Allison's Foundation

     Chapter: 1 My Fault

Chelsea Miller sat up on her bunkbed startled and confused by what she was seeing. It was the middle of the night and her sister was tugging on her blanket while whispering something. She could hear muffled shouts coming from downstairs and what sounded like glass shattering. At first she thought, “I must be having a nightmare.” Then with each tug of her blanket the fog lifted and realization of what her sister was saying, sank in.

“Chelsea please get up, you need to go now! Chelsea please, he's gonna kill mom!” 

Her worst nightmare had come true; he found them. 

Chelsea’s heart felt heavy as it pounded in her chest, she needed to be brave. This is what her sister kept saying as she quickly snuck her outside. She handed her a bag and told her to find a hiding spot. Chelsea did just that, she hid in the woods behind the cabin. Trembling as she leaned against a pine tree Chelsea stood crying. The image of her sisters fearful eyes consumed her as she thought about the phone call she made three days ago. She began clenching her fists and punching her thighs while crying out. “My fault. My fault.” Countless times her mother warned her. “You can’t call anyone, not even your boyfriend.” As if intending to snap her out of a trance a rabbit jumped out of a bush and landed right in front of her. With a snap of a twig Chelsea was thrusted back into her new reality. She knew she needed to act now; her family’s life depended on it.

She wiped the tears from her face and opened the bag her sister had given her. She knew what was in there before she even opened it. Their mother made sure of that. The three of them had been on the run for a month and never stayed anywhere for too long. She quickly changed her clothes and put on a pair of old sneakers before heading into the woods. She needed to find help for her family, two of the most important people were back in that cabin. Chelsea had never been much of a runner and tonight would test not only her emotional strength but her physical. Stopping only to swig a drink of water she ran relentlessly through the dense brush of the Smoky Mountains.

                                Chapter: 2

                               Orderly Life

Chelsea took pride in having what some might call an ordinary life. She didn’t think of it as ordinary rather as orderly. After years of therapy and paying down school debt, her life and career were on steady foundation. She found comfort by the repetitive nature of her job, almost ten years with the same employer. The day-to-day schedule became a lucrative form of therapy for Chelsea. She loved caring for patients and as a dental hygienist became an educator for dental health. There was an under current that ran through her profession that she surprisedly found most rewarding. Many times a hygienist may find herself handing out a life line to a patient in need. Such as, by listening to a lonely widow and engaging them into a conversation might help them find strength to carry on. Just as with a confused teenager, a hygienist could help them find the resources they needed to understand depression, anxiety or sexual identity. Chelsea cherished the bond that grew between her and her patients after a decade of care fueled by humility and compassion. 

She had many friends and colleagues to help fill the gaps in her life, except one. She was still single which didn’t mean she never had an occasional fling or even a one night stand, cause she did. She just never allowed a man to penetrate pass the brick wall she built around her heart. The relationship she was exposed to as a child ended in heartbreak and violence, and became the catalyst for the brick laying. She did try, but after a few matches from dating sites that ended unsuccessfully she decided on a more organic approach. Her new mantra, “It’ll happen when it’s meant to be.” seemed to invoke a competition between all her wanna be match-maker friends to be the first to set her up. Chelsea knew their intentions were heart felt but sometimes she just wanted to scream in their faces. “Leave me alone!”

Chelsea would get a much needed reset and break from her dating woes after spending a week in the woods. 

                             Chapter: 3

                              The Cabin

She finished packing her rucksack and smiled as she thought about her hiking trip. For the last five years she spent a week hiking the Appalachian trail with Sara, her sister, as a way to pay homage to their mother. They would spend a few nights hiking up the trail until finally reaching their destination, the cabin. This very cabin had been the source of their pain and sorrow for decades. It had stood vacant and wrecked for many years until the girls decided to pool their resources together and buy it. At first their emotional response was to destroy it but as time went on and calmer heads prevailed they landed on restoring it. Chelsea had a proposal to present to her sister regarding the future of their cabin on this hiking trip. One thing her career has taught her is never take for granted what a well organized spreadsheet of information can do for your cause.

Sara and Chelsea made there way to a trail marker they had left from on one of their previous trips before calling it a day and setting up camp. They sat under a canopy of tree cover while relaxing and eating a light meal. 

“Chelsea,” Sarah said, “what’s your favorite thing about coming up here every year?”

Chelsea thought about the question for a minute. “Well, of course, I feel closer to mom when I’m here but I’m also reminded that I’m not to blame for her death our father was.”

Their father had died in prison after serving twenty years into a life sentence. Prison had forced him to sober up, join AA and reflect on the consequences of his actions before dying of liver cancer. He had mailed letters to the girls every year as part of an AA step but Chelsea always threw them away unopened. She wrongly blamed herself for many years for her mothers death, thinking the phone call to her boyfriend gave their location away. Eventually she learned that her father had hired a friend to keep an eye on his wife while he was at work. The night she decided to run with her children had already cemented her fate. Her father stalked them for weeks before attacking and killing his prey, he alone was to blame for the tragedy that took place that night. 

                                Chapter: 4

                               The Foundation

The girls awoke the next morning feeling refreshed and ready for another day of hiking. They packed up their gear after filling their bellies with water and protein and made their way up the trail. These walks through the peaceful woods gave Chelsea a chance to reflect on her life; past, present and future. Her past was full of uncertainty and tragedy but made her stronger because of it. She carried that strength and courage with her everyday which led her to this moment in time. She knew the proposal she planned for Sara would add another therapeutic layer to their lives. She couldn't wait to show her sister the plaque she had made of their mother, it was an embossed bronze profile of their mother’s face. Chelsea could already envision the plaque hanging on the cabin’s front door.

They made it to the cabin just before sunset, which gave them an opportunity to take in the beautiful vista from the cabin’s front porch. They quickly dropped their packs in the front room and grabbed a couple glasses of water before sitting on a pair of rocking chairs as they enjoyed the sunset. They would be eating light tonight until Tommy, a town local, could take them into town for provisions. Chelsea wanted to use this time to throw her idea out at Sara before turning in for bed.

“Sara I have an idea about the cabin that I think you would like.”

“What’s that?” Sara said.

“What if we start renting the cabin out on Airbnb and use the rent to start a foundation in our mother’s name?” Chelsea tensed as she waited for Sara’s reaction.

“I think that’s a fabulous idea, why didn’t I think of that.” 

The two sat laughing then hugged. Chelsea went inside the cabin, unzipped the back pocket of her pack and pulled out the plaque. 

Eventually the rent money helped to fund Allison’s Hope, a foundation for victims of domestic violence. The money they raised helped families find shelter as they fled a dangerous situation. They provided basic needs and resources to start a new life. This once tragic place had now become a beacon of hope for so many in need. This was the best way for Chelsea to memorialize her mother and ensure she did not die in vain.