“Finally” I screamed. I ran around the house singing, well actually humming to the blaring loud country music my mom was listening to. My mom laughed her obnoxious laugh as I kept on twirling and pretending I was dancing with someone. The music finally started to end as I told my mom “I lost my first tooth!” My mother was so proud of me. Even though my mom works full-time, grooming and feeding dogs, I love spending the weekends with her when she doesn’t need to go in for overtime, and this past weekend was the best! Why? Because I finally got to see my mother enjoy herself at my cousins graduation party. My family has been very close ever since my dad died, but I can’t quite remember how it happened I was only three at the time.

My name is Ashley Motlock. I have one sister and two brothers and of course I am the youngest out of the four of us. My oldest brother is twenty-four years old. May 31st, 2010 will be his fourth year in the service as a Marine. He visits every year but only for a short period of time. Oh, and he also goes by the name Jacob Motlock. He gets mad when I call him Jacob; usually he would chase me around with the vacuum saying it was going to suck me up if I kept calling him that. I being only 7 at the time believed that thing would turn into a monster and eat me! My sister moved away for college and never really comes and visits. James Motlock is 19 years old and is soon leaving for the Air Force. I don’t really know why my brothers are so interested in killing people, but I do know when they visit it’s a relief to know they’re still alive.

I was sitting on my porch waiting for my brother to arrive. The sun was orange all around it, it was undescribable. The sunset was beautiful and fully set. I kept thinking the worse because it’s been hours after his arrival time. “Knock, knock” my mom says quietly. As she starts to open the door I look back to see what she wanted. Her eyes were puffy and nose was red, right then I screamed “I want to be alone.” There is only so much to think at that moment. I didn’t know what else to do but run, as fast as I could I ran, down my long dirt driveway squeezing the bear my brother had gave me before he left.

I never really knew how my brain worked. With all of these thoughts and memories flashing through my head, I just kept running. I felt my body getting weaker and I was at a loss of breath running on the Tennessee roads. I finally see the farm, but everything became a blur. The dark green leaves are all I could see on the trees. The leaves were becoming closer and the ground was rising, I felt so small. I was at the point where my body was dead. I sat on the ground near the white fence my dad put up when I was really little. The wind brought a smell that I remember the most. It was a strong tar type of smell. It smelled as if the oil was changed in the tractor, but was impossible. I started feeling my body gain some energy back. My legs stopped shaking and my muscles were working. I stood up and my butt was full of mud, my hands were to. While I was wiping my hands on my light blue jeans my head was lifted by the lick Ginger gave me on my sweaty forehead. She always is there to make sure I’m okay. She looked the same and looked not a tad bit older. I got butterflies in my stomach as I pet her in between her beautiful brown eyes.

I walked over by the barn and tried opening the big red door, but it felt impossible like someone was holding it from the inside. I started to walk around to the back side and the door was already open like someone has already been here. I quietly open the door all the way and I hear something. It sounded like someone rocking back and forth in a chair. I ignored it and lit the lantern my grandpa gave to me. I see a shadow that looked familiar like a figure of a human body.

As I started walking towards this awkward shadow I recognized a whistling sound that was coming from that direction. My heart started beating really fast I was kind of nervous. It was getting darker outside and all I had was this lantern. I knew this place from inside and out. I held onto the side of the tractor that’s been parked in here forever I could even feel the rust that was bubbling up on the side by the tire. As I got a little closer the shadow got bigger and the whistling got louder and clearer.

I stopped and listened, but every time I stopped the whistling did to. I started to walk, but only baby steps at a time.

“Ouch” I screamed as my knee hit the corner of my dad’s old work bench. I shined the light on my knee and I was bleeding, but not so bad. I set the lantern down so I could hold my knee up. As I was holding my knee up I’ve noticed that the whistling stopped. I put my leg down slowly and grabbed the lantern. I started to walk slowly again but I realized the shadow was gone to!

There was no more light peeking through the big barn door so it was harder to feel my way around all this junk. “I give up.” I said with a crack in my voice. My cheeks were covered in tears and I’m used to my brother wiping them for me. Everything I did just reminded me of my brother. I opened the barn door and expected to leave from there, but then I realized Ginger wasn’t there. I pushed open the huge door and raced over to the fence and noticed her footsteps leaving out of the gate. The door was shut and obviously locked. I put my arms upon the fence and laid my head down on my arm, “I have got to be dreaming.” My body was a mess and my brain was dead. I put my thumb and pointer in my mouth under my tongue. As I am about to whistle I see Ginger peeking her head around the corner of the big red barn. When I seen her I yelled” Ginger” as loud as I could and began to run towards her. When I started getting closer I see someone, someone that I knew very well. I didn’t know who it was, but I did know the body type and the shape of the hat. As I got closer I figured it all out. I ran towards him yelling “I knew you would never let me down.” He jumped off of Ginger and gave me the biggest hug; it was the best hug ever! We both hopped back on Ginger and rid her all the way home and my mom was at shock when she seen Jake get off the horse. She ran outside and started crying immediately. Jake got off Ginger slowly and my mom almost knocked him over when she raced to give him a hug.

I just stood there and watched the moonlight above there heads. This is a moment ill never forget. It was a miracle, a very lucky one.