When You Can’t Keep Secrets I didn’t understand why we were leaving. What secret of yours is so bad that you have to move? I guess whatever secret my parents have must be pretty bad to have us moving half way across the country. I live in an ordinary small town. There were never any situations or problems, but the bad part is anybody can find out something you didn’t want them to know. So I suggest you don’t have any secrets or at least don’t tell anyone even your mom, dad, or best friend. It’s a small town so remember, word gets around quickly. It doesn’t feel good not trusting or telling your best friend EVERYTHING, but it’s worse if it spills into everyone’s minds so they will remember it forever and haunt you. As I was thinking, “What was my parents’ secret? And why did they care so much that only one person found out? And how did they find out?” So many questions ran through my head that I forgot to say my last goodbye to my best friend before the taxi drive into the thick wall of rain to the airport. As the taxi drove through the small town of Forks, my parents looked straight ahead. Their bodies like stone and refusing to even glance out of the window as if the whole town already knew.
When we arrived at the airport, the only time they moved was walking to our next destination. The only time they would speak, was when they were getting everything situated for our flight. The only time they would eat, was when their stomachs ached and twitched. The only time they would blink was when the cold air coated their eyes making them dry as sand. When we were finally alone at the gate I asked my parents, “Why?” I gulped and then finished, “Why are we leaving? What made it so bad to stay?” My mother lowered her head. “It’s just not the best choice for you to stay,” my father answered for her. “But why? I am old enough to understand! Why don’t you trust me?” I waited for them to answer, but they never did. I was so frustrated now I got up and started walking away, but then I stopped. “What do you mean by just a bad choice for ME to stay?” I said. “Elizabeth, YOU are leaving, and we are staying,” my mom replied, choking on her words. “Wh…What?” I stuttered on the word, and I tried not to cry. “Elizabeth, we love you and always will but you have to go now.” I could barely hear my father because every thing around me became noisy. People in the crowd were pushing me away from my parents as they were getting on our flight. “We left you a note in your bag. Be safe and you will find your Uncle when you get off at Texas,” my mother screamed as I was getting pushed into the airplane.
I turned around to see them one last time… it would have been better to just go. I stood there crying and calling for my mother when I found her on the ground with a bullet in her chest. My dad was screaming for her to open her eyes. I tried running to them, but the people in the crowd were pushing me back. I tried to shove my way through but there were too many people. I finally gave up and went to my seat on the plane. Once I got to my seat the tears kept flowing until everything around me looked fuzzy. I couldn’t see or think anymore. No one bothered sitting next to me, seeing that I was weeping in my hands. After about an hour, I finally lifted up my head and almost everyone in the plane was asleep. I wasn’t tired so I just stared out the window trying to pull myself together. I looked inside my bag for a tissue; once my hand felt a rough thick piece of paper, I instantly pulled it out. It was a letter from my parents.
Dear Elizabeth, Your mother and I didn’t want to tell you this in person; in fact we didn’t want to tell you this at all because we knew you would be ashamed of us. I just want to tell you before you read this that we love you so much. Ok, well when you were a baby, our neighbors, the Wilsons had a
son. One night your mother and I were being stupid. We got in a bad accident with Sam Wilson, and he didn’t make it. We regret that scaring day, but we can’t take it back. And so a couple days ago the FBI told them the final result. And now they want revenge. I’m so sorry; you just had to hide somewhere far. Don’t let them kill you. Sincerely, Mom and Dad This letter brought tears in my eyes, not happy tears, but sad tears. I’m only 14 years old and somebody already wants to kill me. I folded the note in half and put it back in my bag. Then I tried to relax and not think of the fact that my own neighbor wants to murder me and make me suffer in deep, long pain. I finally fell asleep for a good 20 minutes. I woke up and stared out of the small, round window again waiting for the flight to end. I slowly walked off the plane, alone, with my head down and dragging my bags. “Elizabeth!” I heard an old unfamiliar voice scream. I guess it’s my Uncle. I followed the voice, not bothering to pick up my head, until I walked right into the big man. My ‘Uncle’ wasn’t really MY Uncle. The man pulled out two guns and pointed them at me. “I said I would have my revenge,” he smirked.
“Wow, you’re good.” I ran past everyone while the man was stuck far behind the crowd. I was too far from reach for him to shoot me now. This was just the beginning. Once I reached the exit, I slowed down when I saw my real Uncle leaning on his small red truck. “I guess you really missed me!” my uncle laughed and then gave me a big Texas hug. “Ya,” is all I managed to say while I was panting like I ran around the whole state. I waited a couple of seconds until I got my breath back. “Uh…can we go now?” I asked trying not to sound worried. “Aright,” my Uncle replied confused but he got into his car and we drove down the road. The car ride was silent besides the blasting country music. The whole time I was staring out the window looking at the state of Texas, as it may be my last. I knew tonight I wasn’t going to get any sleep knowing I was being followed. We finally arrived to my Uncle’s small house; which was burning down in front of my own eyes. Every window was melting, every brick was out of its place, every board was burnt, and every piece of furniture turned to ash. I wasn’t shocked, I wasn’t surprised, I was worried. The man has already found me. The person who wants to destroy me the most, is waiting for me. Like my mom always said, “Expect the worst.”
I looked over to my Uncle, he was screaming and crying. He tried to get out of the car but I stopped him. “You can’t go back!” I yelled. “It’s too dangerous. A fire like this can’t just happen, someone made it.” “But, but who would do this?” he got back in the car. “I don’t know,” I lied. “But we have to keep going. We can stay at a hotel for a little while and then I am going back home to my parents.” My Uncle doesn’t know about my mom, so I decided he shouldn’t find out about it right now. We drove around for a couple hours until we finally found a hotel. The hotel was small but still nice and new. It looked like a little country house in the middle of nowhere. There was a little garden of pretty flowers in the front and a big grass field in the back. The parking lot didn’t have many cars so the hotel shouldn’t be crowded. “This will be good enough to stay for the night, right?” my Uncle asked me. “Yep, I will go check us in. But remember, only for a couple of nights and then I am going back home,” I replied and jumped out of the car.
10 years later I ended up living with my Uncle after we got our house back. I decided to stay because it wasn’t worth going back. I loved my Uncle and I started getting really close with him like he was my own father. The rest of my life was normal. I had no one trying to search for me and I don’t have to live my life hiding. I went to college in Texas and now I have a family of my own. I have a husband, two kids, a boy and a girl. I named the girl Sarah and the boy Sam, after Sam Wilson, the one who my parents killed. I never told my kids about that, but I did tell them how great my mom and dad were. Even though what they did was bad, it still does not affect my love for them. I never saw my parents again but deep in my heart I know they’re still alive. So this summer I am going to look for them and bring them back into the family.