The story of how I went mad

Chapter 1 The Hole

"So, Amy, you're going to be at Darin's party Thursday right? I mean, anyone who's anyone will be there." Amy's best friend, Sandra Hart, chimed as she leaned back against the outside lunch table.

"Maybe." Amy replied, picking at her bright purple nails. "His parties are kind of overrated though, don't you think?"

Sandra snapped her head to the left to look up at Amy as she scoffed, "Please, did you really just say that? His parties are fantastic! You have to go."

Amys words of rejection to the forceful request were cut short as the final bell of the day rang, announcing the freedom of the students. Both girls jumped to their feet, slinging their back packs over their shoulders as they went.

"Isn't it perfect that we have the last period of the day free?" Sandra slid her arm into Amy's as they made their way down the sidewalk.

Amy watched her pink and blue converse high tops slap against the pavement as she walked, tuning out the sound of Sandra's voice.

The brunette girl sighed and snapped her fingers in front of Amy's face a few minutes later. "Um- hello? Are you in there?"

"Sorry." Amy shook her head, freeing a few pieces of blonde hair from their confines. "What was that?"

 Sandra dropped her head back. "I said we've already made it to my house and you haven't heard a word I've said."

Amy smiled sheepishly at her best friend and shrugged in response. "Have a good rest of the day?"

Sandra rolled her eyes and poked Amy's cheek before skipping towards her house, and calling over her shoulder, "Its a good thing your cute."

Amy laughed and sent one last wave towards her friend before continuing down the sidewalk. Her ocean colored eyes roamed over the overgrown trees that  canopied the sidewalk perfectly the further down she went causing the area to look darker than the street; and when she turned the corner, it got even darker.

No one but her and an older couple lived on this particular road, even the sun seemed to steer clear. She pulled her jacket tighter around her shoulders as she walked, shivering as she watched a few dark clouds begin to settle in.

The pale blue, two story house sat at the end of the otherwise deserted street. The hedges that lined each side of the house and the small areas on either side of the front steps were perfectly trimmed and covered with small flower buds waiting to bloom into the most glorious roses.

Amy stopped dead in her tracks as her eyes landed on the two Toyota's that sat side by side in the driveway. She felt her stomach drop to her feet. Both her parents were home.

Despite it being extremely odd for her parents to be home at the same time, let alone all three of them, she held her breath in anticipation for this moment each and every time she turned onto her street. 

Amy took a few deep breaths as she reached the front door. She nodded to herself before yanking it open, being instantly greeted with a flying tea cup and her mothers roar. "Have you lost your mind?! Please, god, tell me you did not just throw one of grandmothers China teacups!"

"You have eyes, don't you?" Her father shouted back, jerking away from his wife as she made a grab for him. "Get off me! All I ask is for a little peace and quiet when i'm home!"

"Which is never!" Her mother shouted back. "If you would spend a little more time here maybe we could work something out."

"More time here, huh? What was it last week? Let's see. If my memory serves me correct you were yelling at me to spend more time at work."

"We  have bills to pay and Amy's allowance is-"

"None existent, like this marriage. All because you need to blow hundreds of dollars every day to impress your rich friends at the country club we can't afford."

"That's completely besides the-"

Amy pulled the door shut and leaned on it, listening for any sign that her parents had noticed her presence, but as usual they hadn't.

By now the rain had begun to fall in large, heavy drops and Amy had to duck her head down as she fled from the house. She ran as fast as she could, her feet splashing through every puddle she came across, to the place she felt the safest- the woods.

She would've sighed in relief at the sight of the trees if it weren't for her lack of breath. She slowed to a walk as she reached the outline of the forest. After only taking one step forward, she already felt like a new person.

Rain covered everything in sight, it's droplets sliding gracefully off of the white roses that littered the forest, and landing silently in the grass below. Amy stepped carefully over a few mushrooms and continued venturing forward. Once she was far enough that she could no longer see the road, she allowed herself to enjoy her surroundings.

She walked, leisurely now, through the worn down path she, herself, had created from many trips in this particular direction. She encountered many animals on this particular path, but today she was in for a surprise.

Amy heard the soft 'tick- tock' noise of a clock somewhere behind her and she spun around, glancing in every direction. Brushing it off as nothing more than her imagination, she took a few more steps in the opposite direction before hearing the sound again.

"Hello?" She called out into the silence. "Is anyone there?"

"I'm late!" The blur of white cried as it dashed by her, slamming into her leg with its shoulder as it did so. "I'm late!"

She spun around, staring after it before dashing behind it to see what 'it' was. It was one of the quickest animals she had ever seen out in these woods, and she stumbled to keep up. "Wait!" She cried.

The white blur continued to run until it came upon a large hole in the ground by a ginormous tree trunk. It glanced back at Amy swiftly before diving head first in.

She gasped in shock as she realized it was a rabbit, and hurried over to it. She poked her head inside and shouted, "Are you okay?"

The loudness of her voice must've stirred up the wet dirt, and within seconds she was tumbling down the hole.