Serenity Chapter 1 Excerpt:

It was 12:50 pm and extremely quiet for a Saturday in the quaint town they called Dusty Fellowes. Not a cloud was in the sky and the heat index gave proof to that fact nearing a 101 on the meter. More than one-hundred and thirty miles outside of Rochester, many city goers found Dusty Fellowes to be a perfect oasis away from the hustle and bustle of their every day. This would only seem to happen during fall weekends or the summer, however the town had grown to an impressive 8,600 people since New York’s prominent councilman retired there and made it his hobby to play mayor. Serenity quietly took in all that she was seeing as her mother maneuvered the surprisingly well paved streets in search of her daughter’s new home. Against all rules, including legal restrictions, Carolyn managed to out think an overworked underpaid social worker and left the Department of Human Services with the name and address of her daughter’s foster parents.

There were a few things that Serenity knew about her mother, and one was that Carolyn Caroline Morris got what she wanted out of life…never intentionally, it just happened that way. Sprouting from a long line of spoiled women who got their way; it was no surprise that her mother managed to get the information. It was in her blood obviously given the fact that her grandmother was allowed to give her mom the same first and middle name just because she liked how they both were spelled. Serenity, she thought, wasn’t so lucky to take after the family bloodline for women. Whenever she’d thought she would get what she wanted…it would be something far worse. After her walk for some ice cream turned into her being missing for a night, she stopped expecting and just started being for the sake of herself. It was that choice that led her to where she was now, in an off-brand town being removed from her friends and family.

She rubbed the letters M-A-G-I-C on her wrist with her right index finger. The black lettering looked bold on her golden yellow skin as if they stood for something and knew that they did. Her mother had grilled her for days wanting to know how she got a tattoo “when you’re only freaking thirteen, who in they right mind would do that,” she reminisced on how hoarse her mother’s voice had got from screaming. “It just happened!” was her only argument. It did just happen for all that Serenity knew. She didn’t dare tell her mom that her big cousins pressured her to walk with them to some boy’s apartment where they let the boys rub up under their clothes and eventually let one of the boys’ big brother talk them into letting him give everyone tattoos. She didn’t want to be there, and she wasn’t. She had spent the first thirty minutes waving away the strong aroma of marijuana and avoiding the awkward stares of the sixteen year old boy who was suppose to be there for her. When they pulled her into the kitchen for her turn, she closed her eyes and opened them to her mother screaming at her about it that day three summers ago. “I think this is the place Ren,” her mother’s voice broke her train of thought. The entire ride no words had been spoken between the two and Serenity had convinced herself that she was numb to her life being in shambles. Carolyn leaned over the steering wheel to see the numbers on the mailbox. Butterflies filled Serenity’s stomach as she reached for the door handle to her mom’s old wood panel station wagon.

Serenity stepped out of her mother’s car and faced what was destined to be her new home. Her mother had refused to leave the city for her daughter’s safety, and decided it would be best for the state to put her in a foster home. That left her now with a new surrounding to which she knew nothing about. Tears ran down her cheek, as she once again struggled with all her might to figure out what she had done, that she’d had to be put in a foster home for her protection of all things.  

The twins, who were now five going on six silently sat and cried in the backseat. Ebony Faith’s face was covered with tears while Ivory Hope’s neck was red from trying to maintain her posture as a big girl. They loved their big sister and didn’t want to see her go. Who would protect them now from those mean girls at the park? Everyone was scared of their older sibling, something the girls could never understand. They never saw one mean bone in her body. When mom would say no to a scoop of black walnut ice cream, Serenity would sneak them two spoonfuls while their mother ran the bath water. “Ren…” Ebony Faith called her sister’s name between sobs, “please don’t go. Don’t leave us! Tell momma you want to stay please!” Carolyn, her mother, looked at her with tear filled eyes and handed her a bag, which was no more than an oversized back pack. “Baby you know I love you with all of my heart. But…I, I just can’t take this any more Ren. One day you’re you and the next you’re someone else.” Tears began to make their way down Carolyn’s cheeks, leaving trails of mascara down her face as they leapt to her pristine white collared shirt. “I don’t understand mama.” Serenity managed to get out as she gripped the backpack strap tighter in her sweaty hands. “I know baby, I know.” Carolyn turned away from her to wipe the dark water from her face with the back of her hands. “But she does.” She stated nodding her head towards Serenity.

Carolyn reached out and slammed the door, and sped off down the empty street. Serenity watched the taillights; because she knew that that was the last time she’d ever see her mother. So bad she wanted to run down the street calling out to her mom in hopes that she’d slam on brakes in realize her mistake like they do in the movies. That wasn’t her life though. Taking deep breaths to control her sobs, she gripped the backpack and threw it over her shoulder. As she headed up the walkway towards the house, she heard a door close behind her. Wiping her face she turned and saw a teenaged boy, no more than nineteen years of age. He smiled at her, but she just turned and walked up to the house. Standing at the door, she rang the doorbell.

After a couple of chimes rang through the hallway, an elderly woman came towards the door. She was a cinnamon brown color, with Morris hair cut short. “Yes?” The woman looked at the shapely girl, who was dressed in tight jeans and an oversized t-shirt. “I’m Serenity Morris…uh I’m supposed to live here or something.” Serenity was nervous, as the woman looked her up and down. “Well come in. I’m Nancy, the Nelsons housekeeper. You a trouble child or something?” Serenity kept silent as Nancy led her through the moderate two-story house.