Mirena_working title_Ch_2

Eight Years Earlier

   Mirena Stepped outside. She took in the sunlight and the grass laden air. She clutched on to a small brown suitcase. It was old and had evidence of much wear. All of her possessions could fit into that small suitcase that was older then her. There was enough clothes to last a week before laundry day. All of her legal documents verifying her existence in this country were enclosed. She even had her library card. It would no longer be useful since she was moving out of state and her college would likely have a library that put her's to shame. She also had her grooming products and toiletries. Mirena kept to the basics when it came to feminine rituals. There was shampoo, conditioner, body wash, a hair brush, toothpaste/tooth brush, deodorant and a small bottle of cheap perfume that she got as a gift.
   A nun came to stand behind her on the steps.
   "You will do fine. You are strong and smart. You have wisdom at 18 that some will never gain by the time they enter gods kingdom."
   Mirena smiled. "They're lucky, sister."
   "Ignorance is bliss?"
   Mirena nodded. Her eyes began to fill with tears. "I will miss it here. I am excited about going to college but a part of me wants to stay here.
   The nun shook her head. "Although I would be very happy if you stayed, I truly do not believe this is your calling. I could not see you as a nun." She laughed.
   "No." Mirena sighed. She hugged the nun. She usually only hugged because of obligation but at this moment the hug was genuine.
   "You will go to school, make a life for yourself, start a family. This is the beginning for you. Do not be scared. Embrace it."
   "You sound like a hallmark card, sister" Mirena teased. "Start a family? I would have to find a man with the patience of a nun. Well a good nun."
   "Surely god has created more patient souls then just a few of us "Good Nuns"".
   A cab pulled up to the curb. It was not a traditional yellow cab. It was a white minivan that had ,Airport Shuttle, printed on the side. It would take Mirena to the airport where she would fly to the next chapter in her life. She looked at the nun one last time.
   "Please take care of Adam"
   "Oh, Mirena. You know I will"

                            *               *               *

   A 15 year old boy with black hair and hazel eyes woke up in bed. He looked over at the clock and cursed. Shit, it's 9. Why didn't she wake me up?
   He scrambled out of bed and threw on a pair of shoes. He located a shirt on the floor, smelled it and then put it on. He decided not to put pants on over his boxers and made a mad dash for the door. He ran through the hallways almost running into three other students.
   One was a senior student who yelled "Watch it".
   The running boy yelled, "Fuck you!" Without pausing.
   He ran down the final steps to the foyer and then out the front door. He found Sister Anna sitting on a bench praying with tears in her eyes.
   "Please tell me she didn't leave without saying bye to me" he yelled.
   Sister Anna jumped and turned to face him. "Oh, Adam. It was too hard for her. Please forgive her. The last thing she told me was to take care of you. You were in her thoughts."
   "How big of her". He was angry. He kicked a trash can near by and tears began to fall.
   "Adam, calm down. This will not change anything. She will visit."
   He sat down on the bench with the nun. He let out a long sigh. "No she won't and I guess I can't blame her"

                            *               *               *


   Adam sat in his room listening to music with headphones. He saw a white envelope being pushed under his door. He recognized the handwriting on the front. His first instinct was to grab the letter and rip it up. Instead he ignored it for awhile. He continue to listen to his music. Then he watched tv for half an hour.
   He had been sitting at his desk working on a lit paper for 20 minutes when he suddenly felt his heart thumping, there was a familiar pounding in his ears. It was like a drum. His ears and fingers tips began to tingle and he got the taste of sweet metal in his mouth. Mirena had once told him it was the taste of blood from when she chewed on her cheek when she was nervous. He sighed. The bitch can control me from 900 miles away with just some paper. There was no point in putting it off anymore. He couldn't stand the weird sensations. He got up, walked over to the small white letter and retrieved it from the floor.

Dear Adam,

So, I'm pretty sure you're pissed at me right now. When I was getting out of the cab at the airport I about bit a woman's head off for trying to help me with my suitcase. I'm guessing that was at about the time you figured out I had left.
I arrived at school without much issue. The airplane ride wasn't as scary as I thought it would be but it wasn't extremely pleasant. It was kind of neat to see the world as one big miniature when taking off and landing. I thought about how you would like that.
I've dreamed about you a lot in the last week. I saw you yelling at Nikki Perkins in art class. I also saw you smoking pot with Kenny. That was weird. I woke up feeling stoned and starving. It seems like the distance between us has made the "empathy" stronger. Maybe it's the stress of the changes for me. I don't know. It has me wondering if this is what it's like for you? If so, no wonder you would get so annoyed. Still I like it cause I miss you and it makes me feel closer to you.
Please don't give Sister Anna such a hard time. You know she's the only one you can talk to there. Don't alienate her.
I told you I would write every week and I'm going to keep that promise.

Love, Mirena


   Adam folded the letter back up and put it back in the envelope. He pulled his lighter out of his pocket, lit the letter on fire and put it in his metal trash can. He and Mirena had agreed before she left that they would burn all the letters between them. They didn't want anyone misinterpreting what they wrote. Only Sister Anna knew about there weird bond and they wanted to keep it that way.