The Obsolete by Cama Seeney (essential reading TXT) 📕

Chapter one

Obsolete describes a part or organ of an animal or plant that is undeveloped or no longer functional isn’t that quite the contradiction? Undeveloped suggests it still has a fighting chance, but no longer functional means no longer functional. Maybe I am an obsolete…

It was about three am and I couldn’t seem to find the confines of sleep. Again. The seemed to differ from me, almost like I was strange. Other. Most nights I’d hide in my room listening to music but tonight that didn’t seem enough. Something called to me, out in the trees and hollow side walk. My body craved the night’s air. Sighing I finally gave in. I looked around my dump of a room with a sneer, seeing clothes random cups and an empty litter tray.

No wonder I couldn’t sleep my room was barely big enough for me and the cat, let alone my little golden retriever pup. At six months old she was still a miniature fuzz ball running to fast to see where she was going. Her white curly hair shook as she stood up looking at me inquisitively. ‘Jokes on you Lass, I’ve got enough energy to run a Marathon.’ She responded with a quiet yip ‘Shh you’ll wake Tiny up.’ I told her pointing at my little cat asleep on my bed, he’d normally follow us around the park but I worried.

After my parents shipped me off to my Grandmother’s house I’d taken refuge in my new room. I wanted to unpack I did but then Lilly excitedly ripped through the black bags that held my clothes. She made a nice bed there and went to sleep, sighing I rummaged for my grey and light blue trainers. They were a going away present from my mom before she left. Claiming it was for my better mental health to stay in a ‘Stable home’ but I liked moving.

You stuck out for a day and then people lost interest, they’d stair at you blankly. That’s why I loved the cities. That’s until some idiot decided it was a good idea to move me to some hick town with a woman I’d met twice, including earlier. I’d been led here for hours now refusing to move, cold tea led in cups all around me.

I grabbed for a pair of running shorts, it was cold but I couldn’t really care. I had been sweltering all day. The cool after a storm. Yea I just twisted that all up. I grabbed a black jacked and pushed my jaw length blond ish brown ish from my face. It was still strange I’d cut it the day before I’d arrived here as punishment my mother always loved my long hair, it bothered me so I took scissors to it. Sighing our last stop was a hair dresser, the lady tutted at me the whole half hour she spent clearing up the mess I’d made.

I grabbed the necklace I’d shoved the new key on, it was an old tradition of mine. I never seemed to stop losing them, I never remembered post codes, keys or names. But I always remembered the trails I ran. Even on automatic. I grabbed the door handle and snook down the unfamiliar stairs, listening to music but freezing every other step I didn’t know these stairs, I didn’t know their creeks but if she knew I was leaving she didn’t open her door.

My music wasn’t loud enough, the cream walls rounding round the awkward two point stair case annoyed me, as did the hideous yellow curtain covering the door.

I tugged it out of the way disgusted. The door opened to a stupid little porch I hated, the light flickered on bringing my over loading annoyance to surface. I closed the door and tugged the key under my shirt closing my eyes I could almost imagine living here, not hating it. Almost, I liked the way the houses were all different. Some purple some yellow. They all looked to be built at different times not just a mass build of unfeeling boring buildings. I ran down to the end of the street I had to admit I liked my shoes, they were memory foam in forced with jell.

‘I don’t want to hurt you mom but you suck and you’re being more than a little selfish.’ I had yelled at her, saddened I looked forward and sighed. Not that I could hear it but the sigh was there. We didn’t move around cause either of my ‘parents’ were famous of wanted to. In fact my own mother wasn’t ‘mom’ she was my auntie and my uncle in law wasn’t even blood. My ‘real’ parents died when I was seven, yea – yea boo hoo the kid who lost both her parents. Shameful thing is I don’t remember them.

I have amnesia, upsetting as it is I don’t remember them, the first thing my Grandmother said to me when she saw me was that I looked like ‘her’. Knowing who she meant I shrugged, I felt nothing. My ‘mother’ was a stranger to me. And though David and my auntie Lexie (Alexandria) were distant they went under this whole witness protection thing for me.

I shook my head angrily I wound not think of all that, my life being endanger and they bring me to the only family member of mine not in hiding? Yea even I’m not stupid enough to believe I was safe here. Ten years of mixed martial arts later and I was a little bit of a ninja. Finding a new martial arts to learn was kind of a hobby of mine too. A new town? A new skill. Yep weird hoarder of the ‘arts’ and running trails.

I’m sounding like a sport freak now, kinda the opposite really I’m the laziest person around. I love my bed but sometimes the night calls to me. I’m an odd girl. I quickly turned right (on the ride here I saw a park, the road that I had to turn left on to reach my culdersack held a park if you went straight forward – weird town.)

One of my favourite songs came with a flurry of violent violin, a strong voice flooded on calling for attention for all girls. Calling that guys couldn’t control us, that we’d be better in their position. That if we were the cheating ones not calling back they’d react the same way we would.

As soon as the words ‘Switch up the rolls.’ I sprinted forward looking across the road I sprinted and passed the green barrier easily. White little Lilly or Lass as I sometimes called her ironically, ran beside me her little pants bellowing out fog. To the left lay weeds that crept up the side of a black fence hiding another person’s garden. To my right a massive black lagoon of grass led away from me. I stuck to the path, I could see a swirling lake just in front of me. As soon as the black fence ran out a little children’s park came into view.

A single swing swayed in the wind. An apparatus with a slide glistened in the moonlight, reflecting off the graphited sides of the metal box. I shook my head in distraught who’d do that to a kids play area? The path led in two directions left towards the park and a lighten path leading around the park of off to the right into the blackened abys.

I grinned at went for the obvious direction.

Chapter two

A venture is a trip, sounds a little like adventure right? That nice little fun time you have chasing the Easter bunny, this isn’t it. A venture is unpleasant or dangerous. It is to take a risks or dangers of a particular task. The saying nothing ventured nothing gained is stupid. No one should ever risk all.

I told you I was weird, darting off to the right. My heart beat with the challenge, adrenalin scared me into running faster. ‘Come.’ I clicked my tong a couple times before sprinting forward, I imagined my slapping feet to be the only sound for miles around here. The lake was beautifully placed though the right side of it seemed to be boring.

All that appeared to me was the blackened grass swaying in the light breeze. Almost, not quite but almost dancing to the same song I was. A rock song burst into my ears with an unstable madness and blast of sound. As unreal as it sounds the trees seemed to come alive as did the lake, something was here with me.

I shivered, what had my mom told me about watching creepy movies? And creepy music didn’t help, I had to stop freaking myself out. A guitar solo came on as I pulled my iPod out of my sports bra, staring down at it I chose a less creepy ‘this is the end’ song.

Shaking my head at my own foolishness I clenched my fists annoyed. The corners cut into the palm of my hand but I didn’t care, sometimes pain was the only thing I understood. Sometimes it even called to me. The darkness carried on hinting nothing but an unending path leading nowhere, bored I practiced my sprint starts. Slowing and then quickening up as quickly as I could. Only to slow back down and start the whole process again.

Suddenly I couldn’t see Lilly any more, yanking off my head phones I looked around confused. ‘Lilly!’ I called a little worried for her. Suddenly she sprinted for me yelping and crying feeble little puppy cries. I bend down and picked her up. Little children’s giggles echoed from somewhere in the darkness. They seemed to echo around me. Little evil childlike cackles.

And then suddenly footsteps joined the echo. ‘Come out, come out where ever you are.’ I called out bored, I am not as scared as a little puppy. Blond hair flashed past my left side, I turned quickly dropping the squirming puppy and getting into a defensive stance. A man walked out of the blackness shadows surrounding him. A blood red tie stood out on his otherwise dark attire.

He turned and disappeared again, his dress shoes clattering loudly. ‘Ohh scary, come to scare the new girl. I’m not scared of your pranks!’ I shouted waiting to hear teenaged giggles but was met with nothing. Suddenly he appeared in front of me, his stalk walking stick flashing out to strike me.

Jumping forward into a role I ducked under it and stood up inches from him, his dreadful black eyes glared into mine. I stumbled a step backwards not so sure I could win this fight. Disable and run. Disable and run. Some small part of my mind screamed at me.

This close I could see how dirty and gross his dirty blond hair was. A tattoo stood out behind his ear. ‘What do you want?’ I asked without a quiver in my voice. I don’t hurt and get scared that’s not me, I go down with honour. But some small part of me was screaming.

‘We knew you’d