FSG_Tamari

“That’s it, you’re grounded for three weeks!” exclaimed mum, stomping out of the room. That was the third row of the day and I could tell mum really meant it this time. I could hear her muttering as she went down the stairs, ‘I really don’t know what’s happened to her, I really don’t’

I looked at my discarded homework books on the table and sighed. I gazed out of the window. There was a shooting star leaving a silvery trail. I felt fed up that other people controlled my life and wished that people would just leave me alone to get on with things in my own way, that I could start all over with nobody knowing me. That would be easier than this.

I woke up the next morning and it took me a few moments to remember that it was the day of my maths test...and that mum had banned me from going to the school disco. Mum put her head round the door: “Have you forgotten you have a test? Hurry up or you will be.... arghhh! Who...who are you?” “What’s the matter, mum?” I said, starting to feel alarmed. “You are joking aren’t you?” “Where’s Cecile? I’m going to call the police,” mum shrieked. My heart was pounding as I watched mum’s shaking hands stab nine nine nine. I felt confused. What was happening? Then I remembered the shooting star...and my wish! “Why? Why of all people had this happened to me?”

I ran out of the house in a panic. I was still wearing my nightclothes. My unbrushed hair mangled together to form a deformed knot. I wanted to go back, but I didn’t want to see that look on my mum’s face again, it was frightening. My bare arms and legs shivered in the cold air. “I need to stay calm,” I told myself, and work out what to do. I had no money and nowhere to go. I walked down the narrow street where my house was situated but instead of being familiar, everything seemed strange. The giant trees towered above me with their branches like veiny arms, blocking the sunlight. In the distance I could hear the roar of the traffic on the fast road leading into town. The rainwater in the gutter gurgled and laughed as I walked past.

I looked around me. A lonely bench stood waiting for somebody to join it. I slumped down, curling myself in to a ball in order to try to keep warm, and humming silently to myself. Some way off I could just make out the shapes of my three best friends, Arianna, Maeve and Mary. They were walking along to school, pushing each other and swinging their school bags happily. As they drew near I called to them: “Hi guys.” They paused and looked at me blankly. Maeve shrugged, whispered something to the others, and they all walked off giggling. “What does she look like? Why is she wearing pyjamas? Glad she doesn’t go to our school”.

How could I stop what was happening? I started to feel desparate. A voice in my head told me that there was no going back to my old life, but I couldn’t just stay in my nightdress, already there were other adults starting to walk past and stare at me. I felt embarrassed and scared. My empty stomach groaned with hunger, by this time I would normally have eaten cereal and at least two pieces of toast. I had to get some food, even if it meant shoplifting. As I stood up, I suddenly noticed a glint of shiny metal on the nearby pavement, it seemed as if someone, somewhere was watching over me. It was a new pound coin. Quickly, I picked it up and feeling a bit more confident, even though I was still in my nightclothes, I made for the nearest shop. I wanted to get out of the main road where I was still getting the curious stares, so I cut down a narrow alley. It was darker off the main road and the alley was lined with rubbish bins and smelt of rotting food. I didn’t like being down here in bare feet, as there were broken bottles and chewing gum spat out on the floor. As I carefully tiptoed around the stained ground, I stopped in my tracks as I saw three figures approach. It was some local youths who looked as if they were bunking off school. I stared down as if I were looking for something and tried not to make eye contact. They looked rough as if they had been out all night themselves. They were older than I thought. ‘What have we got here?’ one of them sneered, his mouth curled into a cruel smile. ‘Oh it’s nobody!’ I walked on ignoring them, something shoved me and made me fall onto the floor and I cried out as I cut myself on some broken glass. Suddenly a foot smashed against my ribcage, I hurled myself up, my only thought was to get out of there as quickly as possible and the pain wasn’t going to stop me. Another of them grabbed me and pulled me back, throwing me against a light pole. I cracked my head but then used all my strength and sank my teeth into the pulsing vein of the arm around my neck. He let go of me with a cry and I took my chance and charged out of the alley way and blindly into the road before me. I whirled around to see a car fast approaching out of the corner of my eye... it was too late. As I felt the impact, it seemed everything was in slow motion, like those adverts about accidents on TV. I flew towards the windscreen and saw the horrified face of the driver behind the wheel as the car carried on moving towards my head. The face was all too familiar to me - I realised too late that it was my own mother.