A Story

This is a story I have began to write, I don't know what will come of it yet though. I hope you like it :)

Chapter 1
Have you ever had that feeling that when you walk into a room full of people and you don’t look up, but you can sense all of the pairs of eyes drilling into the back of your head? No? Then you are very lucky. It’s not a very nice feeling, especially when all you really want is to just be left alone. I did not care about any of the people looking at me. I didn’t care about the pity or sympathy or empathy they may want to smother me with. They only had good intentions of course; I don’t think that anyone would do anything to directly harm me, but I just didn’t want to hear it. Not tonight.

I collapsed down into the old chair next to the fireplace and breathed out a sigh that could have exhaled all of the sorrows in the entire world in that one moment. If there were a time and a place for the earth to open up and swallow me completely, this would be perfect. As I gazed into the dancing flames that licked the cold stone prison in which they were contained, the thoughts of memories passed flickered before my eyes, just as clear and just as faded as always.

It is not their business. It never was, it never will be.

A trickle of guests came to me, in ones and twos; even one trio approached me and tried to convey their pointless concerns or good wishes. Whether they were genuine or not, I couldn’t care less; all they wanted, in my eyes, was my tale. My side of the story. They just wanted to lap up the gossip and go to the rest of the family with it. Pathetic.

By the time nearly every person in my vicinity had come over to me with hope in their eyes, and walked away filled with disappointment, maybe even shame, the comfort that I had found by the fire was slowly wearing away. The once roaring flames, replaced by dim glowing ashes, the fire that was fighting so desperately to break free from its enclosure a few hours before, now given up. As the dim glow extinguished itself, the last person in the room left out of the door that my back was facing. With my legs pulled tightly to my chest, my arms wrapped around my knees, I stared into the smouldering ashes, disenchanted by the way the threatening yet protective blaze had left me so easily, so steadily.

Chapter 2
My name is Cara. Cara Mckenzie. I'm 18, a college leaver of 2010. I took Math, Biology, Chemistry and Psychology. I failed them all. My mum wants me to try and get into university, but there is no point in trying, not really. I have a reasonably large family, most of whom I don't really talk to. I live with my mum, dad and two brothers, yes, I'm an only girl.
Information. Nothing but hard facts. When you have the facts you can weigh up the evidence and come up with a fair argument or perception of something, a situation for example, even a person. I have no interest in thoughts or feelings. There is no way of telling if these are real or not, so I will not bore you with those mere complications, useless details.

Today was the day that my father would return. He had been spending time with the other half of his family, I forget their names. They are not of importance to me.

Whenever I think of where he has spent the last two weeks, my insides writhe and scream in anguish, but it doesn't show. It never does. He should be here, looking after my two brothers and I.