Claire's Dilemma
The cool metal revived her spirit and calmed her nerves all at once. She could do this. It was only one little trip. In the past two months, the only traveling she had done was in her mind when she explored other lands with her friends in books. It was time now to take that step outside, into the sunshine, and let the breeze rake its fingers through her hair.
Resolved anew to right the room before Michael arrived, Claire collected the books from the two end tables on either side of the loveseat and returned them their rightful bookshelf. She ran her cleaning rag over the windowsill, banishing the dirt and little dead bugs. One stack of papers—The papers—had slipped off the edge of her desk and she stooped to gather them. She didn’t want to look at what was printed on each one; she could already feel her trepidation returning as the logo at the top flashed into view. Stuffing the papers into a folder, she shelved her fears and walked away.
The room was straightened, cobwebs knocked down, dust brushed away. Most importantly, her past was firmly wedged between “do not touch” and “on pain or death”. She smiled as she thought of her plans for the day. Michael would be so proud to know that her mental cobwebs were swept away. The drive to Nana’s house would rid her of her emotional dust, and already she felt some semblance of balance returning to her life.
Why couldn’t she have done this a month ago? Change was hard, but once you cashed in your bonds, freedom was so liberating!