hesitating, Gloria took off with two of my heaping suitcases.
It was then that I noticed she didn’t have any luggage of her own and only carried a purse. Though odd, I quickly put it out of my mind and hurried to catch up to her with my other two suitcases.
“Umm… Gloria,” I called as we reached the parking garage. “This is short term parking. Wouldn’t your car be in the long term garage?”
She looked at the sign above us. “Oh, silly me. I must have parked in the wrong garage. My bill’s going to be huge!” She laughed, just approaching her car.
Gloria opened the rear hatch of a pretty BMW and, despite her small stature, nimbly threw my two heavy suitcases into the back. As I struggled to lift the third suitcase into the back, she grabbed the fourth.
Soon, we were sailing down the interstate, my stomach flipping nervously. “Is your car new?” I asked, trying to relegate my uneasiness.
“Yes. Could you tell from the new car smell? My husband just got it for me as an early Christmas present. I love it.” Once again, she beamed, vaguely reminding me of Mom.
“Yeah, it’s great. I really like the… oh!” I exclaimed with a start. My rear had suddenly gotten super warm.
Spotting my surprised expression, Gloria burst into laughter. “Heated seats,” she explained through giggles. “Sorry, I should have warned you.”
I laughed too as the warmth spread from my shoulders to my thighs. It was soothing, and I was soon struggling to keep my eyes open.
“Rest your eyes,” Gloria cooed in a motherly tone. “You’ve had a long trip. I’ll wake you when we arrive.”
Nodding my thanks, I looked out the window to find the trees here were already turning, their luscious, vibrant colors giving way to glassy ponds that mirrored the radiant beauty around us.
I’m used to this. The realization put me at ease. The transition from summer to fall usually heralded change for me. I’d had many “first days” at schools and was a pro at starting over. This time was no different. Talking to Gloria had only confirmed that Dad was right. I’d eventually make new friends and hopefully find some semblance of home here.
Staring out the window, I savored the beautiful view as well as some newfound peace, and soon found myself running through a similar forest in my dreams.
Chapter 3
Running
“Sophie… Sophie… ”
I searched for the Voice. But where was she? The rich autumn colors of the forest trees whirred by me in a blur as I ran. The cold wind hinted at winter’s arrival as it whipped at my hair and cheeks.
“Sophie… ” The Voice sang.
I couldn’t find her. Forever running through an endless sea of cold and color, I panicked. Dusk lay ahead. If I didn’t find her before nightfall, I’d surely be lost.
Something caught my eye then. Silhouetted by the setting sun, a looming figure walked a line parallel to the horizon ahead. I stopped in awe of what I saw. He wasn’t just big, but a giant and an ugly one at that.
I froze, hoping he wouldn’t notice me. Though I stood far away, I didn’t know how fast a giant could close the distance and wasn’t about to find out.
“Sophie? Where are you?”
Be quiet. Oh, please. Be quiet. Can he hear her too?
In answer to my question, the giant must have heard the Voice for he stopped and looked around, his gaze landing on me. I trembled, waiting for his reaction.
Balling his fists, he took in a great expanse of air, opened his mouth wide and let out a horrifying bellow. The noise was deafening. I lost my balance as the earth shook beneath my feet. Cowering on the ground, I covered my ears, waiting for something dramatic to happen — like the whole world, or maybe just my head, to implode.
Finally running out of breath, the giant charged towards me, his breath producing great clouds of mist like an angry bull. I watched, frozen in fear.
“Sophie!” The Voice called, this time with great alarm. “Run! Sophie, run!”
Scrambling to my feet, I
It was then that I noticed she didn’t have any luggage of her own and only carried a purse. Though odd, I quickly put it out of my mind and hurried to catch up to her with my other two suitcases.
“Umm… Gloria,” I called as we reached the parking garage. “This is short term parking. Wouldn’t your car be in the long term garage?”
She looked at the sign above us. “Oh, silly me. I must have parked in the wrong garage. My bill’s going to be huge!” She laughed, just approaching her car.
Gloria opened the rear hatch of a pretty BMW and, despite her small stature, nimbly threw my two heavy suitcases into the back. As I struggled to lift the third suitcase into the back, she grabbed the fourth.
Soon, we were sailing down the interstate, my stomach flipping nervously. “Is your car new?” I asked, trying to relegate my uneasiness.
“Yes. Could you tell from the new car smell? My husband just got it for me as an early Christmas present. I love it.” Once again, she beamed, vaguely reminding me of Mom.
“Yeah, it’s great. I really like the… oh!” I exclaimed with a start. My rear had suddenly gotten super warm.
Spotting my surprised expression, Gloria burst into laughter. “Heated seats,” she explained through giggles. “Sorry, I should have warned you.”
I laughed too as the warmth spread from my shoulders to my thighs. It was soothing, and I was soon struggling to keep my eyes open.
“Rest your eyes,” Gloria cooed in a motherly tone. “You’ve had a long trip. I’ll wake you when we arrive.”
Nodding my thanks, I looked out the window to find the trees here were already turning, their luscious, vibrant colors giving way to glassy ponds that mirrored the radiant beauty around us.
I’m used to this. The realization put me at ease. The transition from summer to fall usually heralded change for me. I’d had many “first days” at schools and was a pro at starting over. This time was no different. Talking to Gloria had only confirmed that Dad was right. I’d eventually make new friends and hopefully find some semblance of home here.
Staring out the window, I savored the beautiful view as well as some newfound peace, and soon found myself running through a similar forest in my dreams.
Chapter 3
Running
“Sophie… Sophie… ”
I searched for the Voice. But where was she? The rich autumn colors of the forest trees whirred by me in a blur as I ran. The cold wind hinted at winter’s arrival as it whipped at my hair and cheeks.
“Sophie… ” The Voice sang.
I couldn’t find her. Forever running through an endless sea of cold and color, I panicked. Dusk lay ahead. If I didn’t find her before nightfall, I’d surely be lost.
Something caught my eye then. Silhouetted by the setting sun, a looming figure walked a line parallel to the horizon ahead. I stopped in awe of what I saw. He wasn’t just big, but a giant and an ugly one at that.
I froze, hoping he wouldn’t notice me. Though I stood far away, I didn’t know how fast a giant could close the distance and wasn’t about to find out.
“Sophie? Where are you?”
Be quiet. Oh, please. Be quiet. Can he hear her too?
In answer to my question, the giant must have heard the Voice for he stopped and looked around, his gaze landing on me. I trembled, waiting for his reaction.
Balling his fists, he took in a great expanse of air, opened his mouth wide and let out a horrifying bellow. The noise was deafening. I lost my balance as the earth shook beneath my feet. Cowering on the ground, I covered my ears, waiting for something dramatic to happen — like the whole world, or maybe just my head, to implode.
Finally running out of breath, the giant charged towards me, his breath producing great clouds of mist like an angry bull. I watched, frozen in fear.
“Sophie!” The Voice called, this time with great alarm. “Run! Sophie, run!”
Scrambling to my feet, I
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