She rounded to the back of the car, opened the trunk and took out what little possessions I owned. I sat in the car in disbelief. My head was doing somersaults and I started to question why Miss Smith had brought me here.
"Come on, Tucker!" she bellowed from behind the car as she made her way through the willow arch and towards the front door. I slowly opened the car door and trudged my feet across the ground, kicking the gravel on the floor as I did.
Miss Smith opened the front door which led directly into the kitchen. It was huge. Dark crimson red tiles clung to the walls, and a large wooden oak table was situated directly in the middle of the room. There was a gas stove in the corner with a kettle balanced delicately on one of the hobs. On the opposite side there was a large fridge-freezer with an ice dispenser, something that I had always wanted since I was a child. Mom didn't believe in buying such 'garbage', as she called it, and we only ever had the basics, even though with Dad's life insurance we could afford a lot more. Next to the fridge was a small window. It looked out into the back yard, and behind the yard was the river. I stared for a moment, finally realising where I was.
I turned to Miss Smith and spoke, "Nice kitchen, Miss Smith".
"Please, Tucker, call me Lindsay. Go give yourself a tour of the house, look around and get comfortable. This is your home for the next couple of weeks, if not longer."
I hadn't ever been treated with such kindness. Mom believed that kids should be seen and not heard, and so whenever I spoke out of turn I was punished. I had a miserable life at home, but it was still my home. I don't know how well I can adjust to being here, specifically given its location and my recent suicide attempt. I still had the numb feeling. That feeling of not caring, of wanting to give up. Lexi had prescribed me anti-depressants which kept the thoughts at bay, but the hurt was still there.
I crossed the kitchen and through an arch-way which led into the hallway. There was a staircase to my right, with a beautiful hand-rail along the side polished with a dark wood. Next to the staircase was a narrow hallway which had a cupboard leading under the stairs and the back door in the distance. Directly in front of me was the living room. A large cream, corner sofa was carefully placed and fit perfectly with the open fire that was roaring with a low flame. A huge 42" LCD T.V. was hanging on the wall opposite the couch, and underneath it was a coffee table arranged with pictures and an iPod dock. I glanced at the pictures briefly, but I didn't take much notice.
"Tucker", I heard Lindsay call from the kitchen. I traipsed back through, and greeted her with a questioning smile. "I'm going to make some dinner now. Vegetarian Lasagne. It's my son's favourite. He'll be back from school soon; I've already had you enrolled. The principal and I are close friends and I don't want you missing out on your education while you're here. Anyway, I told Kye all about the situation yesterday and he's happy to share his room with you for a couple nights while we redecorate the guest room for you. It's the first door on your right upstairs. Go dump your stuff up there and just chill for a while, I'll call you when dinner's ready".
I smiled at her, and whispered a thoughtful "Thank you."
I picked up my bags from the kitchen floor where Lindsay had placed them and made my way upstairs. Entering Kye's room, I noticed that there were medals and trophies everywhere, particularly in swimming. "Great, a jock" I thought to myself. I threw my bag in to the corner and surveyed his bedroom. There was a double bed in the middle of the room, sheltered by a red and white duvet. There was a large burgundy rug on the floor, which matched the burgundy curtains hanging in front of the windows. Lying down on the bed, I closed my eyes and let myself drift off to sleep.
When I woke up, I was back at home. Back in our 3-bedroom suburb house living with the basics. I had a single bed and a small wardrobe in my bedroom. The walls were painted a dull brown, reminding me of the colour of muddy water. Groggily, I stood up. Except it felt different. There was no weight on my feet and I felt smaller. No, I was smaller. I looked at my hands and they were at least half the size. I walked out in to the hallway and made my way to the bathroom. I looked in the mirror and I looked different. Scary different. I didn't have a face, it was just blank. No eyes, no nose, no mouth. Nothing. Footsteps coming up the steps, and an eerie laugh filling the house. I hid behind the shower curtain and sat in complete silence. The bathroom door creaked open and a shadowy figure appeared in the threshold.
"Tucker" it whispered, it's dark and wispy voice filling my ears with terror.
It's fingernails were scratching along the length of the bath as it got closer and closer. I saw it's hand edge slowly across the curtain, fingernails outstretched. It grabbed me with a force I'd never felt and I tried to shake it free. Flailing, I tried to punch the unknown figure, letting out whimpers as I did.
"Tucker, it's okay. Tucker. Tucker" a familiar voice spoke gently. I knew the voice, but I couldn't place a name to it. "Tucker, it's me Lindsay. It was just a bad dream." Everything was a blur when I opened my eyes and it was hard to focus. Looking out of the window, it was obvious I had overslept dinner. "I was going to wake you for dinner, but you seemed so peaceful. I was just about to go to bed when I heard some commotion from upstairs. I just want you to know you can feel safe here, Tucker. Whatever you've been through before, I want you to know that in this house you will always be safe. I know about your situation, and I know about your mother, and I want you to know that I am really sorry for what has happened to you. I truly am. You should know that I'll always be here, a shoulder to cry on or a friend to lean on." Her voice was so gentle, so calming. It only reassured me that what she was saying was true. I hardly knew who she was, but I already trusted her.
I wasn't sure what to say, and she could tell by the look in my eye. "It's okay, Tucker" she whispered, "You don't have to say anything. But if you ever want to talk about it, you know where to find me." Rising from the bed, she made her way out of the room. "Lindsay..." I uttered, the words barely making a sound as they escaped my lips.
"Yes?" she replied, turning towards me.
"Thank you. Thank you, so much" I responded, a single tear rolling from my crystal blue eyes.
"That's okay, Tucker", she said, "I'm going to bed for the night. Kye's gone to a friend's house but he should be back soon. Goodnight."
Surely enough, not five minutes after she'd left I heard the front door open and close, a pair of shoes being removed and a coat being flung over one of the chairs at the dining room table. A low grumble, presumably a cough, became louder as the feet made their way up the stairs. And then he appeared at the door.
He was like nothing I'd ever seen before. I couldn't comprehend something so beautiful. His eyes sparkled like green emeralds in the moonlight radiating through the window. He was wearing a grey tank top, which accentuated his toned physique. A pair of grey super dry joggers clutched at his legs, which revealed a little bit more than I think he intended. Moppy brown hair, similar to that of my own, but somewhat better, hung from his head perfectly. And I recognised him instantly. He was the boy that had saved me.
Lying there, I was in utter amazement. I was quiet for a few moments, and then he spoke.
"Hi, I'm Kye".
And then he smiled. And the whole world melted around me.