starts with goodbye

"Getting there means leaving things behind. Sometimes life's so bittersweet."

She paused at the door. Although she wanted to, she didn't look back. In the back of her mind was the inane fear of a pillar of salt. So she opened that door and stepped out. When the door shut behind her, Mandy felt a panic rise in her. This horrific feeling that she was never coming back here. Which was just absurd. Of course she would be back for holidays, birthdays, and the like.

But Mandy couldn't fight the anxiety, and as much as she wanted to she couldn't really ignore it either. She made it to the car before the tears started coming. She brushed them aside fervently, backed out of the driveway, and began the four hour drive to New York City.

Her moment had come. An offer in a movie after four years of stupid commercials and low-paying plays. The joy of this new opportunity was strong and enough to keep her driving. But the loneliness set in immediately after leaving her childhood home. She was afraid the feeling would never really go away.