Categories > Original > Drama
Keep holding On
3 ReviewsWill an unwanted, runaway foster child keep the faith in an unforgiving world. Inspired by the song, Keep Holding On by Avril Lavigne. R&R please!
Written for the 25 Song Challenge. This is one of the first stories i've ever written that WASN'T a school assignment. How is it?
Disclaimer: I do not own this song.
Keep Holding On
It was damp. The rain had just stopped a couple of hours ago. She walked down the dark street in the early hours of the morning. The sun’s first rays were showing over the tops of some buildings. Litter was lying in the street. A broken bottle crunched under her feet. Street lamps flickered on and off. She looked down an alley, saw rats scurrying about, and a homeless man. It felt calm and terrifying at the same time. The town was asleep. Further ahead she saw a group of drunken men walking towards her from a bar up ahead. She became nervous and pulled the hood of her black hoodie over her head. She picked up her pace and kept her head down low, avoiding eye contact. She knew better than to catch their attention. One of them stumbled and bumped into her. He muttered a slurred apology and they kept walking. Once they were out of view, she ran trying to bite back the tears that she knew were coming.
She had just run away from her fourth foster home. She was old for a foster child at the age of sixteen. Her parents hadn’t wanted her, she thought bitterly. She was alone. None of her foster parents had really cared for her, most of the time she was stuck in a house with four or five other children. Her Ipod was the only thing that she really loved. The hope that she would find a decent family was gone long ago. She wandered into a park and sat down on a bench. She held her head in her hands and thought about her life so far. She’d been in and out of public schools all her life. She never really had friends. All the moving made it hard to keep steady relationships. She felt like a failure, a social reject. She never did drugs or anything like that. She promised herself a long time ago she’d never stoop that low. She pulled her iPod out of her pocket and put one ear bud in. She set it to shuffle. She was so deep in her thoughts that she failed to hear someone sit next to her on the bench.
“Lovely morning isn’t it?” the woman asked. The girl jumped, startled. She checked her watch: 5:34 am. She sighed and looked at the person next to her. It was an elderly woman and her dog. The woman looked up and smiled. The girl gave a sheepish smile in return.
“I suppose,” the girl replied. She looked around. The sun was higher now. Animals were coming out of their nests. Birds were flying around and squirrels were running about without a care in the world. How she longed to be them. She saw some people emerging from their houses, some leaving for work, others watering plants, some getting the morning paper.
“Shouldn’t you be home now young lady?” the woman asked.
“What home?” the girl replied bitterly, “I’m a foster child, unloved and alone.”
“I’m sure that’s not true.”
“Yes it is! How could someone ever love me?” she asked gesturing to her appearance. She had dark jeans on, a pair of scuffed up combat boots, and a black vans hoodie. Her nails were painted black and chipped. Her hair was dyed midnight blue and purple. She started silently crying. The old woman patted her back in an attempt to comfort her. The dog started licking the girl's hands.
“It WILL get better. You are never alone. You just need to have some faith and keep holding on. I was a foster child too. Now I have a loving husband, children, grandchildren, and Brutus here.” the old lady said gesturing to her dog. The girl laughed.
“Really?” she asked.
“Yes. I ran away from my first foster home too. You just have to stay strong and keep moving forward,” the girl smiled again. The woman’s watch beeped.
“Oh! Looks like I have to get home. My husband will be up soon and he’ll need my help. He lost his leg in WWII,” she got up to leave. her dog wagging his tail and tugging on the leash impatiently.
“Wait!” the girl shouted. The woman turned around, “thank you.”
“My heavens, what for?” the woman asked.
“Everything,” the girl responded.
The woman simply smiled and went on her way. The girl sat there for a couple minutes afterwards thinking. She heard music and remembered her iPod was still in. It was playing, Keep Holing On by Avril Lavigne. She smiled to herself.
“I will never let go,” she whispered as she stood up to face the dawn of a new day.
“Cause you know we’ll make it through, we’ll make it through.”-Keep Holding On by Avril Lavigne
Disclaimer: I do not own this song.
Keep Holding On
It was damp. The rain had just stopped a couple of hours ago. She walked down the dark street in the early hours of the morning. The sun’s first rays were showing over the tops of some buildings. Litter was lying in the street. A broken bottle crunched under her feet. Street lamps flickered on and off. She looked down an alley, saw rats scurrying about, and a homeless man. It felt calm and terrifying at the same time. The town was asleep. Further ahead she saw a group of drunken men walking towards her from a bar up ahead. She became nervous and pulled the hood of her black hoodie over her head. She picked up her pace and kept her head down low, avoiding eye contact. She knew better than to catch their attention. One of them stumbled and bumped into her. He muttered a slurred apology and they kept walking. Once they were out of view, she ran trying to bite back the tears that she knew were coming.
She had just run away from her fourth foster home. She was old for a foster child at the age of sixteen. Her parents hadn’t wanted her, she thought bitterly. She was alone. None of her foster parents had really cared for her, most of the time she was stuck in a house with four or five other children. Her Ipod was the only thing that she really loved. The hope that she would find a decent family was gone long ago. She wandered into a park and sat down on a bench. She held her head in her hands and thought about her life so far. She’d been in and out of public schools all her life. She never really had friends. All the moving made it hard to keep steady relationships. She felt like a failure, a social reject. She never did drugs or anything like that. She promised herself a long time ago she’d never stoop that low. She pulled her iPod out of her pocket and put one ear bud in. She set it to shuffle. She was so deep in her thoughts that she failed to hear someone sit next to her on the bench.
“Lovely morning isn’t it?” the woman asked. The girl jumped, startled. She checked her watch: 5:34 am. She sighed and looked at the person next to her. It was an elderly woman and her dog. The woman looked up and smiled. The girl gave a sheepish smile in return.
“I suppose,” the girl replied. She looked around. The sun was higher now. Animals were coming out of their nests. Birds were flying around and squirrels were running about without a care in the world. How she longed to be them. She saw some people emerging from their houses, some leaving for work, others watering plants, some getting the morning paper.
“Shouldn’t you be home now young lady?” the woman asked.
“What home?” the girl replied bitterly, “I’m a foster child, unloved and alone.”
“I’m sure that’s not true.”
“Yes it is! How could someone ever love me?” she asked gesturing to her appearance. She had dark jeans on, a pair of scuffed up combat boots, and a black vans hoodie. Her nails were painted black and chipped. Her hair was dyed midnight blue and purple. She started silently crying. The old woman patted her back in an attempt to comfort her. The dog started licking the girl's hands.
“It WILL get better. You are never alone. You just need to have some faith and keep holding on. I was a foster child too. Now I have a loving husband, children, grandchildren, and Brutus here.” the old lady said gesturing to her dog. The girl laughed.
“Really?” she asked.
“Yes. I ran away from my first foster home too. You just have to stay strong and keep moving forward,” the girl smiled again. The woman’s watch beeped.
“Oh! Looks like I have to get home. My husband will be up soon and he’ll need my help. He lost his leg in WWII,” she got up to leave. her dog wagging his tail and tugging on the leash impatiently.
“Wait!” the girl shouted. The woman turned around, “thank you.”
“My heavens, what for?” the woman asked.
“Everything,” the girl responded.
The woman simply smiled and went on her way. The girl sat there for a couple minutes afterwards thinking. She heard music and remembered her iPod was still in. It was playing, Keep Holing On by Avril Lavigne. She smiled to herself.
“I will never let go,” she whispered as she stood up to face the dawn of a new day.
“Cause you know we’ll make it through, we’ll make it through.”-Keep Holding On by Avril Lavigne
Log in to rate and review this story