MELANIE SANTIAGO
Today my journey begins. I wake eagerly for my trip. I pack all my things I need including pictures of my family. I walk to the kitchen and cook myself breakfast. I'm nervous about today, in my heart I know I must do this. It's the only way I can figure out if I can make it on my own. Bella and her mom are still sleeping, so once I finish eating I can sneak out quietly. Done with breakfast. I take one last look at my best friend, my sister Bella and her amazing mother. I give them each a kiss and I tell them I love them. I walk quietly to the door. You can do this Mel breathe in breathe out. I open the door, and walk outside towards the unknown.
I start walking towards Manhattan Island. That's the one stop I need to make before leaving my home. I look at my once beautiful home now in ruins. I see my first school where I spent seven years and where I first met Bella now in ruins. Tears are forming in my eyes at the thought of leaving everything I love and hold dear in my heart. Deep down I know I am making the right decision. I just hope my brother feels the same as I do. As I continue to the walk the streets of New York I see all the beautiful things that were taken away not only from me, but from the rest of the people. All of this that I see use to be filled with life now its dark, gloom and a barren wasteland. Everywhere I go I see families struggling to get food, struggling to stay alive. Oh how I wish I can take all the pain that those people are feeling and magical make them go away. Everything is just so ugly. I hate that this is happening. I hate that all these innocent people are suffering so much.
I make my way to the entrance of Manhattan prison which is the 59th street bridge. The bridge is known as the path way to hell. Scary name I know. I walk up to the bridge, one of the shock troopers asks me "who are you here to see?" I tell him "I'm here to see my brother Carlos Santiago." he gives me a nasty look, and let's me on the bridge. I wonder why that shocker troop was looking at me like that. I don't let it bother me. I'm on the bridge walking to Manhattan prison. I look out over the bridge and beyond I see the city I once loved. The bi beautiful city that use to shine brightly beyond my wildest dreams. A city so full of life now I see a city filled with nothing but despair, a prison that's all it is now. How did it get to be like this? I feel the cold that's coming from Manhattan that's making me shiver. It's a barren land with no light only darkness. It's hell on earth. I'm almost there. I'm so nervous to see my brother. I haven't seen him in a long time. I hope he's okay. My hands are shaking. My body is trembling. My legs are wobbly. My heart is beating faster and faster with every step I take. This is the first time I"m feeling nervous about seeing my brother. I feel a strong presences watching me, following me. I turn around, but I see no one behind me. what is wrong with me?
I finally made to the registration desk, again I ask to see my brother Carlos Santiago, and again I get nasty looks from the shock troopers. They know who my brother is. It doesn't surprise me that he's very popular here. I feel someone's hands grab my wrist. I look up and I see a shock trooper, he pulls me to the side. The shock trooper asks me "Why are you here to see Carlos Santiago?" I look at him with terror in my eyes. "Come with me." His hands grab my arm and he pulls me toward an abandon building. I'm terrified they are going to kill me. What does this man want from me? I yell at him to let me go, but he does not listen to me. we come upon an old building, the shocker troop drags me inside and throws me on the floor. I think the shock trooper is really going to hurt me, instead he calls someone. I don't know who he's calling. Then I see another shock trooper coming. He stands in front of me and barks at me to get and I compile. I see one of the other doors opening up and more shock troopers are coming out. They are dragging someone with them. The shock trooper who drag me into the building is now smiling at me. I don't know why he's doing that. Then I see why he's smiling at me, they are dragging my brother in. "You got 5 minutes." The shocker troopers leave us alone. They are standing in the corner quietly watching us and whispering to each other. I turn to face my brother. My dear brother he looks so pale and dirty. With tears in my eyes I look at my brother.I try to speak to him. I don't know what to say I just look at him. My dear Melanie. Why are you here?His voice is so low. He's not the same person I remember. I don't know how to tell him our mother is dead. "I have something to tell you." I'm summing up the courage to tell him about our mother.
I miss him so much. He's the only family I have left. "Melanie tell me." Then I tell him that our mother has passed away. I see the shock in his face. Tears are streaming down his face. "When?" I rush to give him a hug. "she died yesterday." I'm still hugging my brother when the shock troopers yank me off of him. I yell at them to let me go. They don't listen to me. They carry me back to the bridge and throw me on the ground. Pin shoots to my head and then the rest of my body. I begin to cry. I cry for the lost of my family, for the lost of my home. I didn't even get a chance to tell my brother I'm leaving New York. I pick myself up and walk back across the bridge. I walk to the bus depot and buy a ticket to Virginia. I tell myself everything is going to be okay. When the bus to Virginia is called I grab my things and walk to the bus. I take one last look at my home. I smile knowing I had good times growing up here and all those memories will be in my heart forever.