To Do List: A Brave New World

Every stair that I took I looked over a different page in the book. I wanted to make sure I knew every word so I could read the story that night. Once I got to my room, my mom was waiting patiently beside the bed for me. I looked down at the book in my hands, it was old, barely hanging on by the thread binding from years of use. Then I breathed in deeply and mumbled “Can I read the story tonight?” I was afraid she couldn’t hear me, but she did because with a smile she nodded her head. Filled with excitement I climbed into my spot on the bed and quickly opened the book. My mom sat next to me and held one side of the big book while her other arm was around my shoulder. Then I begun to read “Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house,”. My voice squeaked through each page as I tried my best to read the story just as my mom always did. The smooth paper glided under my tiny finger as I traced each sentence to keep my place. The rhythm of my voice was not fluid but

Almost, instinctively I knew what to do. I began to call each sibling by name and using set by step instructions, “Walk down the hallway, towards the back door, quickly we need to get out!” There was no time for crying, even though we actually could not see each other since it was the dead of night and smoke had consumed the area. We would have got to feel our way down the hall. I was the first one to the door and as I opened the back door simultaneously screaming “please move towards the backdoor, listen to my voice and come to

The coldness all around me as I step outside my car. The dark clouds hug far above my head. As I prepare myself for the challenge that lies ahead. It was the middle of the winter and the trees looked like twigs. As I walk around the leaves crunching under my boots. I carry a camera as I head toward the creepy, noisy house. The singing of James inside the car could be heard all over the country. I keep walking forward to get a better look at this house I could see the paint wearing off and the windows boarded up. I look at my phone in horror and realize that it's close to dead. Thunder boomed over my head as rain started to come down. I walk up to the gate and open it. The gate creaked open and I look upon the yard. The grass was dead the stone path looked like pebbles. The house looked fragile as if it was about to collapse I gulped down my fear as I push onward.

One of the fire department members was standing outside of the front door saying that something was wrong, that there was a fire. My brother grabbed his phone and called my dad. I threw on my fire pants and gloves and went inside. It hadn't quite crossed my mind what had happened yet so when I saw that the floor was pitch black, I thought it had gotten painted and no one had mentioned it. It was so dark and foggy inside that I went for the light switch. They didn’t work, but then I noticed something else. The cobwebs near it were covered in soot. That’s when I realized how much trouble we were in.

It was 5 A.M. and my thoughts were everywhere. I kept tossing and turning, desperately trying to fall asleep, but knowing I couldn't. I finally slipped out of bed, carefully so that I wouldn't wake up Olivia, and proceeded to walk down the stairs. I sat down on the living room couch and exhaled deeply as I stared into the sunroof.

Then you decided to run back in; when I heard this I was completely floored. Your wife sounded so devastated; it was as though by saying this she was reopening the grief she'd bottled up and saved. You did find your mother in the flames; but she told you to leave her, or that's what you told your wife anyway. She had convinced you to leave, but as you'd turned to leave the house collapsed in on itself. You were trapped inside like everyone

After I had finished eating, I dozed off in the car as I waited for my parents and brother. While I had not stayed up too late to read the night before, I have never been a morning person, so my mind was still foggy when my family entered the car. As we left home, my parents had started arguing about something which held nothing but the promise of a trying day. As we neared the interstate,

As rain showers down onto the windows, I walk through the empty corridor with a small frown on my aged, scarred face. The wooden door at the end was my destination, and from the other side I could barely hear the sounds of a business partner my age frantically calling for help on his phone; yet, to no avail. Anyone who would have helped him already got paid a visit by me. When I arrived at the end of the corridor, I began to think back to everything that lead up to this moment. Thoughts of why I was doing this circulated through my mind as everything came back to me in a flash.

Jackie couldn't stop tossing and turning. She was dreaming, the same dream she had every night for the past year. Every time she would lay down in bed, she knew it would happen. That didn’t stop it from being horrific and have her wake up out of breath and some nights, screaming. In her dream she could see the smoke rise in the air and fan out over ceiling and form a blanket of death, next, she heard the screams. They were the worst part of her dream, they echoed in her ears, pleading her to help, to try to move. Instead she stood frozen in front of her parent’s room. She could see the flames start lick the bottom of the door. The smoke poured out the newly burned holes and filled the hallway. The screams stopped. She knew what that meant. This was the 365th dream, the 365th time she witnessed her parent’s burn to death in front of her. One year of reliving the events of

We were taking down the wash, I had my hand on a clothespin, ready to pull it off the line when I heard a crack that sounded like the end of the world. Then I saw the old oak on fire, splitting in two, each side falling to the ground. My first thought was, At least it didn’t hit the cows. But then the cows all fell to the ground in one thunderous motion. Ma grabbed my arm, my hand still holding the pin on the line, and we just stayed that way, frozen.

The light in my room is flickering, almost as if it’s a kitchen timer that’s timing me to do this before time runs out. Straight ahead of me are the pictures of myself when I had been a kid. I wondered “What would my younger self-do?”. I knew for a fact that she would stick her ground. At that moment I a shiver go down my spine. A rush of electricity ignites my body. It was now or never I thought. I’m ready to release myself into the wild, after being held as if I were a captive animal, longing for release, for nearly a year.

When I was eight years old my favorite hobby was to sell my used toys on the corner of my street. I did this everyday with my sister so it was a regular occurrence. September 12, 2008 is now a day I will never forget. That morning I packed up all my toys and waited for Chloe to get ready. I went into her room only to find her laying in bed crying her eyes out. “What's wrong Chloe?”, I questioned but no response. Chloe was sick with the flu, so I would have to sell our toys on my own. I finally made it to the corner and it was time to make some money. Then all of a sudden a man dressed in a grey ripped shirt and white pant approached me. Listen to me when I tell you this, this guys looked like he came straight out of a kidnapping movie. “ I lost my dog and I someone to help me find it”, he stated with aggression. “ I guess I can help you find it”, I said. So I left my corner and went with this stranger I had never met before. As I walked to his car he grabbed my wrist and I screamed at the top of my lungs. I screamed so loud that my mom came outside to check on me. As soon as the man saw my mom he jumped in his car and ran off. My mom ran and ran as fast as she could and hugged me with relief. That moment right there is the reason I will be afraid of stranger for the rest of my

The fire’s flames were moving vigorously in the fireplace, as I finished reading a book. Nothing could ruin this moment except when my sister, Fionna barged in the door,

“The walls in my room were engulfed in flames; the only way out was through my window. But, I was on the fourth floor of the apartment building. All I thought to myself was, Jump.

At long last, the shoveling was done and it was my time. I hurried inside, changed my clothes to something dry and warm, and went out onto the deck. A patio chair was left out from one of our summer dinner parties so I brushed it off and set myself up there. I took a couple chopped logs off the pile to my left and lit the fire in the fire pit for its inaugural lighting of the season. I pulled my chair as close to the fire as I could; close enough to get warm, but far enough away that I didn’t catch on fire. With that, I was finally ready, so I curled under my blanket and began reading.