Roaming Heart

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Plot: This is one of the many stories based off of a nightmare that I've had. Roaming Heart is a story of my nightmare of my entire family dying, and making me go back to live in Virginia with my family according to my parent's will. So I started writing about a girl who has to move back to her home town after her family dies, where she learns how to put the past behind her and finally find happiness.







A tear rolled down my cheek. I was putting the last of my things inside many suitcases. My room, which used to be so full and pink, was now bare and empty. The only items left were my desk, my bookshelf, and my luggage.

I heard footsteps outside my door, and turned to see Maggie, Taylor, and Chelsea coming up to me. Shortly following them was Kianna, Kenna, Sam, and Jimmy. More tears rolled down my face as I embraced each one of them, holding onto Jimmy a little longer.

Maggie had light, mousy brown hair with warm brown eyes that were covered with glasses. Freckles dotted her face, and a frown was replacing her usual bright smile. She had been my friend ever since I moved to Colorado, and one of the ones who I trusted most.

Taylor’s blonde hair with natural brown highlights was untidy, and her blue eyes were swollen as to show crying, but her face was dry. She gave me a wry smile as she hugged me, reminding me of all of our memories. We both loved to write stories, and she helped me with them all. She had a great sense of humor and loved to make fun of me, but I was okay with it.

Chelsea was the first person I ever met. Her blonde hair was in a messy bun, and her blue eyes streamed tears. Though we considered ourselves best friends, we had many hard times. But that’s what makes a best friend, a best friend. If there are no bad times, then you can’t say they are your BFF. As we hugged, I chocked back a sob.

Kianna was Vietnamese and had sleek black hair. She gave a small choke, a laugh, as she hugged me. She was also a writer, and helped Sam and I get through writers block. Though she made jokes about us, she was one of the best friends I could ever hope for. She had her own was of looking at things, and wasn’t afraid of showing her thoughts.

Kenna had blonde hair and blue eyes and laughed as we went into a tight embrace. “Who is going to help me kill Alex in Sims now?” She said with a cracked tone. I was usually quiet, but around Kenna, I was hyper, just like her. We played her Sims game a lot, and we loved to play around with my “stalker” Alex.

Sam understood my thirst for love the most. She searched for romance as much as I did, giving me advice or encouragement when needed. Another writer like Kianna and I, she seemed to write the most. We all read a lot as well, so she and I loved to talk about the main events going on in the book we would read for our book club. She would have her brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, letting her bangs cover her brown eyes. Her smile brightened up any room.

Jimmy hugged me tight, his short, dark brown hair complimenting his brown eyes. Even though he was shorter than I, I had the biggest crush on him. He was smart and funny. He was witty when called for, and was very articulate. Kianna, Jimmy and I loved to think of us (or I thought of us) as Sam, Freddie and Carly on iCarly. Kianna had the attitude of Sam and always picked on Jimmy, even though they were great friends. Jimmy was dorky like Freddie, but he didn’t have a crush on me like I had on him. I was Carly, except my name is Emily.

I have a different personality though. I am shy around new people, but when I am with good friends, like Kenna, I become extremely hyper. If I were to get mad at you, you would need to run a couple of worlds away.

They all walked me back down the stairs, each carrying one bag. We looked around the bare house, sighing as we walked out of the door. I pulled my brown hair down from the bun it was in to cover the tears being shed.

We walked out into the driveway to meet my Aunt Sharon with her blonde hair down and blue eyes watery, and my Uncle Dale with his black hair and brown eyes. My cousin Ellie was there too, blonde hair and brown eyes, all of their faces tear stained.

Dale loaded my stuff into the trunk as I hugged all of my friends once more. I would have liked for the rest of my friends to be there, but then I would have to have the entire school at my house. I whispered, “Good bye…. I will write, text, email, and come and visit every summer.” To each one of them before jumping into the green ford Expedition.

I closed the door and waved to them all as I shut the window. “Emily?” My cousin’s cracked voice breaks the silence and I feel a hand on my shoulder. Another tear rolls down my face as I shake my head, a rejection to comfort.

You may be wondering why I am sitting in my Aunts car, and not my parents? Or why is Ellie here, and not my brother? Well, it all started last week….



I was staring at the clock, waiting for school to be over. BEEEEEEEP! “Ms. Koerwitz, can I have Emily Shanaberger to the office for dismissal?” A cracked voice calls over the intercom. My science teacher looks over at me with confusion and calls, “Yes, she’ll be right down.”

So I gather my things and wave to Jimmy good-bye as I walk out the door. It’s a quick walk from my science room to the office, so it seemed like I was there in a flash. The lady at the desk had tears on her face, and my aunt Sharon from Virginia, my old home five years ago, turned to me. I was still in shock as she embraced me. It took me a couple of minutes to sputter out, “Sharon! Why are you here?”

Her sharp blue eyes were soft with sympathy and new tears welled up in her eyes. “Oh sweetie,” She croons, “Your mother and father, Karen and Scott, were picking up your brother, Blake, from school because they had your cat in the car. Scott got off of work early, so that’s why he was there. Well once they got Blake, they headed to Ranch View to pick you up.

“That’s when a car ran into them.” She choked. “It crushed the whole car from both ends, killing your family.” Sharon burst into sobs and I realized my uncle and cousin, Elli, were sitting near by.

I was frozen to the spots, not noticing I was slowly falling to my knees. My body was shaking. No…. no… My mind screamed No no no no no! My breathing became short and rasped. This can’t be happening! Dad will jump out and say it’s a joke soon… But as much as I looked around, I knew that my family was gone.

The sobs finally came through, and I let the tears spill out of my eyes. “Let… Let me talk… To my friends…” I gasped. My aunt looked wary, but my uncle Dale nodded.

Shrugging off my backpack, I ran upstairs. First stop was Ms. Di Rito’s room. Most of my other friends were there, so I decided to break it to them all. “Hey.” I choked out. They all stared at me in confusion. “I just wanted to tell you…. I won’t be coming back to school. Not even in a week. I won’t be in Colorado.” The tears spilled out again. “It was in my parent’s will, that if they were to die, I was to go live with my aunt and uncle in Virginia.”

“What do you mean, if they were to die? They aren’t dead, so why are you leaving?” Alex called out. I looked up to gaze at him. I had made a no contact contract with him, but it didn’t count now that I was moving. He was my stalker as well, as if it didn’t really apply to him.

I gasped for air and said softly, “They just did. In a car crash.” The tears spilled out more rushed than before, and I breathed. “Good bye. I will miss you all.” Before running into the next classroom.

It was the same for all of my classes. Social Studies, Science, Home Ec, Spanish, Math, and Health. They all ended with me gasping for air, leaving the class awe struck. I got many hugs and sympathy from my teachers and friends. I tried to walk back to the classrooms, but in the middle of the commons, I broke down.

I sat there, in the middle of the school, crying my heart out. Passing period came, and Ellie came out of the office to hug me. She whispered words of comfort in my ear, but I didn’t hear them. She’s only a year older than me, but she sounded so wise, that I stopped my sobbing and got up with her to leave to go to their apartment.





We all sat down at a table in the small room. Sharon and Dale sat close to each other, while I wouldn’t let Ellie leave my side.

“Emily,” my aunt finally said. “We need to decide where you will sleep.” Her voice is worn and tired. I could tell that she was in some form of a trance.

“Is the room by Ellie’s open?” I asked, no emotion in my tone. I was picturing their upstairs floor: Ellie’s room, balcony, bathroom, master bedroom, and a small room used for guests.

Dale nodded. “Sometimes Hannah, Heather, and Jennifer stay in there, but I think they would understand if that became your room.”

I got up slowly and head for the pantry. They had stocked themselves up moderately with small snacks and cereal. I grab some popcorn, turn on the TV and say in an extremely false happy tone, “Why don’t we watch a movie?”

My relatives all get up and sit down on the couch while I go grab the popcorn. Looking in the fridge, I see some sodas and pull them out. When I go back, they are staring blankly at the comedy I chose, “Elf.”

We all eat silently and sip our drinks. Sometimes we let out a chuckle when they said something funny, but otherwise we were silent. I had no idea what was on their minds, but I knew what was in mine.

I was attempting to think positively. Now, I would always have a friend around. I could finally go live back in the country. Living life on a farm had always been my dream, so I was finally getting my wish. I get an amazing view out of my window now, and the room isn’t that small.

Little did I know, was that my eyes were slowly drooping down. About twenty minutes into the movie, I was asleep.



I awoke on a pull out bed from the couch. My face was tear stricken, so I guessed that I cried in my sleep. I looked up at the mirror above the apartment fireplace, and saw that my hair was a wreck.

I went to jump out of bed, when I saw that my bed had already placed a bag of toiletries by it. I raked the knots out of my hair and brushed my teeth violently without water. Walking into the kitchen, I spit out the toothpaste into the sink. I looked up and the sun shined on my face. Another beautiful day.

Why did my day have to be so sad why other people are totally oblivious to the distress vibrating off of my skin? Ugh. Sometimes my thoughts can get the better of me.

I looked around the small apartment that my aunt and uncle had gotten for us. It was tiny, and yet roomy. We had a nice kitchen and a couple of windows. The couch was placed below the counter and there was a small TV by the door. Cramped stairs led to one floor with two king-sized beds.

Groaning to myself, for no good reason, I ripped open my bag to see if there were any clothes. Sure enough, there was a small spring dress with leggings ready for me. I grimaced as I looked at my self in the mirror. Don’t get me wrong it was a cute dress. It had a nice green shade with blue polka dots, but that was the only think wrong. It was cute.

I am somewhat a tomboy. I like to look good, but there are some exceptions. A lot of exceptions actually. To make it better, I pulled my hair into a sloppy bun and put on my glasses. I would have put on my glasses naturally, but not in the mornings.

The sounds of the pullout bed going back in place made my relatives get up. They still aren’t used to our time zone yet. I placed myself on the couch and started reading. I had brought with me an old favorite of mine: Harry Potter. It’s not necessarily old, but I’ve read it so many times that it feels that way. I can practically read the book in my mind, but I prefer the paper version.

As I was flipping through the first couple of pages to get to the first chapter, I saw Ellie come down in her baggy sweats and a tight tank top. I gave a false smile and said with a surprisingly craggy voice, “Good Morning.”

She grunted and sat down next to me, pulling out her phone and texting all of her friends back at home. We sat there in silence, the sound of paper being turned and clicking echoing in the room.

“So, Mom and Dad said we have to plan the funeral for tomorrow.” She said in a quiet voice as she waited for her friends to reply.

A single tear rolled down my cheek and I sat my book down. “That sounds reasonable.” My voice was barely a whisper. “I guess we are cremating them, huh?”

Ellie grunted again and looked at me with big eyes. “I know this is going to be hard on you for a while.” She said. “Not to put pressure on you or anything, but you need to write a speech for the funeral.”

I gave a tiny shrug. I had been writing my whole life. Writing this speech would be easy. Or so I thought. My book was sitting in my lap, empty pages waiting for words to fly across them. I wanted to say something about my parents and my brother. I wanted to say so much, that I couldn’t put it into words. I spent twenty minutes just staring at the paper. In some period of time around then, Sharon said that I didn’t have to have one, that it was optional. But I really wanted to say something about my parent’s life.

They were always so nice to me. Humorous too. Nothing ever went wrong. There was so much that I knew that I didn’t need paper to plan out what I was going to say. It was all stored in my heart, waiting to break free.

When I told Dale this, he hugged me and said that that was perfectly fine. He’s an artist, so he said my words inspired him for a painting. Those words made me give him a weak smile. I was always in some kind of pose around my uncle, hoping that I would give him inspiration. Once, Dad asked me why I was so poised, and I finally confessed to him. My dad had laughed at that. He said that I was inspiration to anyone, no matter what I did.

Yea, it was a really bad nightmare

If I have that nightmare, I blame YOU!