I walk into the house that was once full of laughter, pictures, and memories. The big area that my mom and I would sit in and watch Harry Potter over and over again while we wondered where Frank was, the kitchen where my mom and I would be rushing around, both of us about to be late for school because we slept in after spending too much time reading. The master bathroom where my mom spent hours fawning over my hair, the hallway where we would hang posters. I walk up the stairs and down the hall, into my bedroom. I look into the big area and I see the spot on the hardwood floor where my bed used to be, where I would read. I look out from my window balcony where I would be on Pottermore on my mom's laptop. I feel tears as I look at my last piece of my childhood left here in Colorado. I sink to the floor and start to cry.

I want to leave, I assure myself. This place had only brought fear and misery. I look up and see a corner where part of the wallpaper is peeling, I always hated that wallpaper. Suddenly I get an idea, I run downstairs, grab a sharpie and a piece of paper and run back up. I lay out on the floor and write on the paper,

Dear people who live here,
You probably will never read this, but hi. I used to live here. My mom and I lived here with my dad, this room is - I cross that word out- was my room, I hope your kid will like it as much as I did, I hope your kid will use the window balcony for reading, as I did. I am very reluctant to leave, but I hope your family will stay together and be happy more than mine.
-Saylee Olma

A few tears make it to the paper and make the ink run, I fold it up, draw a flower on it, and slip it under the wallpaper and draw a small arrow pointing to the peel. I feel better, knowing that the next people who will live here will know what to do with this room, I run downstairs and see my mom, sitting on the floor, in front of the unlit fireplace. I crawl over and sit next to her, putting my head on her shoulder.

My mom looks at me, "we better get going if we want to get to Washington by Friday."

We stand up and walk slowly to the car, I put my hand on the passenger side handle. I look at my home for one last time and get in the car. My mom is already inside, looking at her steering wheel. She starts the car and reluctantly looks out the window as we drive away.

I look out the window, my neighborhood, I've never had friends in, but I still feel attached to this place. This is my childhood. As all familiar things fly past me I think about my new school. I'll try harder to make friends...

The journey is long, we stop at McDonald's, and gas stations, screaming Taylor Swift lyrics and laughing at my mom's stories of high school. We try to cheer up and we look happy but there's a black cloud hanging over us, taunting us, reminding us of what we lost.

Then I see a sign that says,

Welcome to Washington!

Right, the place of forever rain. I try to hate Washington, but I like the rain, it smells so fresh. It only takes about thirty minutes to get to woodland. And it takes 20 minutes to fully move into Lilac Apartments (we didn't bring much) I excuse myself to my room where I open up a Harry Potter book to The Battle of Hogwarts and cry as I read the unwelcome deaths of my fictional family. I clutch the book, turn on pandora to my favorite station, and curl up on my bed. I pull up the covers and look at the rainfall outside my window. I slowly drift to sleep.

I awake hours later and see its dark outside, I walk into the living room where my mom is crying while watching A Little Princess, the part where she's trying to convince her amnesia-inflicted father that she's his daughter while the police drag her away. I curl up next to her and finish watching with her, my mom looks down at me.
"You should get some sleep Saylee, we can go shopping tomorrow!" My mom holds up a jar- our rainy day fund.

Well, it is definitely raining... and we earned it so I don't argue and go to bed. I stare at my ceiling thinking about how I'll decorate my room.