Personal Narrative

“Hello friends!” someone says as the kids are only a few steps into the forest. “How are you today?”

When I reach the house I enter through the back doors, knowing my mom should be going to work by now. She had taken up a job ever since my dad passed away. When I walk through the doors, I’m surprised to see my mom in the kitchen with North.

He walked sluggish up the stairs to go to bed, I ran towards mom to see if she was okay, I saw her face filled with fear and it looks like she wasn’t in this world anymore, like she was off, lost in her conscience. I felt suddenly like I wasn’t home, like I just walked into a different world with parents I didn’t even recognize. I left my mom in her mess of thoughts and ran upstairs a little wary that my dad would pop out. I shut my door silently and just sat on my bed, wondering what happened to Clover and hoping she’ll come back home soon, no wait this is not my home anymore.

I listened to my favorite music when you were on tour. When I came home from work—I’d turn on the record player, sway slowly with the first verse—then dance through the house shouting the words like I wrote them myself. They were the singers you hated. Janice Joplin, The Mamas And The Papas, Stevie Knicks. Their songs all sounded the same you told me. Whiny and angry and absolutely no fun.

In the 18 years I’ve been alive, I can honestly say I don’t regret much. I didn’t get in trouble a lot, I never broke a lamp and lied about it, or any other such childish nonsense. I always thought lying was stupid, so I didn’t do it. I sometimes did silly things, but everyone does those. Were the things I did embarrassing? Of course. But I didn’t regret them.

A couple years ago I had to make a pretty big decision involving one of my best friends back then. We were always together, we had many laughs, and things were simply great. As we got a bit older she seemed to drift away from me but always told me that I was her best friend. I heard things going on in her life that were major that she hadn’t told me or even hinted to me which made me pretty sad. I felt like we weren’t close anymore so I decided to do something about it. I had to decide whether I was going to go off on her and be upset that she totally just ignored me, or I was going to sit down and tell her how I feel and work it out. Of course I was a bit angry but I knew that being rude and inconsiderate would only make things worse so I

I changed my clothes and fixed my hair and then grabbed my cell phone, money, and a jacket. By putting pillows and a blonde wig under my blankets if my mom came in to check on me she would think I would be asleep, perfection. My mom’s light was on in her room by the top of the staircase on the third level so she was obviously up there getting ready for bed herself. Slowly by tiptoeing down the stairs and going out the back door I walked out into the chilly winter weather. Brantley texted me to see if I was coming and I replied saying yes. As I got closer and closer to the theatre downtown regret dawned on me. As I turned around to head back home I felt strong arms wrap around me and take me down and my head hit something

“Hey, Deb!” I hear a voice call my name. I turn around and see the new girl, Addison smile at me. I smile and catches up in walking pace to me in order to leave school.

“Hey, baby girl. I usually don't leave messages, but I know you don't have time to talk every time I call you. I wanted you to know that you mother and I have come to an agreement. We're going to separate for a while. I know that my space is limited on this message so call me when you get some free time today so I can fill you in on all the technicalities.”

It reminded me of home. My mother was always baking. The scent was practically ingrained in her clothes, giving off a soft, sweet scent. The fragrance embraced you, took over your soul.

“Oh. Hi” i said with relief. I thought she was just a random person talking to me. She walked with me as we went to the spot. She was so nice. As i was eating lunch,we

I look at her with a puzzled look and say, “What are you talking about mom? Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Am I in danger?”

We walk out of the school with the other 500 students dying to get home. It’s unseasonably warm for a March day in Syracuse, so the walk across the street isn’t too bad. We talk about the usual: boys, classes, how excited we are to be freshmen next year. Everything is as normal as normal can be for 14. As we’re waiting to be seated, I get voicemail from my mom. Weird, because I didn’t even hear it ring.

Once I stepped foot into the house that day, the gut wrenching feeling of a bad situation has dawned upon me. It was as if I was in a movie myself, seeing the scene take place slowly. As if I saw my dad’s pleading eyes slowly turn towards me and my mom’s glaring frown never tearing away from my dad’s face. Then everything went back to speed, with my mom sternly telling me to go inside my room. Eternity has passed by that consisted of countless yelling back and forth and I stood in my room transfixed and registering what I walked in to. I still won’t forget what it looked like to see my mom’s world tear down. Once the argument simmered down, my mom told me what happened. From what I heard, it has come to my

It started like a very normal day; my family and I coasted around Sioux Falls. I could not imagine what the day would entail. My family planned to travel out shopping more but for the first time in my life, I planned not to shop, they drove me to Tea to hang out with Jacob. Jake and I skipped upstairs to grab some cookies that his mom made. Angie received a call from her sister who always listens to police radios and asked if Jake and I crashed a car and produced or saw a car accident. She said no and asked why, Buffie said that she heard of an accident with someone with the last name Sandal, in Tea. My heart dropped, I knew my cousins lived in Tea but I decided to not worry about it. Jake and I walked back downstairs and just watched some T.V. He answered a call from my mom; not an unexpected one because my mom took my phone. Jake always joked around so he said, “Hello this is Jacob Rotter of Tea.” The phone spoke on speakerphone so I could hear what she said, “Jake, Levi died. We’re coming to pick up Kendra so we can drive to the hospital.”