To Drown a Beast

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 Walking out the door I stopped for a moment remembering I forgot to bring along my house key. I sneaked back inside under the doorframe, hoping my mother wouldn’t hear me. I took several steps inside, inches from the key drawer. Traitorously, the worn down floors creaked under my light weight.

“Autumn, is that you?” my mother yelled from her painting studio down the hallway.

I stopped silently; hoping she would think it was only a figment of her cluttered imagination. Of course with my luck she walked out with her paint-splattered apron. Her blonde hair was down and had gobs of paint stuck in it.

Discouraged and caught, I straightened my back and faced her.

I gave her an innocent smile.

”Yeah?”

“I need you to go down to Fernando’s and get some strawberries. I’m using them for the Wiggin’s next painting,” she said frowning.

Probably at my 32nd failed escape attempt.

“Yeah, yeah ok. Can I leave now? I’m supposed to meet Jo in ten minutes,” I said tapping my foot impatiently.

“Ok. Ok. Sheesh. Sometimes I think someone secretly fed you jalapenos making you so feisty,” she laughed and walked back to her sacred room.

I rolled my eyes even though she couldn’t see me.

I turned on my heel fast and bolted out the door, of course forgetting the key. I picked up my woolen satchel from the porch with all my beach items and money. I hauled it over my shoulder and started down my yard onto the already baked sidewalk.

I shifted my bag over and ruffled through it trying to find my old, beat up iPod. Finding it beneath the fold of my green towel I pulled it out as well as the earphones. I slipped the earphones into my ears and switched on the device.

Still walking I scrolled down my playlists and hit the Bored While Walking one. On the Brightside by Never Shout never came on and I bounced my head to the happy beat mouthing the words.

I’m such a happy person.

I'm to funny for my own good.

Still walking I slipped my iPod into my back pocket and noticed a stray lace escaping from my red high tops. I bent down on one knee and began to untie the stubborn knot. Once I unraveled it I tied it back up into its place.

As I was about to come up however one of my earphones fell out my ear. Trying to track down the swinging object I noticed a slight grinding sound coming from right behind me. I located the damn earphone and stood up quickly turning to the sound.

Some person was speeding down the hill with their skateboard to fast for my liking.

Stupid as I was I didn’t react until it was too late.

“Shi-!” I started.

And I was flying.

As I soared I noticed how warm and peaceful I was and enjoyed the California sun for a second.

Sadly all flights must come to an end and I landed violently on my butt.

Dazed, I fell back trying to remember who I was. Groaning, I turned my head to the side to see I was in some persons yard. Probably some old guy, I noted noticing the well-groomed flowers I had just crushed. I closed my eyes slowly and began to carefully feel parts of my body to see if they were harmfully impaired. I finally got down to my feet without any major damages beside some soreness. Just as I finished checking all my parts somewhere above me I sensed a movement and I squinted my eyes but everything was to painful and bright.

Trying again I peeked through my eyelashes making out a fuzzy outline of someone leaning over me. I blinked several times only to focus on a pair of wide brown eyes. Startled I quickly tried propping myself onto my elbows. Instead of hitting air like I intended I collided the side of my face with something hard. Snapping my hands to my injured face I forgot the law of physics and fell back down onto the flowers.

“Owww,” I moaned squirming in the soil.

“Damn it,” another voice said in the same tone as me.

I opened my eyes again and slowly tried sitting up but failed, too disoriented to move.

“Here let me help you,” the voice said coming back to me.

I looked up to see a hand reaching down to me. Reluctantly I lifted my arm up and I was propelled upwards. As I was halfway up I could see where the mysterious hand connected. My eyes trailed up the skinny arm, onto the lean shoulders and finally up to the soft face of a boy. I blinked a couple times unsure if I was to be embarrassed or grateful.

Suddenly there was a stutter and my eyes flashed to his feet. The boy’s black converse began to loose footing and started to stumble backwards. Since I was latched to his hand I was yanked along with him and for the third time this morning I was planted in the ground. I muttered some unmentionable words and flipped myself around so the freshly cut grass was soaking my back. Not as hurt this time I lifted up my heavy head, only to find the boy lying next to me. He was still as if he was dead but to my comfort I could hear muffled whimpering sounds.

Breaking the silence I said,” I think I’ll just get up myself.”

I pulled half my body up so I was getting the knees of my skinny jeans all dirty. Not that it really mattered. They already had rips in them.

I leaned down on one knee so I could get ready to stand up. Slowly I rose and just stood still trying not to trigger any more dizziness. Satisfied I was all right I walked over to the stranger. Cautiously I leaned over unsure what to say. The boy groaned and I sighed uneasily.

“Do you want me to help you?” I asked hoping he would decline. I really didn’t want another encounter with the mud.

“Ummm. I-I think I got it.” He said still closing his eyes.

I mentally let out a sigh of relief and took a step back to give him space. He came up in the same manner as I did. As he regained his balance I inspected his appearance.

The boy was on the tall side. He wasn’t as skinny as I thought, but more lean. He had regular jeans on matched with a navy blue baseball shirt. On his head was a flop of brown curls and peering closely to his face was a small explosion of freckles across his nose. I noticed he had a little bit of mud on his cheek and I realized that I probably did too.

  Panicking I checked my hands for mud and began to brush off my face for any traces of dirt. Feeling some crumble off my chin I moved onto my messy hair. I tugged my fingers through my blonde hair trying to remove any twigs or stray petals. Discouraged I gave up and looked down at my Ok Go band t-shirt with the Muppets. It had a small grass stain embedded in the bottom but otherwise it was fine.

Abruptly I remembered my satchel and iPod. Freaking out I did a circle. My bag lay back by the flowerbeds where I landed but my iPod was nowhere in sight. I ran to my bag, slapped it on and searched through the flowers for my music. Instead I found the boy’s beat up skateboard and a Yankees flat cap. Feeling bad I lifted both from the ground and tried to shake the dirt off them the best I could. Still inspecting the board with all its band stickers and his baseball cap I walked back to the foreigner.

As I returned I saw him bend down and pick up something off the ground. I stepped closer and realized it was my long lost iPod.

I coughed awkwardly to get the boys attention.

His head snapped up causing him to fumble my iPod. I gasped but before it could go anywhere he held it steady and turned to face me. 

Damn, he was as clumsy as me.