So today I finished some basic editing in my book!!! 😊😊😊😊 My sister is working on editing too (Thanks Chloe!!!😉😉), and I have to add some additional things (page numbers, dedications, thank you's, and ect!) And then it will be done for now!! I can't wait for my friends to read it!!
So to celebrate I'm going to give you the first chapter of my book! I hope you enjoy and comment below👇👇👇👇 on what you think!!!
Chapter
1
8 years later
Amy Riley
jogged up the stone stairs to her
apartment building in New York City. She paused to wipe sweat from her forehead
before opening the door and heading to her apartment. She unlocked the door and
walked in, quickly slamming the door behind her.
Amy headed straight for the kitchen to grab
some orange juice before showering off.
She sighed deeply as she pulled pepper spray
from her sleeveless jacket pocket. She rubbed her neck as she opened the
refrigerator door and grabbed the jug of orange juice. Grabbing a glass, she hopped
into a chair at her island. She motionlessly filled her glass with the orange
liquid. She lifted the class to her lips, savoring the cool, refreshing drink.
Her phone buzzed from her pocket and she
retrieved it to open her text. It was from mom.
"Hey,
r u gonna come hang out td, since its ur day off?"
Amy
sighed deeply; going home was always extra stressful for Amy. But she had
learned that family was one of the most important
things a person had and a person should cherish it as much as they could.
"Sure
mom :D"
Amy slide her phone down the island with a huff. Life.
Where did she go wrong? How did she end up working five days a week for some
photography studio? Sure, it was enough money to live a nice, comfortable life.
She had great apartment. Nice clothes. But they couldn't feel the hole she felt
in her heart.
Amy groaned: why couldn't she just do what her
heart beat for? Why couldn't she just take a leap of faith and do what God
wanted her to do? She was sure God wanted her to be a police officer. But there
was the fear...The fear of not being able to meet the challenges of being an
officer. And the Academy? How could she ever get past? It was all too hard and
she was too weak.
Amy thought of her sister. If Amber was still
here maybe Amy would've found the courage to follow her dreams. Amber was
always encouraging to follow the dream of being a police officer. Amy would
never admit to her sister that that's what she wanted; sometimes she wouldn't
admit it to herself, but Amber knew. She always could see right through Amy's
disguises. Amy smiled to herself; Amber had truly been the best sister a girl
could have. They had such great memories together. So many heartfelt moments.
But then Amber was gone. Killed. It wasn't fair; it wasn't fair. An innocent
girl like Amber had to suffer in a human trafficking brothel. It just wasn't
fair. Amber didn't deserve that. No one did.
It had been eight years but the pain wasn't
lighter: only deeper. It hurt more now than it did eight years ago. Amy
remembered holding on to the slightest hope. Praying and trusting God that her sister
would be okay. But then the day came when they said she was dead. Amy's heart
broke in half and it had never been mended. It was like part of Amy's whole world was ripped from her and
there was nothing she could do about it.
She longed to hug her sister one last time and tell her she loved her.
She couldn't remember if she had said goodbye to Amber the last time she had
seen her. Surely? She just couldn't remember.
Amy shook her head, then drank the last of her
orange juice and stood to put the jug back in the frig. She'd just head to her
room to shower. Maybe she could just wash away all the confusing thoughts that whirled
non-stop through her mind. But that would take a lot of water and she didn't
have time for that.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kim Harper walked neatly up to the door of
Amy's apartment; she reached under the doormat and retrieved the key to the
door: without knocking she gracefully walked into Amy's apartment, her black
high heels echoing on the floor.
She glanced around the room to see if there
was any sign of Amy. To the right was Amy's kitchen; on the refrigerator were
photos of Amber and a police poster. Kim shifted her glance to the left; in the
living room there were framed pictures or police stuff and pictures of Amber.
Kim counted. Yeah, there were definitely more pictures since the last time she
had been there.
Kim scratched the back of her head, carefully
as to not mess it up: for the life of her she couldn't understand what Amy's
fascination was with police officer. It was dangerous. People got killed. Kim
shook her head. She couldn't go there.
Kim suddenly became aware of the sound of the
shower running in the bathroom in Amy's bedroom. Kim shrugged and headed over
to the refrigerator: she still had an hour until work, no use not getting a bite
to eat first. She had been in a hurry to shower and do her hair and nails this
morning that she had totally forgotten about breakfast. Pilfering through the
refrigerator revealed a jug of milk; she selected that for cereal. Kim turned
to lie the milk on island when out of the corner of her eyes she spotted a box
of donuts on the counter. She smiled; she'd much rather have donuts. She went
to put the milk back in the refrigerator when she paused: donuts weren't that
healthy. She turned back around and put the milk on the island. She skimmed
over the boxes of cereal and selected a fiber cereal, must stay healthy. After
grabbing a bowl and spoon, she sat down. She poured her cereal and milk in the
bowl, she prayed silently, than starting munching on the delicious breakfast.
A few minutes later Kim was finished, the milk
and cereal was put away, and her bowl and spoon washed.
Kim could hear the shower shut off, so she
headed into the living room to wait for Amy.
Kim took a walk around the living room,
further looking at the new pictures. Her eyes landed on a few posters on the
wall. Some of them were from a TV show: she knew that by a social media not
that she watched police shows. It was too painful. But Amy seemed to like them
and the funny thing was Amy didn't like too much violence, but she wasn't as
sensitive as Kim.
Approaching footsteps caused Kim to turn from
the wall of posters and look toward Amy's bedroom. Amy came in the room, shorts
and a T-Shirt on, barefoot, and a white towel in hand drying the ends of her
hair. She stopped suddenly when she saw Kim, looking startled. Amy signed deeply;
she swallowed hard and held her hand on her lower stomach, as in relief. Amy
slightly stopped her foot. "Kim, how many times do I have to tell you not
to come in without knocking or something?!"
Kim held up her hands in defense. "I'm
sorry, it's just I don't think about those things with friends."
Amy huffed and walked passed her to the couch
and she sat down with her left leg tucked under her right. She continued drying
the ends of her hair. "New York City can be a dangerous place! I just
don't like being frightened and taking by surprise like that!"
Kim took a couple of steps forward than
paused: on the coffee table was photo of Amber. Kim had to think of how Amy
must feel. Of course she was even more
protective than normal people might be. Kim should try and be more
understanding. She had never gone through losing a sister, although she had a
terrible loss, and in such a horrible
way. She knew somewhat of what Amy was feeling. "I'm sorry, Amy, really I am."
Amy lowered the towel to her lap and stared at
it as if the towel held the answer to a deep question Amy longed to know the
answer to.
Amy
looked up. She looked calmer than she had a couple seconds ago. "Sorry for
fusing at you, just...please knock, yell, just something next time..." She
looked at her longingly.
Kim smiled. "I promise!"
Amy half smiled than picked up her towel and proceeded
in drying the ends of her hair.
Kim folded her arms gently. "What are you
doing today?"
"Hanging out with my mom."
Kim nodded. "That'll be fun, I'm sure.
I'm sure you’re glad you have a day off. I don't get them very much, so I'd be
more than glad."
Amy chuckled. "I’m always more than happy
to be away from there for a day!"
Kim raised her eyebrow. "You work for a
great studio! I thought you enjoyed photography?"
Amy shrugged. "It is something I'm good
at, I guess..."
Kim frowned. "What's going on, Amy? You
worked hard for your degree and now you’re sounding like you hate what you're doing."
Amy jerked her head up, her eyes flaring rage;
she threw the towel aside to the floor. "It's not just "now"."
Kim jerked her head back in surprise. Amy
looked furious. Discontent. Mad at herself.
"Amy..." Kim eyes locked on Amy's.
"What's going on?"
Amy sighed; she eased a little and stood.
Looking exhausted with herself. "Nothing, I'm just tired."
Kim slowly nodded. "Sure?"
"Yeah."
Kim smiled. Amy had been working a lot lately. "Well, gotta run." She
turned and headed towards the door. Amy
followed.
Kim paused before opening the door and turned
back to Amy. "Are you sure you’re okay?"
Amy smiled but Kim knew it must have been
forced. She had never seen Amy so discontent before. Or maybe she just never
noticed. "Yeah."
Kim once again nodded and turned back around.
"Bye!" She yelled over her shoulder as she opened the door and walked
out of Amy's apartment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amy turned the volume of her radio in her car up:
she always enjoyed Group1Crew better when they were blasting.
As Amy drove she looked around the busy life
of New York. She slightly smiled to herself. Ah, New York. The most wonderful place
in the whole world to her. True, she hadn't been many other places, but she
couldn't imagine any place taking the place of New York in her heart. Amy could
just spend all day and night walking around the fine streets of New York,
shopping in the fine shops, eating in the fine places New York had, and she
could spend hours just sitting and gazing at all the bright lights of New York!
Amber had always claimed that the city lights of New York were always felt like
angles guiding her safely home. Amy
had to wonder if she felt that guidance when she was adducted. Amy hoped she
did. She hoped Amber's life was as peaceful as it could be before her nightmare
had begun.
Amy shook her head. Why? Amber didn't deserve to die in a human trafficking brothel….
Amy swallowed hard. She constantly thought of her
beloved sister, but she tried to never focus on the unknown part of Amber's
death.
Amy
decided to pull her thoughts away from her love for New York and Amber's death
and decided she would get some fresh pastries from La Delice Pastry Shop for her mom and dad.
She came upon the shop and pulled her car in
front, she grabbed her keys from ignition, and grabbing her wallet, she headed
into the shop. A few minutes later she was walking out with fresh pastries.
"HEY!" Someone shouted.
Amy stumbled. What...? She jerked her head in the direction the shout came from.
Her heart pounded at what her eyes met. A police was running up the street, in
pursuit of a hooded man. Amy felt glued to the officer. Here he was. An officer.
Probably fulfilling the calling his heart beat for. Wearing blue. Protecting
the streets.
From around the corner another officer, a
woman, came running. Partners. Watching each other's backs.
The first officer drew closer to the hooded
man. The hooded man ran right in front of Amy right as the officer leaped
forward and slammed him to the ground.
Amy was glued to the scene.
"Give me your hands!" The officer
shouted, grabbing the criminal hands behind his back then cuffing the man.
The officer grabbed a hold of the criminal’s
upper arm and stood. His partner neared them; she was speaking into her
shoulder mic. Amy fixed her eyes on the woman officer: she looked so head
strong, so relaxed, so fulfilled.
Now why
can't I be like that?
The women officer turned to face Amy. "Ma'am, are
you alright?”
Amy swallowed hard, trying to find her voice.
"Uh...um... ye-ah." Amy then realized she had dropped the box of
pastries.
The women officer nodded. "Okay, sure you
don't need some help?"
Amy shook her head. "Sure. I
just-um-just...never mind."
Amy squatted down to pick up the pastry box. Right
as she touched the box, the first officer
knelt in front of her; he picked up the box for her and gently took her arm and
steadied her as she stood.
"You sure you’re okay, ma'am? You look a
little shook up.” He asked with compassion in his eyes.
Amy forced a smile. Yes. She was shaken up. But not just from fright.
She was shaken up with her own guilt. Her own guilt of being a coward. But, yes,
fright was a part of it. The whole scene scared her and that was the whole
problem.
"I'll be fine." She reached out for
the box of pastries. He handed them to her and turned around to re-join his
partner. Together they headed down the street. Amy headed to her car, feeling
lower than she ever had before.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amy took a deep breath before opening the door
to her parents’ house. God, I'm really
gonna need your help. Please. You know this is hard for me.
Amy
swallowed and opened the door. Today had been a very trying day; in every
aspect she had been reminded of the calling she was running from and now she
would have to put up with her mom acting like Amber never existed. When it was confirmed that Amber was
dead, mom had taken all her pictures and everything that Amber had and put it
away. Never even taking it out and looking at it. Amy couldn't even imagine not
acting like Amber existed. Amy cherished the things of Amber's that she had. She
proudly displayed pictures of her. For pete’s sake, Amber was her sister and
Amber wouldn't want her burying her in her heart.
"Hey, mom, I'm here."
Amy slipped her tinny-shoes off by the door
right as her mom called from the living room. "In here, hun."
Amy slipped into the kitchen and laid the box
of pastries on the table. She then
headed into the living room. "Mom, I brought-" Amy stopped in her
tracts at what was before her eyes.
Mom was sitting on the floor with boxes in
front of her filled with Amber's things.
Her mom held a scrapbook in her hands that Amber had made of her High
School years. Mom's face was bright with a smile, yet tears fell softly down
her cheeks.
Amy swallowed the lump in her throat and tired
to get a hold of the emotions that were welling up in her.
Amy looked about the room to find framed
pictures on the walls again. The living room looked like it used to before
Amber died. It looked like a home. Filled with memories of its family.
Amy shakily knelt in the floor in front of her
mom and gently laid her hand on her mom's shoulder. "Mom?" She
couldn't find her voice but her eyes asked it all.
Her mom smiled through shiny tears. "It
was time for me to stop acting like Amber never existed and start remembering
her by having her things...and things of her around me." Mom finished with
a deep breath and more tears.
Amy nodded with a smile. "Sure thing, Mom."
God Bless and continue serving Jesus!!!!
😉😊😊😊😊😉😉😉😊😊😉😉😉😊😊
