I knew we were going in the wrong direction the moment we left the house. And I knew it meant I would never see my childhood home again. My aunt was kidnapping me and I hadn’t decided whether or not I was happy about it. Yet. I was old enough to know what was happening, but not quite old enough to know why. I loved spending time with my aunt as she let me run wild all over her farm. She had horses, dogs, cows, goats and chickens where my parents would never let me have a cat. I treasured the time I spent with Aunt Lisa every summer because I was free to be myself. By myself.
I wasn’t a fan of being stuck inside all day and since my parents worked long hours, I wasn’t permitted to leave the house unaccompanied. My mom had seen too many horror movies and watched Dateline too often where I was expected to set the alarm as soon as I got home and was expected not to leave. She checked the alarm on a regular basis from her phone and often called if the alarm got turned off unexpectedly. But now, with Aunt Lisa, I finally had a chance to sleep under the stars. I just hoped I didn’t disappear like Jamie did. Jamie was the sister everyone pretends didn’t exist. But I know she does. Or at least she did. What else could explain the picture?
Standing Room Only 