Fallen Angel: Chapter One

Chapter One: A new beginning1

'Are you sure you want to do this?' My mum asked me as we drove up the steep valleys to the airport. The window was open and as my white frilled dress slowly and brunette hair swayed from the wind outside, I took my last breaths of English air. I didn’t want to go. ‘Yes, mum. I do,’ I lied. The car slowly pulled over at the airport and I opened the scarlett red door. ‘Remember, if anything goes wrong, all you need to do is call me.’ 2

‘I will. Love you mum.’ I opened the boot, got out my bags and gave my mum a hug. It lasted for longer than usual. As I pulled away I saw tears gleam in my mum’s eyes. She stared into my topaz blue eyes and smiled her usual smile. But it somehow seemed different. ‘Goodbye, mum.’ And I walked away.3

The flight to Australia lasted for a day. The hard, leather seats were barely comfortable and adults were yelling at their screaming children to be quiet. It wasn’t the best flight ever. Eventually, at 7 the next morning, I got off and walked over to my dad’s truck I had easily spotted. It was an odd looking truck, with purple doors but the rest of it red. Its tinted windows were cracked and the sides were slowly starting to rust over time. One of the creaky doors opened and out came my dad, in his usual teared jeans and sheep-skin fleece. ‘Cherry! I’ve been looking forward to this for weeks now!’ He pulled me towards him and gave me a big hug, stroking my glossy brunette hair. ‘Let’s go now,’ he said, pulling himself away from me, ‘I have a surprise for you!’4

The key clicked as it turned. I wondered what the house looked like. 5

As the door opened, I got another surprise. Everything was the same as it used to be. The sofas, the rugs, even the paintings were the same. I walked to the sofa, and flopped down onto it, sinking into the soft cotton and the feather pillows. I loved it. But everything came to a halt as a tall woman with long, blonde hair and wearing a slinky red dress walked into the room. She looked like she had won an Oscar. The smile wore off my face as she kissed his cheek tenderly, and draped her arm over his shoulders. ‘Um...this is Tania. She lives here with us. Say hello, Cherry!’6

‘Um...hey. Nice to...meet you. Um, I’m just going up to my room, ok?’7

‘Don’t you want to see your surprise? Come on, darling!’8

I opened the door, and Tania and dad followed. A object stood on a glass table, but covered in a silk cloth. As my dad pulled off the cloth, I saw a beautiful necklace, with a silver chain and a big diamond surrounded by more silver. It was beautiful. But it didn’t seem important. ‘Ta, da! What do you think?’9

‘I...love it. Thanks, dad.’10

‘Come on, let me put it on you then!’ he said, trying to hide his embarrassment. He brushed my hair out of the way, and draped the necklace around my neck, having difficulty trying to fasten it. But eventually, it was hanging around my neck. ‘Don’t you think she looks beautiful, Tania?’11

‘She looks wonderful!’ She replied, her pearl-white teeth shining in her big smile. But I could tell it was fake. 12

‘Come on then, let me show you your room!’13

As I walked inside my room, my surroundings were like a stranger. My sea-like walls were now partly red, partly white. The cream carpet had been turned into wood. A double bed stood in the middle of the room, with a red duvet and red and white pillows. A wardrobe had been built into the wall, while a wooden desk stood in the corner of the room, just under a window. The only other thing that was still mine was the chair of my childhood. A full length mirror also stood in the other corner of the room, gleaming from the sunlight blaring through the cream coloured curtains.14

‘Do you like it? I thought so. I’ll leave you to unpack then!’ 15

I dragged my bags into my room, dumping them on the floor. It made a large bang. Even the mattress didn’t feel the same, as I flopped down onto the hard bed. Why this room? I thought. I opened my suitcase, pulling out a pair of skinny jeans, a yellow top with headphones on, a pair of leather boots. Opening the wardrobe, I slowly started unpacking all my clothes into it, including a pair of real Australian Ugg boots. Finally, I pulled out my purple Ipod, my iPhone and a few posters of singers. Eventually I finished. But even after I had packed it didn’t feel the same. So instead, I went into the garden.16

At least the garden was the same, like the lounge. The lake was flowing through the end of the garden, surrounded by flowers and a large willow tree. At the top of the garden was a cherry tree, planted for me, because of my name. I walked over to the cherry tree, picking some juicy cherries hanging on the branches. They tasted sweet. I then started walking all over the garden, scanning everything, even the birds nesting in the treetops. I ended it by sitting under the willow tree, listening to the tweeting and chirping of the birds, and the whistling of the wind, blowing softly at my dress and hair again. I picked a few daisies and made them into a daisy chain, then into a daisy bracelet. I slipped the bracelet over my wrist, staring at the snow white petals and the bright centres. I don’t know why, but it reminded me of my childhood. Everything was so normal then. But I didn’t expect my parents to divorce. They didn’t even tell me why they did it. All they said was, ‘Things in life change from time to time. It’s expected.’ And that was that.17

Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice calling me. Dad. ‘It’s lunch time, sweetheart!’