I smelled it before I saw it, and when I walked into the living room, sure enough there it was- three empty bottles and alcohol spilled all over the floor.  I went around the house only to find him laying on his bed with another empty bottle in his hand.  This has to stop; I don't know how much more I can deal with.  Ever since Mom left us seven months ago, this is all I see when I come home every night.  I'm stuck cleaning up the house every night so people don't see what really goes on here. 
I scrub the carpet until my hands and arms hurt, then give up, and put everything else in the trash that he left laying around.  I fix myself a grilled cheese and sit on the couch in silence.  My brother, Nick, walked in through the garage door and immediately smells the alcohol from the carpet that I was unable to get completely clean. 
"Where is he?" Nick asked.
"Passed out on his bed. You want a grilled cheese," I said as I held up my plate that I haven't touched.
"No, not hungry." He took a deep breath and sat down next to me without saying another word.  We both sat there on the couch, in silence, starring at the wall. 
I know it's hard on Nick having to take care of his little sister with no help and having to pay for everything, including all the bills, since dad does nothing but get drunk and pass out.  I try to help out as much as I can, but I know it's not enough considering there is not much I can do at 15 years old.

I woke up the next morning to banging on my bedroom door.  I already knew who it was; the only person in this house that would get mad and break stuff for no reason. 
"What?" I said as I opened the door.
"Where's your brother?"
"Did you check in his room?" I said then quickly realizing that I sounded like a smart-ellick
"Don't be a smart-ass!" He quickly snapped back and hit me across the face.  I shut my door as he walked away.  I climbed back in bed trying not to cry and hoping I could get a few more hours of sleep.  Next thing I knew, he was banging on Nick's door.  Since there was no way I was getting any more sleep, I got dressed and went for a walk.  I didn't want to listen to Nick and dad scream at each other all morning like they usually did.  I got to the end of the street when I heard my friend, Rachel, who was out running around the neighborhood, call my name.  I turned around and waited for her to catch up to me.
"What are you doing up so early?" she asked me trying to catch her breath.
"Just had to get out of the house."
"That bad, huh?"
"Just like it always is."
She walked with me for about thirty minutes until we ended up back at my house.  When I walked inside, Nick pushed me back outside and told me to get in the car. 
We drove around town for a little bit, then went over to Sam's house, one of Nick's friends.  I played with Sam's daughter, who was almost five months, while Nick and Sam talked.  We ended up spending the day there and then decided to crash there for the night. 
The next morning we decided to go back home and maybe try to talk to dad about everything.  We got to the house as soon as an ambulance was pulling out of our driveway with the sirens and lights going off.

***

Not many people showed up, which didn't surprise me; he was mean and terrible to everyone he encountered.  I walked up to the tombstone and layed his baseball cap he always wore beside it, then walked back and stood beside Nick.  He put his arm around my shoulder as we watched them lower the casket into the ground. 

Free Write #2: What If?

What if nothing goes as I plan?  What if I fail at my dreams?  I can't help but have these thoughts when I think of my future.  I want to be a radiologist, at a children's hospital, but what if that doesn't happen? What if I end up doing something I hate?  What if I have to drop out of school and I end up never going back?  That is always a scary thought in the back of my mind.  I will always give it my best, but what of my best isn't good enough?  I can only hope that everything goes as planned and I end up with a happy and beautiful life.  But, what if I don't?

Short Story: The Audition

The sun beaming down on her skin as she walked to the dance studio for her audition.  Her plane landed just two hours ago in New York City.  As Alyssa reached the steps leading to the huge double doors, she stopped and took a deep breath.  "This is it," she whispered quietly to herself.  She made her way up the stairs and reached out to grab the door handle.  As soon as she touched the handle the door swung open and a girl about the same age as Alyssa came running out crying with her face in her hands. 
"Are you okay?" Alyssa asked her.
When the girl didn't answer, she figured she knew what had happened.  She started to over think everything and became very anxious and nervous.  "What if I'm not good enough? What if they hate me?" She thought to herself.  She had to force herself to walk into the building; it took all her power not to break down and run back to her hotel room.  When she got inside, she felt even more anxious.  She was amazed by how beautiful everything looked.  She began to look around to see where she needed to go for her audition.  She walked up to the front desk and asked the little old white-haired lady where she needed to go.  The old lady just pointed to the door at the far end of the building without saying a word.  The lady looked really creepy; her face was as pale as a ghost and she had scars all over her face.
Alyssa walked to the last door on the right and quietly snuck in so she didn't disturb anybody.  She sat down in the chairs right next to the doors to watch her competition.  The girl on stage was so elegant  with every move she did.  Alyssa began to feel nervous again, so she slipped out the doors back into the lobby to calm down and warm up.  She made her way to an empty corner to practice in.  She dropped her bag and put her dance shoes on. 
After about twenty minutes of practicing, she picked up her stuff and made her way back to the auditorium.  But, as she reached for the door handles she felt a hand grab her mouth and waist and pick her up.  She could tell it was a man by the his tough calesy hands.  She wanted to scream, but she couldn't; she could hardly breath.  The man carried her outside and threw her into the trunk of a car. 

To Be Continued...

Short Story: Maybe Next Time

"So you will turn off the alarm, and I'll wait for your signal to come in after you," Casey said finalizing the plan.
"Yes, make sure to grab the watches, I need some more," Jarrod replied.
Casey and Jarrod climbed out of bed and got dressed.  They grabbed a couple duffle bags to hold  everything and Jarrod grabbed his hand-gun out of the night-stand drawer just in case anything went wrong.

***

They parked on the side of the building when they got to the jewelry store and snuck around back.  Jarrod was able to unlock the door and quickly turn the alarm off.  He majored in engineering, but never did anything productive with his degree.  They walked to the front of the store and started grabbing anything and everything.  Casey made sure to grab most of the watches, while Jarrod broke into the cash register and took all the cash.  When they were done, they went back outside and jumped in the car. 

Later that night, they went out to dinner to a fancy restaurant, which they never did.  Towards the end of the night, Jarrod pulled out a ring from his jacket pocket, one that he had stolen back at the store.

"Will you-" Jarrod started to say.

"Jarrod Smith and Casey Miller, Stand up and put your hands behind you.  You are both underarrest for robbery," a police officer interrupted.

"Damn it, I thought we had it this time," Jarrod said under his breath.

Free Write #1

Senior year is fixing to be over with, I'm finally graduating.  A part of me can't wait to get out of here and start the next chapter of my life, but the other part of me is really sad to be leaving.  It is sad that I won't be seeing the same people that I have seen everyday for the past ten years anymore, or at least not as often.   I do not know what lies ahead for me, I can only wish that is it great things.
 College will be starting in a couple of months, and I feel like I'm not fully prepared, but I'm extremely excited.  I'm excited to start my future and make brand new friends.  But, I will not forget the memories that I have made here; they will forever stay with me.  So, here I go off into the real world to begin a new journey.

They Say

They say life is short, only I choose to think that life is not just short but slow.

Never over think things, they say, but when you’re all alone with free time how could I not.

Would or could I change my destiny or even foretell my future,

But they say you make your own path and yet I still wonder.

Your life is sweet, they say, but do they really know my life.

Just because I seem well off, the inside me is never right.

Up and away is where I do not know; fly like a bird they say,

Be free and live like there is no tomorrow, they say.

A Day at the Beach

The water is a beautiful blue,
and the air leaves a taste of salt on my lips.
After the water rushes upon the sea shore
the sand is left silky smooth.
Some are playing with beach balls,
and others are making sand castles.
As the big waves make the little children fall,
some say it is just a big hastle.
When the sun makes the sky orange as it disappears,
the moon becomes a radiant white line on the water's horizon.