Down To Earth, By Amber Jackson

Chapter 1

Eldria glanced down. The lake she had called home before all of this. It was dark, the water polluted with oil, trash, and gasoline. She tried to

forget the trash, the smell, that uncomfortable feeling of not belonging,

"You ready to go now?" a woman walked out from a black car behind Eldria.

The scene was not the place the women wanted to be. she wanted to be home by now, drinking lemonade, eating a bucket load of ice cream and binge-watching Full House on Netflix, but here she was, in her sleek black car, waiting for a girl who was looking out on a lake that was as black as the car itself and smelled like rotten eggs.

"I said are you ready to go NOW?" Eldria turned around, she looked at the women with a strong glare. Eldria's face was framed with her long, curly brown hair. Her eyes were a striking hazel that made you feel like she was circulating you every move, following your every move and reading your every step. "No, Stella, I am NOT ready," she said coldly, Stella held her hands up in defeat.

"Ok, ok, tell me when you are ready, but no more than 10 minutes. your new family is waiting for you." she said and turned back around and got into the car.

At the words New Family Eldria's body froze up. she hated the words New Family she preferred the word, temporary family. Eldria looked at the lake for one more time, the place where she and her mother had lived until they were found. the same place where her mother loved her and Eldora loved her back.

But now she was gone, their home was destroyed, and until Eldria became 18, she would be moved family to family until she could make a living by herself. she turned her head away from her lake, and walked to the car, she slid herself in and pulled out her book, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. It was the last thing she had of her mother.

Stella sighed and turned around in her seat. "you know, these people are good people, they are the best ones right now" Eldria laughed coldly, "You said that last time, and the time before that, and the time-"

"Ok, ok, I was wrong then, but I am sure you will like them."

"Yeah, but you might still be wrong."

Stella nodded and looked away. The rest of the ride was silent. The only thing you could hear was the soft hum of the radio and the flipping of the pages from Eldria books.

"We're here," Stella called, pulling up a large big house with a huge front yard and even bigger backyard from the looks of it.

A woman with long honey blond hair was waiting at the doorstep, she wore a long sundress that was covered in yellow flowers and a sun hat. Next to her was a man, he had a normal t-shirt and grey jeans, his hair parted back and in his hands, he held a little girl. They must have been her parents because she had her mother's hair, but darker. Like the color of both parents mixed, expect more from the mother's side than father.

Eldria opened the car door, slowly, she took out her bag and carefully put the book inside.

"Hello Eldria dear," said the woman as she walked up to the car.

"Hey," she said looking down as she put her bag on her shoulders, the man shook Stella's hands.

"Thank you for bringing her to us, we hope she'll like it here," he said.

Stella sighed "I hope so too".

After many papers and a tour of the house, Stella sighed and took Eldria aside. "Try, ok? I know this is not what you want, but I already told you, I can't adopt you, not with my paycheck, so do this for me, ok?" She said. Gripping her hands together.

Eldria sighed, "Fine, but you owe me, big time"

Stella smiled, "you got it" Stella pulled Eldria into a hug.

"Be good," she said, and Eldria nodded.

"Bye Bright," Stella said, walking into the car after saying goodbye to the man and women.

"Bye Star" Eldria whispered to herself as the car disappeared into the unknown.