1. A New Beginning

I woke up to the honking of several cars as the vehicle I was in made a sudden right turn. The force of the turn made all of us in the car jerk to the side. I was wearing my seatbelt, but the passenger next to me was not, and thus ended up in my lap.

“Sorry,” she muttered as she sat back in her seat and fastened her seatbelt for the first time.

I didn't say anything. I was too tired. I just leaned against the door again and closed my eyes, barely noticing the cars and buildings that flew by. The lights from the surrounding cars and city were so bright that I couldn't sleep. I grabbed my sweater from my bag and laid it on my face, hoping it would block the light and help me sleep. A stab of guilt hit me as I realized no one in my house would be sleeping peacefully tonight. I pushed the thought aside and sat up. Obviously I wasn't going to fall asleep, so I decided to just look out the window. The lights looked brighter than before, the buildings more erect, and the people more alive. Everything seemed different somehow. Almost like I was seeing it all with new eyes. It's amazing how freedom can make a person feel. This is what I needed all along, I just never had the courage to do this until now...