For You, My Dear. (Prologue)

Prologue:

          Red-Hot anger is the only memory I have of moving to Brady-Wood, Nevada. My fist were balled into my lap the entire 14 hour car ride to our new house. Mom's incessant chatter on how this would be "a new start" and that everything would be wonderful now only boiled the intense emotions stirring inside me. I was a bit too mature for my own good, and my only desire that day was to reach straight into the sunny, blue skies and strangle the clouds, scold them for being so cheerful on the worst day in my entirety. Eventually, I had fallen asleep, awakening to Mother's soft voice singing along to the radio, and a full moon, decorated with the brightest stars I'd seen in my seven years. Forgetting my anger, I sat up in my seat.

          "How much longer?" I whisper, for fear of breaking the flawless beauty of the night.

"Soon, darling. Would you like some juice?" I smile and lay down on the seat again, shaking my curly blonde hair into my eyes as I lay my head in her lap.

          "I'm sorry for being mad, Mommy. I didn't mean it."

She smiles at me, "I know darling. I know."

I doze back off to her singing Bob Marley.

                    When I wake back up, I'm lying on an air mattress set up in the middle of a large room, with the stuffed dog my Dad bought me right beside me. I clutch the puppy to my chest and pad out the door, wandering around until I find my Mother standing in the kitchen.

          "Morning Baby." She smiles at me. "Are you hungry?"

I nod quietly, climbing into a chair beside the table, and gaze around at the colossal house. Mom pours me a bowl of chocolate cereal, making me wonder if my three and a half hour anger rant had really upset her, because she was firmly against A.M. bowls of chocolate.

          "There's a playground right down the road, sweetheart."

Excitement swells in my body as I resist the urge to bounce in my seat. "Can I check it out?"

"Finish your breakfast, get dressed and I'll tell you how to get there."









Fifteen minutes later, I wander near the ivory and Pacific colored jungle gym, suddenly feeling nervous around the neighborhood kids. A boy around my age caught my attention. He had dark black hair that looked like he hadn't combed it at all that day. I clutch my puppy closer and slowly make my way over to where he was drawing with a stick in the sand box.





          "Hi.."

He looks up quickly, as if I startled him, and smiles a little. "Hey. Your the new girl in town aren't you?"

My cheeks flare up, and I sit beside him, kicking my sandals into the dirt.

"Yeah, I came here last night."

                    "I know." He tells me, turning his attention back to the drawing, I notice its a stick-person family. "I seen your Mom pull up. She was carrying you like a baby."

"I am not a baby!" I cry, and stomp my foot.

          He laughs a little, only aggravating me more.

"I'm just playing with you. Me and my brother live next door. He's a baby, Only Seven."

I resist the urge to hit him with my puppy, failing to tell him that I'm only seven. Instead, I pick a pretty pink rock out of the sand and clean it off.





          "What's your name anyways?" The boy asks.

"I'm Alyx." I tell him.

          He smiles at me. "My name's Eian. Want to go see the cool stuff in town? This playgrounds for the babies anyways."



          I follow him as he stands and leads me back towards the sidewalk, making the silent decision to come back later, when he wasn't around, and play. It didn't look too babyish to me.