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Here I was, in the middle of the woods, and Asia was following behind me about five feet away. Could I make a break for it? Mom and Dad said I ran track before the incident. She said she'd call the police if I started running. Would they be able to find me out here in the woods?
When I stood in the clearing, the wind swept up dirt and leaves from the forest floor. They seemed to dance around me, making one large circle around me. "You know," I said to Asia, "I'd just love to become a bird. Whenever trouble stirs up, I can spread my wings and fly." I spread my arms out and spun with the wind. Rain started to fall and it seemed like the rain drops were leaving little wet kisses on my cheeks. A large gust of cold air hit me in the face, and I stopped spinning.
Instead, I screamed a deep howl, like that of an animal, and fell to my knees. "Monique! Get off of the ground! Are you okay?" Asia fell to her knees beside me as I lay on my stomach on the ground. "That book, Esperanza Rising, it's right," I whispered softly to Asia. "There's a heartbeat here. I hear the Mother Nature's heartbeat." Asia looked at me, tears welling in her eyes. "You're talking crazy! I knew I shouldn't have brought you out here!" "Leave me here, leave me with Adrian!" I screamed at her, louder than necessary. "What? Adrian isn't here, Monique! Just come back to the car and let's get you home," Asia grabbed my arm, but I pulled away. I got on my feet and ran away from her, away from everything. "Monique! Come back!" Asia started to chase me deeper into the woods. I kept running and I ducked down in some shrubs when I whipped behind some trees. She stopped in front of me, looked around, and pulled out her phone.
"Hello? My friend . . . She ran away in the middle of the woods around the corner from your station! I can't find her!"
"You remember the Adrian Williams incident that was all over the papers for months? Well, the run away is his girlfriend, Monique Duval."
Within seconds, I heard the sirens and Asia walked away. I had to run. I slipped off my shoes and ran with the wind.
"Monique!" Someone called me. I whipped around and saw no one. I kept running, sprinting like my life depended on it. "I'm not okay," I whispered into the wind. My feet, the pain in my feet shot up to my hips, but I kept going. Finally, I stopped and allowed the cold air to slide down my throat. I sat down on a rock, and another flashback, no surprise, zoomed before my eyes.
"Monique, I love you more than life itself," Adrian whispered. A large smile crossed my face, a class ring was slipped around my neck on a gold chain, a kiss and an embrace following the ring. Our feet hung over the cliff as we sat in silence, watching the sun set. We did this often, I remember it so clearly. Two rising figures in the dark walked through the thick woods with hands entwined like a spiderweb. The figures that were embracing so passionately faded away, and when I was back in reality, policemen surrounded me, my parents were hugging me, and Asia was just crying.
"You were flashing back! Tell me everything!" Mom sat down in front of me and gave me some hot chocolate. I looked away from her, down at my newly bandaged feet. "Where is Adrian's class ring?" Mom stared at me blankly, shocked that I remembered the ring. "It's . . . How did you remember this?" I glared at her angrily. "Give me the ring! I don't have to explain anything! I loved him and he loved me and I want that ring NOW!" Mom, who was frightened by my sudden outburst, stared at me with fear in her eyes. "It's upstairs in my medicine cabinet. Let me go get it for you!" Mom jumped at the opportunity to get away from me, and I wanted her to stay away. When she returned with the ring, she glared at me.
"I didn't want you to accept it from him. You two were deeply in love, so I let you ruin your own life," She snapped angrily and turned to leave. "Gisselle," I said assertively. "I didn't ruin my life. I love him with all of my being, I remember who he was. And I love him so much because I hate you."
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