Social+Changes+Draft+1

Lulin Peng 4/25/09 823 ELA Draft 1 “Amanda dear; please help me set the table for dinner.” The little old woman with round gold framed glasses stood by the white stove. She drained the ravioli onto two colorful plates. Gripping the ladle, the woman dipped the metal rounded object into the pot of wonderfully thick, fiery red sauce. She poured it over the pasta, decorating the porcelain plate with the bold color. Amanda turned away from her desk, which was filled with homework papers and projects. Walking to the bathroom, she cleansed her hands with honey scented soap. Jogging towards the kitchen, Amanda reached into the cupboard and pulled up two napkins and forks. The heavenly smell of tomatoes and herbs wafted into her nostrils. “Grandma! Your famous sauce!” Amanda inhaled deeply and smiled widely. Grandma chuckled; she placed a plate of ravioli and a bowl of Beijing fried rice in front of her. “Chinese and Italian tonight!” Amanda laughed. Her grandma was such an odd but unique person. She loved to mix things up a bit. “How’s the baby going?” “Just fine; don’t worry; I haven’t been doing anything bad.” Amanda scooped some rice into her mouth. “Good.” They ate in comfortable silence. “Is there anything bothering you?” Grandma stared into her light brown eyes. “Nope. Everything’s fine grandma.” Amanda flashed a reassuring smile. “That’s nice. How’s school? Is Ms. Patterson still throwing projects at you?” “Unfortunately, yes. But I’ll get through her.” “Is the baby giving you a hard time?” “No, maybe a few cramps here and there; but that’s about it.” Amanda placed a hand on her smooth, medium brown skin; rubbing the round belly. “If you need anything, let me know.” “Okay.” Amanda placed her fork onto the flat plate and wiped her mouth. “Finished.” She cleaned her mess and emptied the dishes into the sink. ‘Thanks grandma. I’m going to do homework now.” She gave a small peck to the old lady before heading to her room. “Don’t sleep too late today!” “I won’t!” Amanda worked until ten o’clock. Finishing the last sentence of her English report, she decided to retire for the night. She collapsed onto her soft mattress and closed her eyes. Wrapping the fluffy lavender blanket over her body, she smiled in bliss. The only sound that was heard was the rhythmic ticking of the blue wall clock. Calmly, Amanda drifted to sleep. //“Are you sure you don’t need a lift home? It’s getting pretty late.” Her friend asked.// //“No it’s okay, your parents are busy, I can take care of myself. Besides, what could possibly happen to me?”// //“If you think about it; a lot of things.”// //“Oh Priscilla, stop being silly. Don’t worry; I’ll call you when I get home okay?” The blond haired girl cast a worried gaze over to her friend and frowned. “If you say so; but you better call me. Better yet, talk to me while you’re walking home.”// //“Priscilla, it’s okay. I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.” Amanda smiled. “See ya.” She waved and exited out of the door.// //The streets were empty, not one car passed by. The tall electric street lights cast a dim, orange glow; creating a lonely, melancholy feel. The only sound that was heard was her sneakers scraping against the pavement. Just minutes down the block, her cell phone rang.// //“Priscilla, I told you, you didn’t have to call me.”// //“But I wanted to keep you company, that’s what friends are for.”// //“Yeah okay.”// //“Aren’t you just a bit afraid of walking by yourself?”// //“Nope, why is everyone afraid of the dark? I don’t get it.”// //“Because, anything could be lurking in the shadows.”// //The sky flashed white for a second. “Shoot, I didn’t bring an umbrella.”// //“It’s raining?”// //“It’s starting to.” Amanda shielded her head with an arm.// //“You better hurry up home.”// //“Nah, it’s just rain; maybe I won’t have to take a shower today.” Amanda laughed.// //“No! Don’t take your time, you’ll catch a cold. Seriously Amanda, you take things too lightly. First it was walking home alone, and then it was about the dark, and now rain? You’re definitely not safe, especially in my neighborhood.”// //“Calm down Pris, I am sixteen years old. I can take care of myself. Maybe you worry too much.”// //“Ha ha ha. Very funny.”// //“Yeah, I’m hilarious.”// //“But seriously, I don’t think you’re watching out for yourself enough.”// //“That’s why I have you right?”// //“But-” Priscilla was cut off.// //“Wait, don’t say anything.”// //Amanda listened intently. Even through the sound of water crashing down, she was able to make out a second pair of feet. “I think someone is following me.” She whispered into the phone.// //“Oh no! Amanda, you have to run; QUICK!” the panic in her voice was easily heard.// //“Maybe it’s-” A pair of rough hands grabbed tightly around her waist, pushing her towards the alleyway.// //Amanda dropped her cell phone, which thudded against the cold ground. Priscilla screamed over the other end, desperately hoping that Amanda’s voice would answer. The only reply she got was the constant falling of raindrops.// //She was pinned against the wall, struggling to break free from the stranger’s firm grip. Amanda screamed with all her might, begging for someone to save her. No luck. He closed her mouth and breathed heavily.// //“Shut. The. Hell. Up. You bitch.” The smell of alcohol lingered in the air. The man was drunk. Amanda peered into the darkness, hoping to see how he looked like so she was able to report him afterwards; if she made it out alive. She couldn’t see anything.// //Amanda felt her jeans slipped quickly down her thighs, the bare skin came in contact with the cold rain. Her underwear slipped down as well, the bottom half of her body was exposed, naked. Not longer afterwards, she felt herself being penetrated. The pain was too harsh, she felt herself splitting, her heart tearing apart as it pounded heavily in her chest.// //The man laughed menacingly at her pain. Amanda closed her eyes, tears ran ferociously down her wet cheeks. She grew limp, unable to fight back and only taking the pain that was inflicted upon her. The man moaned in ecstasy, she felt him ejaculate inside. Amanda gulped. ‘God, someone save me.’// //Police sirens were heard far away. The moving stopped, Amanda felt herself being released. “You’re lucky this time girlie.” The man laughed.// //Amanda heard him running away. Her crotch stung from what had happened, she groaned. Moments later, a friendly voice came from the darkness. A bright beam of light entered through a flashlight.// //“Amanda? We’re the police. You’ll be okay, we’re bringing you to the hospital.”// //Amanda groaned again as she was lifted into a car.// “AHHH!!!!!” Amanda screamed as she woke up. Sitting up, she wiped away the beads of sweat that rolled down her forehead. She grabbed her pillow and hugged it against her chest. Salty tears escaped from the corners of her eyes. The nightmare of that unfortunate night had come to haunt her, again.