in her place of safety and comfort she had nothing more to hide. She wept over the past 5 years, over her poor decisions, over her incessant stubborn pride, over the relationship she had just closed the door on. Between sobs, she managed to whisper, “I can’t. I’m so tired” to whoever might be listening. As she drifted off to sleep, she heard, “Sleep, my child.” Her eyes flung open and she looked around. Was that audible or just in her head, or was it in her heart? “Just in my head…” she told herself as she drifted off again, and this time she fell into a deep sleep.