The house, light grey, dark blue shutters, and run down. The rain poured down hard on my head soaking my red hair. I peered around to the corner of the house o the driveway. No car. I shoved my hand in my pocket, no key. I ran up the stairs of the house and banged on the door ... no answer. I sat down on the porch drenched by cold rain and began to cry. Hot tears ran down my cheeks, I sat there for ten minutes and glanced around. A bright silver key lay on the door step as if by magic. I tired it and the door opened smoothly. I walked in and read the note taped to the railing of the stairwell ...

Dear Stormy,

Welcome to my home! I'm so excited to meet you! I wish I could be there but I can't. Feel free to make yourself at home ...


I began to pace angrily thoughts raced through my mind at top speed, "Where is she, this is such a big day everything is so new here!"


"How can she say "much love" and not even be here!" I screeched throwing my head tears pouring down my cheeks like waterfalls. I slid down and sat against the wall, and slightly chuckled to myself at my fragile state. I stood up and ran to my room following the arrows CC had placed on the walls reading To Stormy's Room. I walked into the all white room, it was very neat bright flowers glistened in a fragile glass vase sitting on the windowsill. A pair of jeans and tee-shirt lay on the chair, I quickly changed out of my sopping wet clothes and crawled into the bed and slowly drifted to a soft calming sleep. That night I dreamt of my parents it was a good peaceful dream. I didn't want it to end but it did as all dreams do.


I awoke to the smell of bacon and glanced at the clock. The hands read 8:00 "I slept through the afternoon and night," I said with a start. I walked out my room and down the stairs following the delectable smell of freshly cooked food. "Good morning," a small old women with a tidy grey bun greeted me.


"Are you CC?" I asked


"Yes, I apologize for my not being here to meet you. Would you like some breakfast?"


"Er, sure," I must've sounded dumb but this lady was as strange as they come. From her pulled together outfit at eight in the morning to her strange and educated way of speaking. She wore a whit shirt with a collar that had been ironed with a little yellow apron over it while I was still in my jeans and tee shirt from the day before.


"Well don't just stand there have a seat," she said in a stern voice.


" Umm, okay," I said startled by her tone. It was weird she was being so strict with me after all, I'd been through a traumatizing event. And now coming to yet another stop on the ever winding road of my strange life I didn't need this from her not now while I was so fragile and vulnerable. "CC," I said timidly.


"Yes," she replied with emphasis on the word.


"Do you mind if I go for a run soon?" This woman was truly insane she's made my eggs, bacon, toast, and hash browns the exact same way my mother used to. I could feel my face getting flushed, I ran to my room and threw on sweats to go for a run.


To say CC lived in a place that was a little isolated would be and understatement. CC lived in the middle of nowhere! I ran, and ran, and ran wind blowing in my face. I ran through the woods and past the many pastures CC owned and felt better than before. A sadness always filled me (after the accident) lingering in my heart, and the only way I could relieve myself of that pain was by running.


When I came home it was blindly obvious that I had been crying. "What are you doing with your life girl," that was the first thing CC said to me when I walked through the door. "So, an accident happened that doesn't mean your has to end too," she added.



"Look lady I barely know you! I'm a teenager I want a normal life and quite frankly I don't have one!" I spat at her.



"You start school tomorrow normal enough for you?" CC replied oozing with hate. I was furious she didn't know me or what my life had been like so, I ran to my room scared to death I was going to choke the old woman.

***


A month had gone by since CC had become my foster parent and so far she had proven to be the strangest woman I had ever met. School was hard, I had barely any friends. To make matters worse CC constantly brought up memories that hurt me the most.


"Stormy time for bed," CC called.


"Ookkaayy," I called annoyed. That night I had a nightmare. Screaming people, blood, and glass everywhere woke up startled, disoriented and crying. CC always told me to forgive and forget, but I just couldn't stop reliving the horrible events of my past. CC also said that she understood what I was going through and that the pain would subside soon but how did she understand anything that was going on in my life?


One day she sat down and talked with me CC started with "I know you have had a rough life so far, but I want to help you."


"How can you help me? You have no idea what I'm going through!" Here we go again I thought as I felt a new round of hysterics coming on.


"Stormy, Stormy," CC said in a loving voice trying to calm me down.


"What!" I yelled.


"I do know what your going through," her radiant blue eyes began to fill with tears.


" Wait ... what ... how?" I asked now embarrassed by my insane behavior.


"When I was your age my parents died just as yours did." She looked happy but every now and then a single tear would gently slip from her eye lid.


"But it seems like your okay now," I commented.


"You know Stormy I am, you learn to forgive and forget. When I was your age I had a hard time, but I'm okay now." CC then said, she seemed happy to me.


"I want a family," I said staring at the ground. "Things are rough for me right now."


"I know, I know, but everything will workout."


"Promise," I said glumly.



"Promise," CC said with a smile and hugged me.

***


And so the changing began, CC was helping me through my hard time. I was happy now to have her in my life and I could honestly say that I loved her. But, I knew it wasn't going to last she wasn't my adoptive parent she was just a foster parent. So, I cherished every moment I had left with CC before I would be taken away to yet another family.


Before this year my life was difficult and hard. First my parents death and then as a result of that I had to move from foster parent to foster parent at 13 years old (which is terrible seeing that I want a normal life). But CC has helped me through these rough times and I'll leave with a happy heart knowing that she is there for me. Of course I will still miss my parents , and the memories they bring back will always hurt now at least though I'm content with life and not angry at the world anymore. CC had changed me.