I'm Alive

The Back Story

DISCLAIMER: I do not own TMNT Characters I only own Maria, Rose, Julie, and Lilly.

I'm Alive

I'm walking down the streets of New York passing tons of people I don't know and a few that I do know. I'm wearing an old grey hoodie that says Senior 2013 on the front and some faded blue jeans. I'm headed for the public pool for my night swim, I'm kind of a special customer. It's 11pm on St. Patrick's Day 2015 and the streets are crowded meaning the pool will be empty, good. People are singing in pubs and bars as I pass the smells of beer and liqueur flood the air around the doorways where people are constantly going in and stumbling out.

As I walk the next three blocks I notice a sort of quietness near the pool which is normal considering it is technically closed. It just feels a little unnatural tonight. The ground is still littered with general trash from the parade today leaving the entire area feeling like a ghost circus had come through.

Shrugging it off I unlock the door using the key Jason, the manager, had given me after I had been a regular at the pool for a year and a half. I left the lights off as I pulled my outer clothes off with my two piece already on underneath. I left my stuff behind the counter in the main office and walked into the Pool Room.

It was so quiet if I held my breath I would've heard my heartbeat. I stopped at the edge of the pool knowing it would be cold and took a few deep breaths admiring the glass-like surface before I crouched to jump into the 22ft diving section. I surfaced breathing deep as I began to get used to the cold shock of water surrounding my body. I took a breath and backstroked to the opposite end of the pool slowly. I was by no means a "good swimmer" I simply enjoyed being in the water and could swim well enough I wouldn't drown.

I swam a few laps and just kind of moving to be doing something. I was in the water for at least three and a half hours. I knew the clock on the wall was a little off and I had left my watch in the office. I climbed out using the side of the pool and dried off. I sat at the edge watching the water calm itself again taking deep breaths myself. I stood slowly and walked back to the office and pulled on my hoodie and jeans. I re-locked the door and began the walk home.

The streets were quiet, I checked my watch for the time...2:43am. I laughed and continued walking, I began to sing to myself my favorite song; If I'm James Dean you're Audrey Hepburn. The longer I walked the quieter I sang. It was uncomfortably quiet, even for 3am in New York. I couldn't even hear the graveyard shift subway train that I knew was only a few blocks away from where I was currently walking.

I shrugged off the silence and continued to my apartment. I'm only 17 but my landlord thinks I'm 20 and graduated because I've collected lots of 2013 senior clothing from one of my ex-boyfriends. I'm apparently too scary to ask for the clothes back so I'm using them to my advantage. As I unlocked my apartment door and shut it behind me I heard the clicking of my beagle's claws on the floor, bringing a smile to my face.

"Hey Ranger."

He makes a small grunt as a reply as I crouch down to rub his ears. As far as beagles go he was unusual because he couldn't bark. He was a rescue dog and the owners before him had him on a chain from being a puppy and it grew into his neck as he got bigger damaging his vocal chords to the point of he can't bark. He can barely whine but grunting is all he does. Which is the exact reason I've been able to have him in the apartment. He's my registered emotional support dog so the landlord couldn't really turn me down anyway.

I showered and pulled on an oversized t-shirt and climbed into bed. Ranger jumped up after me and settled in laying on the back of my knees. I could definitely be an absolute bitch but I had a soft spot for animals. Ranger dozed off before I could even shut my eyes. I sighed and knew I wasn't going to move until he was awake in the morning. I soon fell asleep to the sound of Ranger snoring and softly grunting in his sleep.

I woke up to the sound of Ranger "digging" at the pillow I was laying on.

"Mornin Buddy, you ready to go outside?"

He grunted as a response. I stood and pulled on a pair of shorts and grabbed his leash. He jumped up a few times trying to grab it out of my hands. I clipped it to his collar and grabbed my key, his doggie bags, my phone, and left. I raced him down the stairs knowing he would beat me and wait at the bottom. Walking out the door I waved to my neighbor Maria as she came in with a few bags of groceries. She had her keys dangling in her mouth and only managed a small noise as a greeting. Ranger and I stepped out of the apartment building and began walking the quarter mile to the dog park.

As we walked I could hear the birds in the park singing louder the closer we got. I smiled knowing my sister would've loved to hear them. I paused and I felt the tears begin to come. Ranger looked at me and half whined and put his paws on my knees. I wiped my face and continued re-living the experience.

Julianna and I had been in the back of my parents car just last summer as we were headed home on the interstate from a trip to Chicago. It was late at night we we're half asleep in the back and only an hour from the New York border. No one saw the semi falling from the overpass. It was one of those one in a trillion chances. We we're driving under the bridge as the semi fell off. I was the only one left alive.

Or so they said...

End of Chapter 1