Memory #the flight

this is where the story begins, then goes backwards and forwards simultaneously.

July 1998
Two years ago, my life was perfect. Well maybe thats an exaggeration, but I loved my life.
I was 5, and I had everything I could ever want. Even a pony I called "pinky"
My little brother was a year old, I lived in a few different houses. All of which were beautiful. I was in gymnastics, ballet, tap, jazz, played piano and violin, and got my nails done with my mother every other week. Oh and I had dresses, hundreds of dresses fit for a princess.

But a little over a year ago, my life started to change. I had to become a different person, very quickly. My mother, my father, my brother, and I were in great falls to see my grandparents. It was christmas. I sat at the window, and watched the snow fall. Then a car pulled up to the curb. It was a familiar car. <insert dream here). I ran to my mother. "Its that man! the one from my dream!" Moms eyes widened. She ran to the window. Then grabbed me and carried me to the basement. "Mom?" I asked "What are you doing?" "Shhh Quiet" "Mommm!" "Shhhh!" She placed her hand over my mouth. I heard knocking at the front door. Grandma answered. I heard a deep voice. I couldn't hear everything but I heard "Presents for Charley" and got excited. Moms grip tightened. I heard the door close and broke free from mom. I ran upstairs. "PRESENTS!" I squealed. Mom was right behind me. "Charley for christs sake be quiet!" She went to the window. "Don't worry, he's already gone." Grandma said. "Presents!" I tried again. "What presents?" Grandma said.
Im not sure what they did with the presents, and at the time I had no clue that man was my dad. In my reality, my dad was the man who had lived with me. The man who came to the house that day, was a man who had haunted my dreams since I could remember. I tried to get information from my mom and grandma, but they wouldn't tell me anything. Said I must have made it up. We stayed through my birthday, age 6. I had two cakes. One barbie one and one chocolate one. And we ate little ceasars pizza, my favorite. Shortly after that we went to live in a small house on the outskirts of town. The house had pink shudders, and it was there I swallowed a penny. 3 months later, we were back at grandmas. Mom and the man who I thought was my dad, were in trouble. I don't know what they did, or who was after them. But we had to split up. Mom, my brother, and I stayed with grandma, and the man had to run. I guess I can refer to him as my step dad, no matter how weird it feels. That is the last time I saw him. A few weeks after he ran, there was another knock on the door. It was my dad, the man from the dream. And this time, we couldn't hide, he had cops with him. Mom had to let him visit once a week, after a few weeks he was allowed to take me places. We loved McDonalds and the park. He even taught me how to play checkers. I didn't mind this man, I still don't know why mom didn't like him. Maybe its because he brought the police to her, and I know mom doesn't like police men. And the police men don't like her. In late May of that year, they came and took her. In the middle of the night. (insert cuffed at midnight memory)

After they took her, the life I knew fell completely apart. I had to go live with my real dad, the guy from my dream. Which was pretty cool. He tried to feed me these flintstone vitamins that I hated. So i hid them under his toaster and fridge. He found them eventually. He had two cats that I loved playing with, and was very kind to me. But my little brother didn't get to come with me. He had to stay with grandma, because his dad had run away a few months earlier. On the weekends I would go to grandmas house to see him, and her, and we'd all go see mom in jail. They moved her quite a bit, so sometimes we had to talk to her through glass, on a phone, and sometimes we'd see her in a small room with tables and chairs. A few times we got a nicer room, just to ourselves. But that didn't happen often. Mom asked me a lot of questions about my father. Where we lived, who I met, what he does. Dad didn't like it very much. I guess that is why we are moving. He waited until I finished 1st grade, then called his mom, my nanny, to come get me and take me to Virginia. That is where I am now. Sitting in the boarding terminal, waiting on my plane. My little brother is standing on the other side of the glass with his face all pushed up into it. My grandma is next to him. Only grandma, not grandpa. He died a few months ago. I made a few silly faces at Dalten, and he made them back. Then grandma bent down, and said something to him. His face fell. Tears and snot streamed down the glass. My nanny grabbed my hand, it was time to go.

In virginia, I won't be Charley Johnson, I'll be Charlene Schillinger.