The Silver Tree

Chapter 1
The Letter

Mrs. Amelia Evans sat alone in the dark room gazing out the window. The angry sea crashed against the rocks below spraying its white foam against the glass. She remained unmoving and silent clutching tightly a piece of paper in her right hand. Her blue-grey eyes somber as she the storm clouds approached rapidly.
A bright flash of lightening seemed to wake her from her trance, and she leapt from the chair. The clap of thunder soon after shook the house to its very core. She moved quickly down the hallway expertly in the dark as she had done many times before. Her slippered feet slid across the creaking wooden floorboards of the old house.
The study was at the far end of the hall. It was a small room with not much more than an old wooden desk, and very tattered books. The only light in the room came from the lightening strikes outside the large window.
Once she reached the room her hand instinctively went for the light switch, but nothing happened. Amelia cursed under her breath as she tried to find a candle. The house always seemed to lose power when it stormed. The dim light wavered as she sat down at her desk and scribbled something quickly onto a sheet of paper. Her old fingers trembled with every letter as she held the pen.
After many failed attempts were crumpled and thrown on the floor, she finally had what she needed. The message was simple and precise, but did not give too much away. Reading through the words once more, she was sure she was satisfied with the result. The only problem now was finding the messenger.
“Chloe, where are you?” Amelia called from the room with her sweet voice.
The answer came in the form of small ringing bells which grew progressively louder. A moment later a large white Persian cat entered the room with the air of superiority that most cats possess. Amelia waited patiently as the cat moved gracefully toward her.
“There you are,” she said as she reached out her hand to scratch behind Chloe’s ears.
The cat’s fur was as soft as silk, and as white as newly fallen snow. At first glance she appeared to be like any other cat, but one look at her eyes and you knew she was not an ordinary cat. The left eye was a brilliant sparkling green while the right was an ice blue which seemed to stare into your very soul.
“I need you to do something for me,” Mrs. Evans told the cat in her smooth sing- songy voice.
Chloe sat flicking her tail back and forth against the surface of the desk. Her loud purr vibrated beneath Amelia’s fingers. The cat acted pleased with the idea as if she could understand every word that was said to her. Her eyes stared straight to her owner anticipating what was to come next.
“I would like you to deliver this letter to my son,” she said as she rolled the piece of paper and placed a red ribbon around it. “I would also like you to take this to my granddaughter.”
Amelia unclasped the necklace she had worn for many years. Since the time it was given to her it had not been removed from around her neck. She looked at the small charm dangling from the silver chain. For a moment she felt a twinge of sadness her neck felt naked from the loss. The chain was looped twice around Chloe’s neck to make sure it would not fall off.
Chloe took the letter in her mouth then sat completely still staring straight at her owner. The old woman raised her right hand and with the flick of her wrist and a bright flash of light the cat was gone.
Miles away a few seconds later there was another bright flash, and the cat reappeared completely unfazed by the trip. She was in the kitchen of a quiet dark house much different from the one she had just left. All the inhabitants were fast asleep in the rooms above. She dropped the letter on the small round kitchen table. The knot of the ribbon kept the paper from falling onto the floor as it began to roll across the wood. Chloe jumped from the table without a sound, and moved across the house with precision as if she had been there before. At the top of the stairs she entered a room with signs covering the door. She pushed her way forward through the clothes to find the bed in the center.
A young girl slept peacefully as Chloe jumped on the bed softly trying not to wake her. The cat shook her head back and forth trying to remove the chain around her neck. It landed on the comforter right below the girl’s hand the silver sparkling in the moonlight.
She moved back into the dark hallway just as she started to hear noise coming from the other room. She gave a soft mew, and there was yet another flash of light and the cat was gone.
Chloe found her master sleeping in her chair. She rubbed her body against her legs to let her know she had returned before going back to one of her many hiding places.
Amelia opened her eyes when she felt the familiar caress of Chloe on her legs. She was unaware she had even fallen asleep until then. The letter she had received was crumpled on the floor next to the chair. She flattened the paper reading the words once again as if to find some hidden meaning.
It is time.
~A
The handwriting was all too familiar. They had corresponded for many years, but this was the letter she hoped to never receive. She re-crumpled the note and threw it forcefully into the fire watching as each letter slowly turned to ash.





Chapter 2
The Beginning and Ending of Summer Vacation

Charity Evans tapped her fingers on her desk waiting anxiously for the final bell to ring. After a long day of classes it was almost time for summer break to begin. The sun’s rays through the closed blinds were only teasing reminders of the beautiful day outside. The anticipation made every second unbelievably difficult.
Hot, humid air filled the classroom, but none of the students paid any attention to the heat. They stared blankly at the clock on the wall, squirming uncontrollably in their seats, as it moved so slowly it was almost like it was going backwards.
Tick
The sound echoed through their heads.
Tick
Each second dragged on.
Tick
The sound of the teacher’s voice was drowned by the ticking of the clock as only a few seconds remained. Every eye watched as the hand moved in slow motion.
Finally, the last bell rang.
“I hope you have a fun and productive summer,” the teacher called out to her rapidly emptying classroom.
Charity jumped from her desk so quickly she knocked her chair to the ground. She flew into the hallway as all the students ran from their classrooms with the force of a hurricane. Lockers opened quickly and slammed shut adding to the cacophony in the hallway. Papers flew around as the lockers emptied for the last time that school year.
The hallway was a maze of clutter which had to be navigated carefully. She made it to the double doors and paused momentarily on the other side. The summer air filled her lungs and she smiled happily. She turned to have one last look at the school which she attended for the last four years.
James K. Polk Middle School was a small one story building. There were only about five hundred students in the school. The walls were a dark red brick which was worn in many places. The roof was so old that when it rained water sometimes leaked into the building. Other than its many flaws it was a good school. After giving a little farewell wave she walked almost skipping down the sidewalk.
The school was in the center of a large neighborhood filled with cookie cutter houses. They were all so similar it made it hard to navigate the streets if you were unfamiliar with the area. Charity maneuvered through them expertly as she had done many times before. Her long, straight black hair flowed down her back. The small silver clips holding it back could hardly be seen. Her dark emerald green eyes danced as she happily made her way home for three months of relaxation.
At the end of the street stood a quaint two-story house. It had a white picket fence which surrounded a well-manicured green lawn. The house was painted bright white with dark blue shutters. A large tree sat in the middle of the front yard giving plenty of shade from the sun. A multitude of colorful flowers lined the sidewalk creating a bright and beautiful border for the yard. She took a deep breath in and let it out slowly soaking in her first few moments of summer freedom.
She walked up the stairs and onto the large wraparound porch. A white porch swing swung back and forth as she set her bag down to look for her keys. They had traveled to the bottom of her bag underneath the stack of notebooks. When she finally found them, she put the key in the lock to find the door was already unlocked.
Charity paused. The door was never left open. Panicking she moved quickly backwards almost falling down the stairs. She ran to the sidewalk before noticing the car parked in the driveway. It was the red Volvo which belonged to her mother sitting there. She laughed at herself for not noticing it in the first place.
The door’s hinges squeaked as she pushed it open. She entered the small foyer placing the mail and her keys on the small table near the door. The inside had beautiful hardwood floors in all the rooms which could be seen from the foyer. Only half of the staircase was visible before it took a ninety-degree turn.
On one side of the house was the living room. The large white couch and matching chairs were only used when company came over so most of the time the room remained empty. The space on the opposite side of the stairs was the family room. A small wooden coffee table sat in the middle of the room covered with magazines and books. The soft brown couch had misplaced cushions and pillows. The TV cabinet was open revealing the large screen behind the doors. She could only think of a few occasions when those doors had been shut.
A small gold package sat in the center of the table wrapped with a large red bow. It had no name attached and her birthday wasn’t for a couple of days. Her feet moved slowly across the room, but as soon as a hand hit the smooth paper her mother called from the kitchen.
“Charity, is that you?”
“Yeah.”
She threw her backpack on the floor with a loud bang. Pens and pencils slid from an open pocket across the floor. She made her way back to the kitchen to say hello to her mother.
The kitchen was in the back of the house facing the fenced-in backyard. The bright yellow paint made the room cheery and inviting. The sound of her mother’s heels clicking on the tile floor echoed throughout the room. The room smelled of homemade cookies, and the makings of dinner simmering in the crock pot. Charity grabbed a warm cookie from the tray. She smiled as the chocolate melted right onto her hand. “Hey, Mom,” she said. “I didn’t know you were going to be home.”
“I only worked a half-day so I could be here when you got home. I wanted you to have a special treat for your middle school graduation,” her mother said as she gave her daughter a big hug, and planted a wet kiss on her forehead.
Mrs. Evans was a petite woman with a kindly smile and the same jet black hair as her daughter that she wore pulled back in a tight bun.
“How was your last day?”
“Boring,” Charity said. “We didn’t do anything but watch movies, sit around, and talk. I don’t know why I even had to go to school today. I would have learned just as much here.”
“I don’t think anybody would have been paying attention if the teacher tried to teach anyway. All that matters now is it’s over, and you have three months of no school ahead of you,” her mother said.
“I have been looking forward to that all day long,” she gathered a few more cookies into a napkin. “I’m going to go to my room now.”
“Okay, honey, you have fun and I will call you when it is time for dinner.”
Charity walked up the stairs to her room at the end of the hall. Her name was printed in a flowing script on a sign attached to the door. A wooden sign above the door had the words disaster area printed on it letting anyone know what to expect inside. She grabbed the knob and used her body weight to open the door just enough to walk into the room.
Her room was as neat as could be expected for a teenage girl. Clothes were thrown all over the floor. The closet was filled with empty hangers and piles of shoes. The hamper in the corner was hidden beneath a pile of clothes, but oddly there was nothing inside. It was hard to tell which items were clean or dirty. Random books were stacked in every corner of the room. The bed was unkempt in the far corner with piles of stuffed animals thrown all over the top. It was hard to see any room for someone to sleep.
The dresser was covered with little knick knacks, and a jewelry box. The chains from some of the necklaces could be seen hanging over the sides. The mirror frame was filled with pictures of her friends, and notes to remind her of things she needed to do. She noticed her mother had placed a note among the many other ones. It said “clean your room” in bold black lettering. She laughed and looked around at the mess. She tore the note from the mirror and threw it in the direction she thought the waste basket was in.
A small wooden desk sat against the wall across from the bed. Paper covered every inch of it including the computer. Pencils were spread across the top, and many had fallen on the floor underneath. Charity went over to the desk dragging her feet to make a path in all the chaos. She threw some of the papers to the floor just so she could find the elusive mouse. She began to regret the wireless mouse she had recently gotten when she moved everything and still it was no where to be found.
She knelt on the floor and reached into the small space between the desk and the floor. Her arm stretched as far as it would go feeling around for what she wanted. Suddenly she felt something squishy and furry. Charity pulled out her hand quickly. She tried to see what she had just touched, but it was too dark. She pulled the lamp down to face the beam underneath the desk. She looked through the crack again and saw the edge of what she thought was a plate. Being more careful than last time she reached slowly back grabbing the edge of the plate.
“Eww gross!” She screamed when she finally pulled it from its hiding spot. “Maybe, I do need to clean my room.”
She was unsure what it had been, but she knew now it was a bright green fungus. She placed the plate on her dresser making a mental note to take it downstairs when she went to dinner. Now she needed to resume her search for the mouse. The second attempt was much more successful when she pulled the little gray object from behind the desk.
The computer screen lit up, and she began to play her favorite game. The sound of the game was muted, but the furious key punching could be heard across the room. The little character on the screen jumped and ran quickly through the levels. It dodged the traps and fought against enemies with one push of a button. She sat in her room for a few hours basking in the eerie glow of the screen before she heard her mother call her down to dinner.
“Charity, please come down and set the table,” her mother yelled from the bottom of the stairs.
“Okay, I’ll be down in a minute,” she said not looking away from the screen for even a second. Five minutes later she still sat completely engrossed in her game.
“Charity! I thought I asked you to come downstairs,” her mother said from the doorway.
“I will in a minute. Just let me finish this level.”
“Now young lady.”
“But...”
“No buts. Shut the game off, and go set the table.”
“Fine,” Charity grumbled as she saved her game.
The large table in the center of the room was more than enough space for three people. It was covered with a beautiful white table cloth made of lace. Each place had a mat of bright green with a small rose design around the edges. The chandelier above the table sparkled as the light bounced off the crystals. The Van Gogh print on the wall added to the elegance of the room.
Charity went to grab the dishes from the kitchen until she noticed her mother had already placed them on the table for her. They were not the normal ones that they used every day, but the good ones they only used for special occasions. They were white china with blue flower designs. The silverware had a large cursive E on the top of the handle. They had been gifts from her grandmother on her parents wedding day.
“Is someone coming over tonight?”
“No,” her mother said. “Why do you ask?”
“These are the good plates. I thought we only used them at Christmas.”
“I thought we would celebrate the end of another school year. You only graduate from middle school once. Besides they never get used.”
The smile on her mother’s face made Charity suspicious. She couldn’t place what was actually wrong with the picture, but she knew her mother was up to something. She shrugged her shoulders. Maybe her mom wasn’t planning anything. It was just her imagination.
Her mother began to bring the food to the table just as Charity finished setting the last of the dishes in place. There was a large bowl of spaghetti with meat balls, and a basket of warm garlic bread. The smell made her stomach growl. She grabbed a warm slice of bed. The butter dripped down the palm of her hand. The strange feeling something wasn’t right started creeping up on her again as she grabbed a napkin from the table. This was her favorite meal including the angel hair pasta, and large homemade meatballs. She hoped whatever her mother planned it wasn’t going to be too bad.
Her father walked through the door from the garage, and placed his keys on the counter top. He picked up a cookie from the tray in the kitchen, but her mother managed to catch him before it was eaten.
“You can have a cookie after dinner not before,” Mrs. Evans scolded him. “Sometimes you are just a big child.”
“And I always will be,” he said as he gave his wife a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.
He placed the cookie back on the tray, and went to the dining room to say hello to Charity. After a big hug they sat down to enjoy the wonderful dinner in front of them.
“So, last day of school. How does it feel to finally be a high school freshman?” He asked.
“I don’t feel any different. I think once school starts again it will be. I don’t want to think about it now. I am ready for a lazy summer.”
“Do you have any big plans?” Her mom asked.
“No,” she mumbled with a big chunk of food in her mouth. Once she could talk again, she finished her answer. “My friend, Ashleigh asked if I wanted to go to the beach with her and her family. I think that would be fun.”
The trip was much more important to her than she let on to her parents. She hoped that by mentioning it so casually they would be more inclined to let her go. Ashleigh would be leaving in a couple of weeks so Charity believed she would have enough time to get them to say yes.
“I am not sure if I want you hanging out with that girl,” her mother said.
“She’s my friend.”
“We can discuss this later. Right now I want to have a nice dinner with my girls,” her father said stopping the argument before it could begin.
Charity and her mother looked at each other. The silent air was thick.
“Are there any camps you want to go to?” Her dad asked trying to get the conversation started again. “You used to love camp.”
“I am too old to go to camp, Dad,” she said.
“I will keep my eyes open for anything you might be interested in. I hate to think you are going to sit around here all summer,” he said as he winked in the direction of her mom.
“You can do whatever you want.”
Something was really wrong with this Charity thought to herself. Her parents never tried to pressure her do anything, and now they both wore big goofy grins across their faces. She could only wonder what kind of horror would come next. Dinner ended without an incident. She asked to be excused and took her plate into the kitchen. She looked out the small window above the kitchen sink, and watched the hammock blowing in the summer breeze. Her mind drifted happily as she imagined herself lying peacefully in the sun.
Charity wandered to the living room where her father sat watching some show on television. It wasn’t her kind of show, but it didn’t really matter. She grabbed a book from her bag so she would have something to read when the show became too boring for her to watch. Her father on the other hand watched intently wanting to know what was going to happen next.
Soon her mother came into the room carrying a tray of cookies, and three large glasses of milk. They sat in silence enjoying a nice, peaceful evening. The only sound in the room came from the television.
After the show finished everyone was throughly relaxed. Charity’s head began to drop, and her eyes began to shut. She would have fallen asleep if her father had not spoken.
“This is for you. Happy graduation,” he said as he handed her the gold box she had been eyeing all evening.
“What is it?” Charity asked excitedly. She shook the box hoping to figure out what was inside. Only a rustling sound came from inside giving her no clue to the contents of the box.
“Just open it.”
She stared at the box with its shiny gold paper and large silver bow. Her parents sat in the room watching her intently. They both had large, goofy grins as they waited breathlessly. Charity knew from the looks they gave her that she really didn’t want to know what was in the box. All she could do was sit and stare at the beautifully wrapped present as it sat in her lap.
“Well, aren’t you going to open it?” Her father said. She could see the suspense was killing him.
“I am just letting the moment soak in.”
Charity knew she had stalled as long as she could, and slowly pulled off the wrapping paper. She held onto the plain box hidden inside as though it was a bomb, and opening it would cause the end of civilization as she knew it. Unfortunately, she didn’t realize how right she was.
“It’s a box,” she said with a small sheepish grin.
“Look inside the box,” her mother replied.
The box was small and light it looked almost like a shoe box. Charity slowly raised the lid and peered inside. The box contained a guide book to England. It was not what she had expected to see. It was just a book. Nothing to be scared of. She pulled out the book and began to flip through the pages looking at the pictures.
“Thank you,” she said to her parents. She was still a little confused by why they were so excited by a book.
“There’s more,” Mr. Evans said gesturing to the box.
She looked down and saw a folded sheet of paper remaining at the bottom of the box. She slowly opened the paper to see a plane ticket for a flight scheduled to leave the next day.
“We are going to Europe!” Charity said excitedly as she jumped out of her chair knocking the box and her new book to the ground.
“You are going,” her mother said. “We are saying here.”
“I am going alone?” She asked anxiously. “You’re kidding right?”
“You are old enough to travel alone now. You are going to be fourteen next month. Plus, we will be with you at the airport to drop you off, and when you land your grandmother will be there. The only time you will be alone is on the plane.”
“My grandmother? I thought she lived in Wyoming?”
“Your other grandmother. My mother,” her father said. “I think the last time she saw you was when you were three. You probably don’t remember her. She had written me a few months ago asking if you would like to visit. I thought it would be a great idea.”
“So, what do you think?” Her mother said still smiling.
The only thing that came out of Charity’s mouth was a high-pitched squeak.
“She is so excited she is speechless,” her father said.
“This is really short notice.” She asked when she regained her ability to talk.
“We wanted it to be a surprise,” her mother said lovingly.
“It is definitely a surprise. What if I had made plans. Maybe I would have preferred to go to the beach with my friends, but now you want me to spend it in England with some old woman I have never met,” Charity began to raise her voice.
This was not the reaction that her parents had hoped for. They wanted her to be as excited to go as they were about sending her.
“Don’t get angry at us. That “old woman” is your grandmother, and it is about time you got to know her. You sounded so excited when you first found out.”
“It is different with you going. I don’t want to be shipped off to a far away country where I don’t know anyone. I would rather spend my entire summer doing nothing here. Not across an ocean learning how to knit a sweater!” She knew what she was saying sounded horrible, but she just couldn’t help it.
“That is not the right attitude, Charity. You can learn a lot from her, and you aren’t giving it a chance. I am so disappointed in you,” her mother said.
“It’s too bad you feel that way because you are going to go anyway. We are going to drop you off at the airport tomorrow even if you are kicking and screaming like a two-year-old. So you should go upstairs now, and get everything packed,” her father said.
“Fine, whatever,” Charity said as she stormed out of the room.
She knew there was nothing else she could say or do to change their minds. She also knew she was being silly and childish. So, she stomped her way up the stairs and slammed the door to her room knocking one of her baby pictures off the wall scattering glass all over the floor.
No wonder they were so excited. They were getting rid of me for almost three months, Charity thought.
The plane was leaving the next morning, and she wouldn’t be flying home until one week before school started again.
“AHH! Why are my parents torturing me like this? What did I ever do to them? Sending me away without any warning. There should be laws against this,” she screamed to the stuffed bear smiling at her from the foot of her bed.
Her mother had already been in her room, and placed two large suitcases and a small carry-on bag next to her bed. Her mother had also made a list of some things she would need. Charity kicked one of the suitcases knocking it to the ground with a loud thud. The sound of the paper in her fingers as she tore the list in half gave her little gratification.
She knew throwing a fit would not solve the problem, but maybe her parents would come to their senses, and see how miserable this was going to make her. After calming down she went around her room and packed her bags. It was impossible to find anything in the mess. When she finally finished, she laid down on her bed and fell into a restless sleep.
All night long her dreams were haunted by images of the tortures her summer would now bring. She knew she was being over dramatic, but it didn’t stop her mind from imagining the worst.
She dreamt she was in a house with crocheted blankets covering every piece of furniture. An old woman sat in the corner knitting in the dark, stuffy room. She squinted but could not see the woman’s face. The woman suddenly looked up at Charity her flame red eyes staring right through her. Then the house was gone and Charity found herself in the cockpit of an airplane flying toward a dark mass of storm clouds. The old woman was also gone, but Charity had an awful feeling that someone or something was standing in the shadows behind her. She turned to see the old woman’s flame colored eyes glowing in the darkness.
The plane started to plummet, but she felt no motion. The entire experience was more like a movie than actually being there. She looked around for the pilot, or anyone who could help her, but no one was there. The only thing she could do was watch the plane spiral down. She began to panic screaming for help as the plane continued to drop. Tears were streaming down her face as she looked away from the ocean quickly approaching below her. Then there was only darkness. In the distance a dark, sinister laugh echoed combined with the loud alarm coming from the control panel.
Chapter 3
Far Away From Home

The sound of the alarm clock rang in Charity’s ears as she smashed her hand on the off button. It was four a.m., an earlier time than she would even get up for school. The sun itself had not yet risen. Once the alarm was shut off, she rolled over, and was sound asleep again in a matter of moments. The horrible dream was already forgotten.
“I don’t want to go to school today,” she said sleepily as her mother tried to shake her awake.
“You aren’t going to school, honey. You have to get up so you can be on time for your flight.”
When she heard the word flight, she was suddenly forced back into reality and she crawled farther under the covers of her bed. Her eyes were puffy from her tears from the night before, and her head ached with the thought of being awake at such an early hour.
“Charity! You heard your father last night. So, you need to get over it and get out of bed. Breakfast is ready. I better see you dressed and ready to go in ten minutes, or I will send your father up here.”
She groaned and tried to get out of bed. When she placed her foot on the floor, she accidently stepped on something sharp. Grumbling to herself she pulled her body off the floor. Something shiny caught her eye near the headboard. It was a small silver necklace she had never seen before. The thin silver chain held only one charm, a delicate silver leaf similar to an aspen. The slight indentations in the silver caught the light making the charm sparkle brilliantly. She picked it up and strung the chain around her neck without even questioning where it came from.
“Charity, lets go!” She heard her mother yell.
“Calm down! I’m up!”
Charity took a longer shower than she was planning. She was trying to wash away the anger to her parents, and her throbbing headache. Unfortunately the water was no help for either problem. She went back to her room making sure everything she needed was packed. She rolled the suitcases into the hallway, and slowly walked down the stairs to the kitchen.
“There you are. Cutting it a little close aren’t we?” Her father said as he tapped his index finger against his watch.
She groaned in response, shooting him an evil look.
Breakfast was a silent meal where the only sound was the clanging of the silverware against the plates. Afterwards Charity sat on the couch as her parents loaded her bags into the car.
“Time to go,” her mother said.
She put on her sunglasses, plugged her headphones in, and climbed into the backseat of the car reluctantly not once looking at her mother and father. The silent treatment didn’t seem to have much affect on them, but she continued. She didn’t really feel like talking anyway.
The car went slowly down the street and out of the subdivision. She watched as the houses of her friends passed by, and she hoped they wouldn’t be mad at her. She didn’t have the chance to tell them she was going to be gone all summer.
The sun had finally begun to rise bathing the road in a cheery orange glow. It was going to be a beautiful day, but all Charity pictured was the rain cloud hanging above her head.
The long trip to the airport was lengthened by the silence in the car. Charity watched as happy families passed smiling and laughing with each other. She looked down at the floor as tears welled behind her dark sunglasses. She tried to hold them back. She didn’t want to give her parents the satisfaction of seeing her cry.
They parked their car in the lot closest to the airport. She slung her carry-on over her shoulders as they made their way into the busy airport. Charity’s luggage was quickly tagged and placed on the belt moving swiftly away from her.
Charity grabbed her pass and made her way to security. It was a busy day and unfortunately her parents made sure she was two hours early for her flight. There was no way she was going to be able to miss it. She dragged her feet across the floor moving as slowly as possible.
The airport was a large building with hallways leading in many different directions. The sides were filled with little shops and restaurants to keep the busy traveler happy. There were places to buy souvenirs, books, and even luggage.
“Why would they need to sell luggage?” Charity thought.
On every corner stood a coffee shop. The long lines were filled with sleepy travelers eagerly waiting for their caffeine fix.
Since she was underage, her parents were allowed to walk with her through security to her gate. She wished she could go on by herself giving herself a slight chance to escape. She could run away and spend the summer hiding out in one of her friends houses. She knew there was no way it was going to happen, but at least she had something to hope for.
The terminal was packed with travelers heading in all directions. There were men and women in their suits and ties running around like the world would end if they didn’t get to their planes on time. They pushed through the crowd with no regard for others. Most had cell phones attached to their ears, and when they spoke to the person on the other end it appeared as if they were speaking to themselves.
It was the beginning of the summer vacation rush so there were many families walking up and down the aisles. Parents yelling at their screaming children, the giggling of teenage girls, and the sound of very impatient travelers echoed in the corridors.
Some were just going to visit family or friends in other states. Others were going on a fun-filled family vacation. Everyone looked happy to go. Charity looked at the smiling faces wishing she was one of them instead.
When they reached the terminal for international flights, the scenery was much different. There were no screaming children, or packs of giggling girls. It was relatively quiet. Many people looked travel weary already as if they had been waiting for hours.
They sat in silence outside gate forty-two waiting for the plane to arrive. After hours of silence her mother finally spoke.
“I am sorry you are so unhappy, Sweetie,” she said. “Your father and I believe this is going to be a good experience for you.”
Charity continued to look out the window at the planes coming and going.
“We don’t want you to leave thinking we are punishing you.”
“Well, you are,” she said simply. “I don’t want to go and you are making me. I think that is the same as punishing.”
“We are trying to make sure your summer vacation is more than reading books, and going to the pool. We want you to see and experience different things,” her father said.
“I really wish you guys were going with me. It is weird visiting someone I don’t know.”
“We would have loved to go with you...”
“Then why aren’t you!” Charity interrupted.
“Adult reasons you don’t need to be concerned about. The only thing you need to know is we love you, and we think you will have a wonderful time.”
“Sure, whatever you say,” she said sarcastically.
The intercom rang out letting her know it was time for her to board. She slowly got up and looked at her parents. Her mother looked so sad. Charity was unsure if it was because she was leaving or if it was the attitude she had about going. In the end she thought it was a little bit of both.
“We hope you have a wonderful time,” her father said.
“The three months will be over before you know it and you will be sad to see it end,” her mother added.
“Bye. I guess I will see you soon.”
“We love you, sweetie,” her parents each gave her a big hug.
“I love you too,” she said quietly and then turned to board the plane.
The plane smelled of canned air and cheap food. It was much larger than she thought it was going to be. Each side had two seats together, and the row in the middle had three. I was the biggest plane she had ever been on. That wasn’t saying much since this was only the second time she’d ever flown.
She walked down the aisle and found her seat in the back of the plane. Luckily she had a window seat. The flow outside was almost rhythmic. As one took off another would land getting people to where they wanted to go. The minutes seemed to slow as she sat on the large soon to be crowded plane. Outside the window people moved quickly around loading and unloading nearby.
When plane finally had all of its passengers, and the flight attendants started to explain all the safety procedures. Charity watched the woman standing in the aisle in front of her as she pointed to the emergency exit doors. Her mind drifted, and she missed most of what the woman said. She shrugged. Planes don’t crash often. She probably didn’t need to know anyway.
The plane had already started to taxi to the runaway as the flight attendants put on their little show. A man with orange cones stood behind the tail and directed the pilot in the right direction. They reached the runway and waited for their turn to take off. The plane gained speed as it moved faster and faster down the strip of concrete. Charity sat stiffly in her seat holding on white knuckled to her seatbelt to make sure it remained tight. The engines whirred loudly as the wheels lifted slowly from the ground.
She closed her eyes and began to breathe in and out slowly trying to calm her nerves. Her stomach became lodged in her chest. She took a deep breath in hoping the awful nauseating feeling would soon pass.
As the plane lifted, outside the tiny window showed the ground slowly slipping away. The view from above was almost unreal. The cars were the size of ants. The houses and buildings looked small enough for dolls to live in. The whole scene was more like a model than an actual city. Soon the houses and buildings were gone, and the plane was flying high above the plains. The land appeared to be a giant quilt of greens, yellows, and browns.
Charity opened her eyes when the plane was parallel to the ground. She looked out her small oval window admiring the beauty of the land around her. Patches of white fluffy clouds soon began to block her view until all that was visible was a sea of white. She watched the colorless world around her for a few moments before turning back to the interior of the plane.
The horrible nauseating feeling from the take-off was beginning to wear off as they reached the cruising altitude. She sat back in her seat and tried to relax. The interior of the plane was almost as entertaining as the white clouds outside. The seats were dark blue with a flower print down the middle. The sides and the ceiling were an off-white plastic which matched the tray tables attached to each of the seats. A small TV was built into the back of every headrest so the passengers could watch what they wanted. She flipped through the few free channels to find the flight information. Soon a digital picture of the plane was on the screen showing her where they were, how high they were flying, and estimated arrival time. She watched as the tiny image of the plane blipped in front of her moving farther and farther away from her home.
The passengers had remained still and mostly silent when they made their ascent. When the captain finally turned off the seat belt sign people started to move around the aisles. Charity pulled her bag out from underneath her seat and placed it on the empty chair beside her. She took out her I-Pod from the front pocket, flipped on a movie, and quietly watched the tiny glowing screen. She remained undisturbed for thirty minutes before the flight attendants began their drink rounds.
“Can I get you anything?” The flight attendant asked.
Charity pressed pause and looked up at the smiling woman’s face.
“Water please,” she said politely.
“Okay,” the woman said reaching into the cart. “Here you go.”
She passed a small bottle water and a glass full of ice to Charity.
“Thank you,” she said as her eyes drifted back to the small movie screen.
The flight continued on quietly. Some passengers conversed amongst themselves, but the only thing she heard was the sound in her headphones. Her eyelids began to get heavy. She tried to stay awake by shaking her head, but soon she was fast asleep.
Images of the dream from the night before flashed in her mind. She saw the plane which looked oddly similar to the one she was sitting in. This time she was not in the cockpit, but in a seat close to the back of the plane. The dark clouds loomed menacingly outside the little windows. She unbuckled her seatbelt and moved forward through the empty cabin. A bright red light glowed directly in front of her. She moved closer trying to find the source. The light was not actually a light, but a pair of fire red eyes.
Charity gasped waking herself from the nightmare. The image of the red eyes remained burned into her thoughts.
“Are you okay?” Someone beside her asked. She jumped slightly from the noise letting out a small yelp.
“Huh,” she managed to say.
“You were talking in your sleep,” the young girl now seated next to her said. The girl was about six years old with golden blond hair and bright blue eyes.
“I’m fine. Just a bad dream.”
She looked out the window hoping to get the images in her dream out of her head. When she turned back around the young girl was still sitting exactly as before staring at Charity.
“What was your dream about?” She asked.
“It was nothing,” Charity said hoping the girl would just leave it alone.
Just as the girl was about to ask another question Charity heard a woman shout in the aisle.
“Darla, where did you run off to?” She was a tall woman with the same gold hair as the little girl. Charity knew she must be her mother.
“I’m over here, Mom!” Darla said as she leaned her head out into the aisle.
“What did I tell you about wandering off? Now get back to your seat young lady.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” she said sadly, but when she looked back to Charity her smile returned.
“Bye!” Darla said as she bounced down the aisle to her seat.
Charity watched as Darla sat back down and was lovingly scolded by her mother. The scene made her wish her mother was there. She suddenly felt very alone. She looked out the window to see the mass of white clouds still underneath the plane. Through the small open patches she thought she could see the blue ocean below.
The view from the front of the plane was much different from the serene view she had. The clouds began to darken and move toward them as if to swallow the plane whole. The ocean moved violently below swirling with the wind from the storm. The storm spanned for miles in each direction with no end in sight. The plane would have to go through.
Charity had already gone back to watching movies when the clouds finally reached them. A small amount of turbulence caused her to grab onto her armrest holding it tight until the shaking stopped. She looked out the window again to see the dramatic difference a few moments had made. She saw the dark clouds looming up ahead. Lightening streaked across the sky in beautiful but deadly patterns. The choppy sea below was only visible through small patches of the increasingly darkening clouds. She slammed the little window screen shut and sat back in her chair.
Suddenly the plane shook violently as though it hit a solid object in the air. A couple of the overhead compartments popped open and a suitcase fell to the floor with a loud bang. The jolt had caused all the sleeping passengers to wake most with a startled look on their face. Some woke only for a minute before closing their eyes again as if they knew it was going to pass.
The fasten seat belt sign blinked above her as the captain’s voice came over the intercom saying they were going to be flying above the storm so they might feel a bit of turbulence. Then the plane began to shake so badly it felt as though it was going to break into a thousand tiny pieces.
Charity stared at the closed window screen. She argued inside her head about reopening it to look out into the clouds. Each time she got the courage she stopped because her hands shook too violently.
They were sitting at an angle as the plane tried to get above the storm. She felt her stomach rise as it did during take-off. She swallowed hard trying to keep herself from being sick. A bolt of lightening hit close to the side of the aircraft. The electricity was felt through all the passengers causing the hairs on their arms to raise. Some of the passengers started to lose control. The man in the seat in front of Charity’s was repeating over and over.
“I’m going to die, I’m going to die . . . ,” his voice was getting louder each time the plane shook.
The captain was on the speaker again trying to calm the passengers down and trying to calm himself down in the process. Soon the plane rose above the clouds and the shaking stopped
Some of the people sighed with relief as the captain announced they were now flying above the storm. Charity still sat tensed in her chair. A few tears trickled down her cheeks. To ease her mind she slowly opened the window cover and peeked outside. Her hands were still shaking as she moved the shade up revealing the scene. The dark clouds were below her, but they still seemed to cover the area in front of the plane. She could see they were over the storm, but somehow Charity didn’t feel any more comfortable with the situation.
“It is just my nerves,” She thought. “Everything is okay now.”
She had the most awful feeling of deja vu, but she couldn’t think of why. The last time she was on a plane it was nothing like what she was experiencing now. She just had this horrible feeling everything was somehow very familiar.