Choose Life
Alexandra gazed at all the crying faces around her. Lord William’s wife, Elsie, had passed away two nights ago. Peoples of all social standings gathered around the minister in silent reverence to this wondrous young woman. Elsie was truly remarkable. She had organized care for the sick, orphanages, and gave food to those who were in need. It will be hard for any one to fill her shoes, now, thought Alexandra. The gentle push from her Uncle Jamous told her that it was time to leave. The ride home was a silent one.
Lord William sat on his favorite bench staring out the study window. He had fled to his study the minute the funeral had ended. He had not wanted to listen to the well-meant condolences of those who had no idea of the pain he felt. The floor to ceiling windows gave view to the ornate gardens, but William’s thoughts were on his deceased love, Elsie. She had been the one for him since the day they met seven years ago. He slowly let the memories play through his mind from the day he looked across the dance floor noticing how beautiful she looked to the day they had become one. What a glorious day the wedding had been. Her smile had radiated so brightly. Oh, how he missed her. William buried his head into his hands and wept bitterly.
Months had past since the death of Elsie Harrow. Things had begun to fall back into a semi-normal routine. Alexandra breathed in the warm spring air as she carried in the pail of milk. Her aunt bustled around the cottage humming a cheery tune. Alexandra allowed her gaze to wander towards the fields were rows of dirt had just started to come alive. Tiny green shoots decorated the once colorless fields. She continued into the cottage and set the pail of warm, frothy milk on the brown, trestle table.
Alexandra had came to live with her aunt and uncle when her parents had died in a terrible house-fire. Uncle Jamous was a farmer and made money by selling his produce in the market. Aunt Rachelle helped in the bakery, but mostly spent her days attending to the needs of the poor.
“Hello? Aunt Rachelle…, how is Mrs. Wesler doing?
“Oh, hello dear. I did not hear you enter. Mrs. Wesler is doing much better, but we must still keep her in our prayers. How was your day?” Alexandra began to tell her aunt about the things she had done. Jamous, who was walking in front of one of the open shutters, smiled at their lively chatter. Oh, how he loved his girls. He had no idea what he would do without them. That thought brought to mind Lord William. What a loss he had suffered. Jamous offered up a quick prayer for the young man to heal quickly and to find peace in the Lord. Rumor had it that the man was not doing well at all. It had almost been a year since Elsie’s passing. Jamous put the distressing thoughts behind him, and entered into the cheering atmosphere his wife and niece had created.
Lord William seemed to have settled back to normal, but all who knew him well, knew he was dying on the inside. He went about his days doing nothing but mourning. He attempted to pray, but God seemed to have left with Elsie. He had always gone to church regularly, but it had been a long while since he had even looked the direction of the church. After breaking his fast one morning, William retreated to his study as usual. The servants knew well enough how to care for the manor without him, he had decided months ago.
He had been in the study for a while, glancing at news from other Manors, but could not get his mind to focus. William had even ignored his most trusted advisor, Damien. He put his head on the desk out of sheer exhaustion. He had not slept fitfully for a long while.
Damien rode up to the front of the Harrow Manor. The place was still in as good condition as the last time he had come. The stable hand, Joseph, appeared promptly and took care of the horse, allowing Damien to quickly find his friend.
On entering the mansion, Damien inquired about the condition of Lord William. The maid replied, “Some days are better than others, but I guess that can be expected.” When asked were he was, she told him the study.
Damien quietly opened the enormous oak doors to the study. When he saw his friend sleeping peacefully on his desk, he decided against disturbing the man. Damien, knowing that something must be done quickly, left without delay.
The gardens offered a great place for solitude. Damien went there to think up a solution to the problem. William needed wife. That much was obvious. But how to find one, much less have him agree to the proposition would be a miracle. Damien was not much of a praying man, but he decided that all help he could get in persuading his friend to remarry or a least consider it would be beneficial. Renewed after much thought, Damien decided to pay his friend a visit tomorrow. He mounted his horse and rode home with anticipation for the next day.
Alexandra awoke the next morning from a refreshing sleep. The sun was beginning to peek through the cracks in the shutters. She could hear her aunt bustling around in the kitchen. That meant her uncle was long gone. He needed to bring in the harvest before the winter weather began, which meant he would have to be up extra early. Alexandra wanted more time in bed, but knew that she had already pushed the limits. She moaned as she rolled out bed. Alexandra dressed and began the long day of work. It was not necessarily unpleasant work, but it was work all the same.
Damien arrived at the Harrow Manor in the early morning just as he had promised himself he would. He was giddy with anticipation. He hurried into the Manor. Damien requested to see Lord Harrow immediately. The servant ran off quickly to inform Lord William of his visitor.
While the servant was away, Damien passed anxiously. He just now considered that his plan might not succeed, but it was too late to back down now.
“Lord Damien, Lord Harrow will see now in his study.” the voice of the servant broke Damien’s train thought. He gave a curt nod to the man and made his way to the study.
William had not slept well that night. He had much work to do and was not really happy to see Damien. However, the man insisted upon seeing him. He laid his head on the desk for a few moments of silence.
Upon entering the study, Damien noticed how tired his friend looked. He cleared his throat to announce his arrival. William turned. “Oh, I had no idea that you were here.” He sounded tired.
Damien looked at his friend and decided that he could not allow him to stay this way. “William, you must do something about your loneliness. I mean, look at yourself. A year and a half had past since the death of Elsie.”
He stopped to take a breath. “Now I know that you may not be ready, but before you start to protest, listen to what I have to say.” William reluctantly listened. “To state it plainly, you need a wife. Now, I know that you do not think you are ready, but I do have some eligible young ladies who I think you would be able to find one suitable.
William‘s first expression was one of indignation, but upon listening further, he realized that his friend was only trying to help. Although he could not see himself finding anyone suitable… Damien’s cough halted his thoughts. He was not ready to make such a huge decision, but Damien was waiting for an answer, so he finally consented. “All right, I will try it.” Damien was very pleased.
They began to plan. Damien suggested that the families he had picked come to stay at the Manor. William would hold a ball. The families that held no possible future with him would be dismissed immediately. The rest would slowly be eliminated until he had only one left. That would then be his wife. William thought about the idea. He had one question.
“What if I do not love her?”
Damien looked at his friend in amazement. “There is no way you could not find one you loved. And anyhow, if it benefit’s our cause, then why not?” William was not reassured, but the plan was otherwise flawless.
“Damien, I agree to follow through. I am still not convinced I will ever find one to love, but who is it going to hurt if I try.” Damien smiled. Everything was going as planned. He turned to William. “I am glad you listened. I would not be a good advisor if you did not listen.” They both chuckled. William looked at Damien, thanked him for his help, and the two said good-bye.
William sat in desk for a while longer, then got up and moved over to the windows. He looked over the gardens that Elsie had painstakingly groomed to perfection. Was he ready to be a good husband? That was the real question. Getting married was not the biggest deal to him, but following the Word of God on the duties of a husband was most important. He looked up towards the sky and for the first time in over a year, William prayed. It was not long, but it most certainly was heartfelt. He turned from the window ready to do whatever must be done.
Pages flew about the surrounding manors. Although Damien had already stated that he had picked eligible women, William had still wanted to notify the rest of the surrounding Manors. There were many parties interested in the land that the Harrow Manor stood on and the only way of possessing it seemed to be through the marriage of William and the daughter from one such party. Although William was not too keen on the idea of marrying just for political gains, if it really would be beneficial, he would consent to it.
Alexandra rushed home as fast as she could from the market. She had been given a letter while she was there. It had Lord Harrow’s seal on the back of it. She did not even stop to open it. Alexandra saw her home, coming into view. One more turn, she thought.
Rachelle watched her niece come flying through the gate, and knew something was up. Alexandra was breathless as she came to a halt. “Aunt Rachelle, Uncle Jamous, you won’t believe what happened in the village today.” Alexandra stopped for a moment. Rachelle knew she had more to say. “A messenger handed me this letter today. It is from Lord William.” Her aunt and uncle listened while she read. The note invited the recipient and her family to stay at the home of Lord Harrow. He was going to hold a ball. It was signed by Lord William Harrow himself. Alexandra and her aunt sat stunned. Jamous inquired, “Does it say who it was meant for?” Alexandra shook her head. It made no mention of whom it really must go to, yet Alexandra had no doubt that it was not meant for her.
She looked up at her aunt and uncle. They were thinking about the letter. It said that recipient should arrive at the Manor the day after tomorrow. They would have to decide quickly if she would be allowed to attend. Alexandra sighed. What was the meaning of it all? She peered up for a moment at the sky as if asking God what to do. He did not answer right away, but she knew that He had a plan in it all. That is what the Bible said in Jeremiah. Her aunt and uncle were speaking to her now.
“Alexandra, we think you should go. Normally we would be a bit more cautious, but we feel strongly that you are to go.”
Alexandra nodded. She too knew that she must go. Alexandra left the letter on the table and went to her room to begin packing. She had just finished sewing a dress fit for the ball. At the time, she had had no idea why she felt that she should make the gown, but now she understood. The entire time while she was packing, Alexandra prayed for the Lord’s guidance. When she finally finished packing, Alexandra enjoyed her favorite meal with her aunt and uncle. She would miss them, but she was excited. She attend a ball at Lord Harrow’s. Who would have thought? Alexandra sighed and enjoyed the rest of the evening with her aunt and uncle.
Carissa and her father, Damien, arrived at the Manor the night before the rest of the people. Her father and she had rehearsed everything. He had told her that now was her chance to become the Lady of the Harrow Manor. Carissa laughed. She had already envisioned herself by his side numerous times. Even after Elsie had come into the picture. No doubt, everyone else can see themselves there too. The thought itself made Carissa upset. Well, I will get what I want no matter who stands in the way, she thought greedily.
The day dawned bright and cheery. William was a bit nervous. He hoped his advisor had chosen women suitable to him. William knew that there was much still to be done. He quickly dressed and went to help wherever he was needed.
The families were making their way into his home. William at times felt like he was betraying Elsie, but Damien had said that he really needed to do this. Plus Elsie would have wanted him to be happy and to choose life. “After all, is that not what the Good Book says, ‘I [God] have given you the chose between life and death…..choose life, so that you and your descendants might live”,” Damien had said. Therefore with resigned feelings, William allowed the families to enter into his safe haven. Alexandra left early that morning. They all had prayed before she left and she had felt God’s peace wash over her. The Manor was an impressive sight to all. Alexandra gazed at it a moment longer, then made her way into the massive structure. A stable boy help her dismount and took her horse. Alexandra looked around in dazed wonder.
“Impressive structure is it not?” a deep voice questioned. Alexandra whirled around in surprise.
“Oh, yes. It most certainly is,” she replied. The man then introduced himself as Damien Cassely.
“May I inquire why you are here?”
“I had received and invitation to attend the ball at the Harrow Manor.” Alexandra had a feeling that something had gone wrong from the look that Lord Cassely had given her.
William had watched the woman ride in. She was a pretty thing with auburn colored hair, the same color as Elsie’s. Now he watched as Damien talked with the woman. From the looks of things, there must have been a problem for Damien was roughly escorting the female out. William hurried down the terrace steps to find out what had transpired between the two.
“Damien, what is the going on here?” Damien turned around to the inquisitive face of Lord William. Alexandra looked at him too. He had the greenest eyes that seemed to pull you into them. She gazed at him longer then necessary.
“I was just telling this girl that she had no business being here.”
William looked at Alexandra who quickly turned away. He had no idea why, but he told Damien that she was fine and could stay. Damien let go and sulked away. William turned back to the woman.
“I apologize,” he said. Alexandra offered him a tentative smile.
“What is your name?” William inquired. Alexandra Hawken was the reply. “Well, Lady Hawken,” he said, offering her his arm, “ let us make our way indoors and get you settled.”
Carissa watched William, Alexandra, and Damien from her window. She had seen her father try to force the woman to leave and watched William rescue her. She left as soon as she saw William and the woman leave. Her father would know who the mysterious woman was.
Carissa found her father in his room. “Father, who is that girl?” Carissa exclaimed with disgust as she ran to him. Damien turned to face his confused daughter. “I have no idea who she is. William dismissed me before I could find out.” Carissa was extremely disappointed that her father had no idea. She whirled toward the door and exited. She would just have to find out herself.
William had left Alexandra in the care of Martha. Lady Hawken was certainly beautiful and he would enjoy getting to know her better. He hurried to his study to finish work before the evening activities began.
It was almost time to get ready for the ball. Alexandra slipped away from the crowd of people to her room. She pulled out the navy blue cashmere she had just finished sewing. It was modest, yet in style. The bell rang. Alexandra slipped into the dress and joined the others in the ballroom.
The ball was lively. William had met many people and could tell there were still more to converse with. He searched the room for a certain face, but just as he found her, Damien was introducing him to his young daughter, Carissa. After that moment, Carissa never left William’s side. He abandoned any thoughts of speaking to Alexandra. He noticed though that she was enjoying herself.
Alexandra had hoped to speak with William during the evening, but Lady Cassely was with him the entire time, even through the meal. Alexandra departed after the meal to her quarters. She was exhausted, so she changed into bed clothes, and slept fitfully.
Many families had left. Alexandra wondered was she was still there. She knew that it had to be William’s doing, because had it been up to Damien or Carissa, they would have sent her packing the first day. Damien made a point to make her feel uncomfortable whenever she was around him. Carissa was barely civil. The rest of the families were kind. It was time to go downstairs for church. Alexandra changed her thoughts to something more pleasant. It was the Lord’s day after all.
William had noticed that Carissa was not at church the day before. He went to ask why, but found that she was gone again. He decided to take the opportunity spend the day with Alexandra without Carissa getting in the way. She was much better company any way. Although Alexandra was wonder to be around and pleasing to the eye, so was Carissa, in a manner of speaking. Carissa was raised wealthy where as Alexandra was almost a commoner. He decided to just trust The Lord. He knew what was best. William stopped for a moment. It had been so long since he had decided to trust in God. He smiled. He was definitely choosing life.
Jamous was ready to head to the market. He kissed his wife good-bye and went on his way. He generally thought about the day while he drove to the market, but today, his thoughts were on Alexandra. He prayed that God would guide her decisions. The market was coming into view. Jamous found his spot among the other produce sellers, unloaded his wares, and waited for the regulars to come by.
The afternoon was fast approaching. Jamous needed to stretch. He left his stand with a friend and went to find a quiet place. He found his alley and went into it. The alley was usually quiet, but today, Jamous could here voices. He went towards the sound and what he saw surprised him. Lord Damien and his daughter, Carissa, were conversing about something sneaky by the looks of things. Jamous decided to listen closely to what was being said.
“ That Alexandra girl has to go. I do not care how you get rid of her. She is in the way and William is falling fast for her.” Damien looked surprisingly at his daughter as she spouted angry words.
“Dear, please. I will do my best. We have to be very careful. If anyone finds out…” Damien had no need to finish the statement. Carissa knew well enough what would happen. She turned her head in frustration. How she had been waiting for this chance.
“Well, Alexandra will just have to go one way or another,” Carissa declared as she walked away. Damien followed his daughter. She will get what she wants, he vowed.
Jamous had heard enough. He rushed back to his stand. Thankfully, it was around to closing time anyway, so he would not be missing out on much business. Jamous packed his stuff and raced home.
Rachelle watched her husband come tearing through the gate. He dropped off his wagon and continued on with the horse. Rachelle knew there must be a problem since he had not even come in to tell her what had happened. She prayed quietly while she finished doing the dishes. Rachelle prepared herself for a long night.
Jamous arrived at the Manor and knocked on the massive oak doors. “I would like to see Lord William, please.” James, the butler, went off to find William and tell him that someone wanted to see him.
William was in his library trying to relax, but was finding it very hard. He looked at the door to see James. “Sir, Mr. Hawken has something to discuss with you.” William stood and thanked James. He passed the dining hall on his way to the study. Alexandra was laughing at something. He had grown to like her, but Damien had advised against any relationship with her. Something seemed sort of fishy about the whole thing, but what could he do.
The study was to the left of the dining room. Inside an older man, maybe in his fifties or early sixties sat on the edge of the couch twirling his hat between his hands. “Mr. Hawken, I was told that you have something to tell me.” Jamous looked his way and stood. “Sir, I, um well, you see.. Could I speak with my niece, um Alexandra. I need to discuss something with her.” William looked concerned. “Is there a problem?”
“Oh, well…” Jamous was at a loss for words. William sensed Jamous’s discomfort so he hollered for James. James came running. “Please go tell Lady Alexandra that her uncle is in the study and wishes to speak to her.” He turned to Jamous and said, “I will be in the library if you need me.” William turned and walked away.
Alexandra rushed as fast as she could to the study. “Uncle, is something wrong?” Alexandra was standing in the doorway. Her face was full of worry.
“Do not worry.” He then whispered, “We will discuss it outside.” Alexandra looked confused, but obeyed her uncle. They walked out to the garden. It was a breezing evening. They found a bench by the fountains. Alexandra asked how Aunt Rachelle was doing and how things were faring home. Jamous answered her questions, then began to tell her why he was there. Alexandra only interrupted to ask questions.
After Jamous was done, Alexandra just sat in stunned silence. She could not believe that someone would want to get rid of her just because she showed interest in William. She had grown to love William dearly, but he had looked as if he was far more interested in Carissa. But maybe that was not the case at all. Jamous glanced at his niece. She had said very little.
“Alexandra, let’s pray about this issue.” Jamous grabbed his niece‘s hands as he began to pray. It was getting dark when they had finished, so the two said good-bye and parted ways. Alexandra walked slowly back to the house.
Alexandra skipped the evening activities and went up to her room. She was in no mood to be around Carissa and she needed some time to herself. As Alexandra prepared for bed, she wondered if she really was following the guidance of the Lord. She opened her Bible to her favorite verse. God promised that He had a plan for her life. Although things seemed perplexing now, God would work everything out. Alexandra turned in for the night, resting in God’s peace.
William was tired that night, but he could not get to sleep. He wondered why Alexandra Hawken had not been down for the evening activities. When he had inquired of her whereabouts, Damien had given him a vague reply. William knew that Alexandra was not favored in Damien’s or Carissa’s eyes. He really did not care, though. He was the one who was going to have spend the rest of his days with one of the two anyhow. William soon realized how tired he really was so he rolled over to find a comfortable spot, and within minutes he was fast asleep.
Carissa had been delighted when Alexandra was not present. William had devoted much attention to her that Carissa was stunned when he had asked about the whereabouts of Alexandra. The rest of the evening was an absolute bore. William soon departed for his chambers, leaving Carissa to her own devises.
Damien watched his daughter come racing around the corner in a very un lady-like fashion. He knew something was up and could only guess that it had to do with William. He got up from his bench and went to meet his furious daughter.
“ Nothing has gone right since Alexandra or for that matter Elsie, came into the scene.” Carissa was beyond anger. Her plans had been thwarted twice now and the second was not going to last any longer. She brooded over Alexandra. Something was wrong. Alexandra was no more than a commoner, so how did she get an invitation to stay at the Harrow Manor?
“Daughter, what are you thinking?” Damien asked as he watched his daughter’s face come aglow. She glanced at him and said, ”Father, how did Alexandra receive an invitation? I am almost sure that she was not one that you had on your list to invite.” Carissa watched her father’s face change into a smile as he caught were she was going. It was true. Alexandra Harrow was not on the list but yet she had an invitation to prove that she could come. The question was, how did she receive it? Damien pondered on the issue, then decided to use the mistake as a way to rid themselves of Alexandra.
“Carissa, how about you and Lady Harrow go for a nice ride through the forest tomorrow morning.” Carissa nodded, knowing exactly what needed to be done. She left promptly and headed to her room for bed. It would be difficult to rid themselves of her. William would easily forget about her. Carissa lay her head on the pillow and fell asleep quickly.
The next morning, Carissa got up early and went to find Alexandra. Alexandra was sitting on the terrace reading her Bible. That girl always had her nose in that book.
“Alexandra, would you like to go for a horse ride this morning? It is so beautiful out and I have this spot that I would like to show you.” Carissa waited patiently for Alexandra to answer. The surprise of the unexpected request was evident on Alexandra’s face. She looked at Carissa for a moment as if questioning the intent, but the look vanished quickly and she said yes. They both got up and went to their rooms to change into suitable riding attire.
The day was beautiful for a ride. As Alexandra mounted onto her horse, she felt panic, but dismissed it. Nothing is going to happen, she told herself. Carissa’s sigh of impatience signaled that it was time to go. The two left through the Manor gates and ventured into the forest. They rode on for a long while before any one spoke. Carissa began to ask questions about her childhood. Alexandra’s answers were guarded at first, but she relaxed as they rode. That is exactly what Carissa needed. It meant that Alexandra was not expecting anything to happen.
They came to the spot Carissa was talking about. It was a picturesque knoll at the end of the forest. Behind it was an open field. The grass moved like waves of the ocean. The spot was so peaceful. And that was the last thing she remembered.
Alexandra woke up to sun streaming through the curtains. The place was not at all familiar. A rosy cheeked woman came in. “Oh, how are you feeling?” As Alexandra tried to sit up, the woman exclaimed, “ Don’t try to move. You have a nasty bump on your head.” Alexandra settled back into the warm sheets and fell asleep.
Alexandra woke up later. The sun was no longer streaming through the curtains. She attempted to sit up, and immediately felt the throbbing in her head. The woman came in. Alexnadra asked the woman where she was and how she got there. The woman said that her husband had found her knocked out cold with a note attached. It said something about minding your own business and to stay away from William.
Meanwhile at the Manor, William paced nervously in his study. There had been no trace of Alexandra for some time. “Maybe she decided that she did not want to be here any longer or that she does not love you after all,” Carissa had said, stating the last part with added emphasis. William found that hard to believe, but what if that was the case. As the days waned and Alexandra still had not come back, William decided to believe that maybe Carissa was right. The dinner bell sounded right then. It was going to be a long dinner with only Carissa and Damien to converse with.
Alexandra had wanted to leave right away for the Manor, but she was in no condition to leave just yet. The woman and her husband had been nice to her. The bump on her head was not so evident any more. Many days had passed and she could only pray that she arrive in time to warn William.
The time had come for William to make his decision. With Alexandra no longer there, the only other person was Carissa. She had been so nice to him that maybe in time he could grow to love her. Damien would be arriving soon to discuss William’s decision. He hoped that he was making the right one.
Alexandra was allowed to leave today. The kind couple gave Alexandra her horse and she went on her way. The whole ride was plagued with doubts. What if she was too late? All she could do was hope and pray.
The Manor’s pillars were coming into view. A carriage was parked in the driveway. It was Damien. She would have to hurry. The front door was just ahead. Alexandra flew past the butler and went into William’s study. The sight that greeted her was astonishing. William was sitting in the room discussing his marriage proposal to Carissa! He looked up at her. The emotions on his face were unreadable. Damien stood up. His first look was surprise, then it turned to anger. He rushed up to her, grabbed her arm and was getting ready to force her out when William spoke.
“Damien what are you doing?” He then turned to Alexandra. “Where have you been? What is the meaning of this intrusion. You have no right.” Alexandra hung her head and said mournfully, “I am too late. I am too late.”
William looked between the two faces. One was stoned and expected him to force her to leave. The other implored him to listen. William looked at Alexandra.
“Why did you leave?” Alexandra faced the now hurt man. She poured out her heart and told him everything. She told him of the treachery Damien and Carissa had planned and of the love she felt for him. Throughout the entire conversation, Damien’s face changed form anger to fear. It was all of a sudden quiet. William looked at Damien stunned. He could no believe that his friend would do such a thing. He immediately called for his butler and the guards. William told them to get Damien and Carissa out of the house. They seized them and led them out. Damien said nothing, but Carissa cried out in anger horrible threats.
Alexandra stood in the doorway not sure what to do. Before she could think, she enveloped into a warm embrace. She looked up into the face of William. He leaned forward and kissed her passionately. It felt so right and wonderful.
William looked admiringly at his lovely, courageous fiancé. The wedding was two weeks away. After exposure of Carissa and Damien’s treachery, William realized that Alexandra was the one for him. When they announced it to the public, no one was surprised. They were a perfect match. All of her things were moved to his home, and all the staff was glad to see her return.
Alexandra took over Elsie’s duties and added her own flare to things.
William and Alexandra had two boys and one girl. As for Damien and Carissa, they were allowed to go free only if they left the country. It was rumored sometime later that Damien and Carissa were again on the run because of the same attempted plot.
-Eleanor
Age 14
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Friday, September 3, 2010
Nameless
I wore a ball gown that consisted of a flurry of brocade fabric and tulle, falling in heavy waves all the way to the floor. The dress looked like it came from a different century, as did the rest of the ballroom, covered in tapestries and handmade woodwork, candles and masterpieces sculpted from malleable metals. Most of the fey world was like that, as though it had stopped in a more elegant era so as to avoid the unattractive qualities of the age of technology.
The dress I wore was not me, was not something I ever would have worn before. But then again, neither was the personality I donned as though it too were made of cloth and easily exchanged. I was not noble. I was not elegant. Yet I danced with every creature that requested it and exhibited a grace I had never been inclined towards, nor been taught. I started losing bits and pieces of the night early on, and every time I awoke dancing with another person I got a sick feeling. Like there was a side of me taking over, soothing my weaker half into the darkness so that I could live with the complacency with which I had confronted my situation. Like multiple personalities.
Turn around carefully. The echo reverberated in my head, a voice I did not want to hear and no longer wished existed. It was the worst sort of invasion of my privacy, this telepathy I shared with my twin. It broke the one barrier I thought would be breached by no one, the one thing no one could take away—the sanctity of my own mind.
I obeyed the hated voice and saw hair my color, eyes my color, skin tone my color, albeit on a more masculine face. I couldn’t help myself from feeling as though some theft had been committed. In that moment, I was nauseatingly in my own head, my own body, and I wanted out.
He blinked, expression showing little. I wanted to wipe that blank face of my features. I wanted to make such a split second decision to hurt him that he couldn’t possibly defend himself. I wanted to hurt him how they had hurt me.
He blinked again, but this time he had a response. Causing me pain will fix nothing.
My hand was in his and he led us to the center of the dance-floor. I lifted my arms in a way I didn’t remember ever having done before this night and it was elegant, as though I had spent years practicing. Sidriel slid into place, his hand at my waist uncomfortably warm.
The music didn’t start, it continued, continued on and on. It felt like a start, though, like the beginning of some new anguish. The music filled me up and spilled out in movements. I hadn’t known classical dances before. Ours bodies stayed the precise amount apart, a breath, a touch apart. Every movement I made he mirrored, and likewise. The world spun around me in dizzying swirls and colors churned around the edges of my vision, closing in. I kept my balance, but it wasn’t me. My eyes fluttered, lights flickering.
I was shocked into awareness as Sidriel led me to the edge of the dance-floor, almost supporting my entire weight with the small hold he had on me. He left me standing alone, cut adrift of any refuge. I shivered, staring at the light wood floor, the glare caused by the candle chandelier as it reflected off the shined surface. I was floating somewhere above my head, waiting, waiting for their next move.
Sidriel was the reason I was still alive, the reason I still had hopes of living. I hated to admit to myself that he was the one thing keeping me sane in my torments since I had been brought to the fey world and made aware of my heritage. I hated to consider the very possibility of admitting it. But he had kept me alive in so many ways, ways that I was simultaneously grateful and angry for. I hated him for keeping me alive.
Just the day before, I had learned the true story of my legacy. The trickery that had culminated in my conception. The murder of my grandmother by my father. The circumstances of my being sent away, sent to an entirely different world to be raised by humans because I was not wanted in the land of my blood. So many ugly truths that had been kept from me as I was raised by a human family, peacefully wishing to know my past. Naïve.
The knowledge I had gained did not give me the sense of identity that I had hoped for in all my wistful dreams as a human. The knowledge did not give me comfort. It did not provide me with any sense of familial pride or belonging. It only gave me a severe desire to be back with my adopted family, once more happily ignorant.
These bindings that had been placed upon me were never meant to be exercised; my past was never meant to be revealed. Still on the sidelines of the ballroom, I glanced towards the main display immediately opposite the wide double doors that served as an entrance into the fantastic room. The queen, appearing quite young for the centuries I was told she had lived through, carefully watched over the revelries from her intricately carved throne. A delicate circlet of gold sat atop her white blond hair, and she certainly had an air of royalty about her. A part of me wished I had inherited some degree of that natural poise she presented to the rest of the world. And yet, I had in some sense inherited that, hadn’t I? I recalled the effortlessness with which I danced with Sidriel, the ease with which I had taken on my role as the pet daughter of the queen. I turned away, disgusted at being related to someone who looked so distant as she observed her own people. She did not go among the crowds—that job was reserved for her only son and daughter, the two puppets she expected to always obey her every whim. If it hadn’t been for the queen’s eminent position in the fey society, I never would have been kidnapped from my human home, never would have been given this inhuman life, and never would have tasted the sincere agony of torture as they tried to discover the weaknesses of Her Majesty, my blood mother.
I wondered sometimes, before, if my birth mother ever missed me. If she ever felt the bone-deep loneliness that I felt in her absence. If she ever wondered what had happened to me or what I had made out of myself. I wondered if she just didn’t want me or if she regretting giving me up. I wondered how different my life would have been if I hadn’t grown up with the parents I had grown up with. Now I wished I had never found out the alternative. Sidriel, arguably the closest in this world to being my other half, had lived the life that had been taken away from me. Where I was sent away, he was kept. He had never had to suffer being rejected before being given a chance. He had had all I had wished for as a child. And yet, he was no better off. He had to suffer through political and social situations I could never fathom trying to handle correctly. Even though I had never been given a chance to be judged in a positive way by this family I had not realized existed, Sidriel grew up being constantly judged by them, and having to act in a way that would earn their favor. Even though I had no choice in my destiny, I at one time had had a degree of freedom. Sidriel was trapped by a web of obligations as thick or thicker than my own ignorance had been before.
The price to escape the web of ignorance that surrounded me had been steep, and I could not imagine the price my twin brother would have to pay to escape his own problems.
As Sidriel approached the fey queen and whispered in her ear, I once more tuned out of my surroundings until his face was the only focus in my sight. The oppressive anger I had carried with me for the few weeks I had spent reunited with my family seemed only a shadow as I fell to that dark place within me—the place I hid, as a small child would. His face alone was my connection to this world. A feeble thought informed me that that was the way it had seemed ever since my kidnapping. He was all that kept me attached to physical reality. My twin, my other half. That was literal in so many unfathomable ways—ways I had not imagined were possible. Relying so heavily on someone that so deeply represented this world that I had come to hate felt like a betrayal to myself.
Some part of me thought that I should be rejecting everything in this world, mentally, physically, spiritually. That part was the one that would rather be blind than look at my extravagant surroundings, would rather be deaf than hear the words they spoke, would rather starve than taste the sumptuous foods they placed in front of me. This spiteful side of me would rather die than accept this world. Every move I made that accommodated them in some way was a betrayal to this side, and the guilt that overcame me at moments was difficult to contain and control. True, knowing of this world caused me little more than pain, but there was a certain beauty to it all. The physical trappings, the cultural quirks, and even the political upheaval I found so hard to assimilate into were all striking in their own way, and feeling glad to have seen and known it all caused the most anguish of all. I was at war more with myself than any problems I faced in this new life I had been tossed into.
A hand touched my shoulder gently, and I jumped despite myself. I had been staring at the queen so intently, concentrating so hard on my shortcomings for my own mental health that I had not noticed Sidriel leaving the queen’s side and coming to my own. His presence in my head was as minimal as it was possible to be since our bond had been reestablished upon my return. The place where my anger had been was empty, devoid of any opinion now. Sidriel took my arm, led me from the room, led me from the oh-so-hypnotizing music into the silence of the hall. I followed his lead, realizing he was escorting me back to my living quarters. I sunk into my complacency and made no comment in rebellion or acceptance of the evening.
“I’m sorry,” he confessed outside my door, and I looked away from his sincere expression. “I’m sorry your family was not what you were expecting. I’m sorry you have to be involved in this world, and that being associated with us has caused you so much pain.”
“None of this is your fault,” I noted distantly. Of course, that had not stopped me from including him in the list of people I blamed for my past and present problems.
“I know, but I regret that any of it happened and if I had had the power to prevent it I would have.” His genuine tone twisted my stomach into knots. Blaming everyone was keeping me sane. I did not want him to take away my anger even more than his very presence was doing. I needed that fire to keep me going and surviving.
“Why are you saying this?” I shivered, the draft in the hall combining with the unpleasant realization I had been building all night that my brother was not the bad guy.
“I want you to know that I have your best interests at heart.” He reached to touch my shoulder and I pulled away, grasping the door handle to prove to both him and myself that I did have a way out of the conversation. I still had little ways I could control my situation. He bent farther into my personal space, until I was so tight against the door that I would have had to lean into him to pull it open. He whispered with his lips at my temple, a secret tucked into the shell of my ear.
“She did not send you away because she didn’t want you. She sent you away because she was afraid. She was afraid of us together, of the problems we could give her if both of us choose to go against her. She was afraid of a coup d'état, as humans call it. She is even now afraid we will overthrow her.”
“Why would she think we would do that?” I hedged, frightened by his serious tone and intense expression studying the reaction on my face.
“We have more of our father in us than she cares to admit, and we have the capability. That is all the evidence she needs to instill that fear in herself.”
“Why are you saying all of this?” I repeated. I knew already, knew what he was suggesting between the lines.
I heard a voice murmuring in my head so softly that I could not tell if it was his or mine. This would serve as revenge for you, it said. A way to give her a taste of the pain she caused by disowning you.
“She has caused her own downfall in the ways she went about trying to prevent it,” Sidriel coaxed. “She alienated you in a way that would give you no familial bonds to her. It is her own fault, and she must suffer the consequences of her actions.” His previous words echoed in my head once more, she is even now afraid we will overthrow her. I could have my chance at revenge, my chance to indulge in the fury that so often possessed me in between the bouts of pure inexistence. Before he could say another word to manipulate me into his purposes, I shoved him away and dashed into the room I had been living in, slamming the door in his face.
I could have revenge.
I could punish her for all the pain she had caused me, this mother of mine. I could fight for the power to control my own destiny. I could make her pay for taking away so many bits of my own existence that I no longer knew who I was.
My breath came quicker with these thoughts, and in the background I could feel the now reassuring presence of Sidriel. He could be my ally rather than my enemy, and I would have at least a piece of the family I had always imagined. There may never be a way to return to the person I used to be or the life I used to have, but I could gain control over this new one.
Only a minute had passed, and my brother had not left his position at my door, waiting for a response or only monitoring my reaction, I could not tell. Before I could talk myself out of the tentative choice I had made despite the chaotic feeling still running through me, I opened the door, letting the stronger piece of my personality taking control once more.
“I’ll do it.”
by Lindsey
Age 17
The dress I wore was not me, was not something I ever would have worn before. But then again, neither was the personality I donned as though it too were made of cloth and easily exchanged. I was not noble. I was not elegant. Yet I danced with every creature that requested it and exhibited a grace I had never been inclined towards, nor been taught. I started losing bits and pieces of the night early on, and every time I awoke dancing with another person I got a sick feeling. Like there was a side of me taking over, soothing my weaker half into the darkness so that I could live with the complacency with which I had confronted my situation. Like multiple personalities.
Turn around carefully. The echo reverberated in my head, a voice I did not want to hear and no longer wished existed. It was the worst sort of invasion of my privacy, this telepathy I shared with my twin. It broke the one barrier I thought would be breached by no one, the one thing no one could take away—the sanctity of my own mind.
I obeyed the hated voice and saw hair my color, eyes my color, skin tone my color, albeit on a more masculine face. I couldn’t help myself from feeling as though some theft had been committed. In that moment, I was nauseatingly in my own head, my own body, and I wanted out.
He blinked, expression showing little. I wanted to wipe that blank face of my features. I wanted to make such a split second decision to hurt him that he couldn’t possibly defend himself. I wanted to hurt him how they had hurt me.
He blinked again, but this time he had a response. Causing me pain will fix nothing.
My hand was in his and he led us to the center of the dance-floor. I lifted my arms in a way I didn’t remember ever having done before this night and it was elegant, as though I had spent years practicing. Sidriel slid into place, his hand at my waist uncomfortably warm.
The music didn’t start, it continued, continued on and on. It felt like a start, though, like the beginning of some new anguish. The music filled me up and spilled out in movements. I hadn’t known classical dances before. Ours bodies stayed the precise amount apart, a breath, a touch apart. Every movement I made he mirrored, and likewise. The world spun around me in dizzying swirls and colors churned around the edges of my vision, closing in. I kept my balance, but it wasn’t me. My eyes fluttered, lights flickering.
I was shocked into awareness as Sidriel led me to the edge of the dance-floor, almost supporting my entire weight with the small hold he had on me. He left me standing alone, cut adrift of any refuge. I shivered, staring at the light wood floor, the glare caused by the candle chandelier as it reflected off the shined surface. I was floating somewhere above my head, waiting, waiting for their next move.
Sidriel was the reason I was still alive, the reason I still had hopes of living. I hated to admit to myself that he was the one thing keeping me sane in my torments since I had been brought to the fey world and made aware of my heritage. I hated to consider the very possibility of admitting it. But he had kept me alive in so many ways, ways that I was simultaneously grateful and angry for. I hated him for keeping me alive.
Just the day before, I had learned the true story of my legacy. The trickery that had culminated in my conception. The murder of my grandmother by my father. The circumstances of my being sent away, sent to an entirely different world to be raised by humans because I was not wanted in the land of my blood. So many ugly truths that had been kept from me as I was raised by a human family, peacefully wishing to know my past. Naïve.
The knowledge I had gained did not give me the sense of identity that I had hoped for in all my wistful dreams as a human. The knowledge did not give me comfort. It did not provide me with any sense of familial pride or belonging. It only gave me a severe desire to be back with my adopted family, once more happily ignorant.
These bindings that had been placed upon me were never meant to be exercised; my past was never meant to be revealed. Still on the sidelines of the ballroom, I glanced towards the main display immediately opposite the wide double doors that served as an entrance into the fantastic room. The queen, appearing quite young for the centuries I was told she had lived through, carefully watched over the revelries from her intricately carved throne. A delicate circlet of gold sat atop her white blond hair, and she certainly had an air of royalty about her. A part of me wished I had inherited some degree of that natural poise she presented to the rest of the world. And yet, I had in some sense inherited that, hadn’t I? I recalled the effortlessness with which I danced with Sidriel, the ease with which I had taken on my role as the pet daughter of the queen. I turned away, disgusted at being related to someone who looked so distant as she observed her own people. She did not go among the crowds—that job was reserved for her only son and daughter, the two puppets she expected to always obey her every whim. If it hadn’t been for the queen’s eminent position in the fey society, I never would have been kidnapped from my human home, never would have been given this inhuman life, and never would have tasted the sincere agony of torture as they tried to discover the weaknesses of Her Majesty, my blood mother.
I wondered sometimes, before, if my birth mother ever missed me. If she ever felt the bone-deep loneliness that I felt in her absence. If she ever wondered what had happened to me or what I had made out of myself. I wondered if she just didn’t want me or if she regretting giving me up. I wondered how different my life would have been if I hadn’t grown up with the parents I had grown up with. Now I wished I had never found out the alternative. Sidriel, arguably the closest in this world to being my other half, had lived the life that had been taken away from me. Where I was sent away, he was kept. He had never had to suffer being rejected before being given a chance. He had had all I had wished for as a child. And yet, he was no better off. He had to suffer through political and social situations I could never fathom trying to handle correctly. Even though I had never been given a chance to be judged in a positive way by this family I had not realized existed, Sidriel grew up being constantly judged by them, and having to act in a way that would earn their favor. Even though I had no choice in my destiny, I at one time had had a degree of freedom. Sidriel was trapped by a web of obligations as thick or thicker than my own ignorance had been before.
The price to escape the web of ignorance that surrounded me had been steep, and I could not imagine the price my twin brother would have to pay to escape his own problems.
As Sidriel approached the fey queen and whispered in her ear, I once more tuned out of my surroundings until his face was the only focus in my sight. The oppressive anger I had carried with me for the few weeks I had spent reunited with my family seemed only a shadow as I fell to that dark place within me—the place I hid, as a small child would. His face alone was my connection to this world. A feeble thought informed me that that was the way it had seemed ever since my kidnapping. He was all that kept me attached to physical reality. My twin, my other half. That was literal in so many unfathomable ways—ways I had not imagined were possible. Relying so heavily on someone that so deeply represented this world that I had come to hate felt like a betrayal to myself.
Some part of me thought that I should be rejecting everything in this world, mentally, physically, spiritually. That part was the one that would rather be blind than look at my extravagant surroundings, would rather be deaf than hear the words they spoke, would rather starve than taste the sumptuous foods they placed in front of me. This spiteful side of me would rather die than accept this world. Every move I made that accommodated them in some way was a betrayal to this side, and the guilt that overcame me at moments was difficult to contain and control. True, knowing of this world caused me little more than pain, but there was a certain beauty to it all. The physical trappings, the cultural quirks, and even the political upheaval I found so hard to assimilate into were all striking in their own way, and feeling glad to have seen and known it all caused the most anguish of all. I was at war more with myself than any problems I faced in this new life I had been tossed into.
A hand touched my shoulder gently, and I jumped despite myself. I had been staring at the queen so intently, concentrating so hard on my shortcomings for my own mental health that I had not noticed Sidriel leaving the queen’s side and coming to my own. His presence in my head was as minimal as it was possible to be since our bond had been reestablished upon my return. The place where my anger had been was empty, devoid of any opinion now. Sidriel took my arm, led me from the room, led me from the oh-so-hypnotizing music into the silence of the hall. I followed his lead, realizing he was escorting me back to my living quarters. I sunk into my complacency and made no comment in rebellion or acceptance of the evening.
“I’m sorry,” he confessed outside my door, and I looked away from his sincere expression. “I’m sorry your family was not what you were expecting. I’m sorry you have to be involved in this world, and that being associated with us has caused you so much pain.”
“None of this is your fault,” I noted distantly. Of course, that had not stopped me from including him in the list of people I blamed for my past and present problems.
“I know, but I regret that any of it happened and if I had had the power to prevent it I would have.” His genuine tone twisted my stomach into knots. Blaming everyone was keeping me sane. I did not want him to take away my anger even more than his very presence was doing. I needed that fire to keep me going and surviving.
“Why are you saying this?” I shivered, the draft in the hall combining with the unpleasant realization I had been building all night that my brother was not the bad guy.
“I want you to know that I have your best interests at heart.” He reached to touch my shoulder and I pulled away, grasping the door handle to prove to both him and myself that I did have a way out of the conversation. I still had little ways I could control my situation. He bent farther into my personal space, until I was so tight against the door that I would have had to lean into him to pull it open. He whispered with his lips at my temple, a secret tucked into the shell of my ear.
“She did not send you away because she didn’t want you. She sent you away because she was afraid. She was afraid of us together, of the problems we could give her if both of us choose to go against her. She was afraid of a coup d'état, as humans call it. She is even now afraid we will overthrow her.”
“Why would she think we would do that?” I hedged, frightened by his serious tone and intense expression studying the reaction on my face.
“We have more of our father in us than she cares to admit, and we have the capability. That is all the evidence she needs to instill that fear in herself.”
“Why are you saying all of this?” I repeated. I knew already, knew what he was suggesting between the lines.
I heard a voice murmuring in my head so softly that I could not tell if it was his or mine. This would serve as revenge for you, it said. A way to give her a taste of the pain she caused by disowning you.
“She has caused her own downfall in the ways she went about trying to prevent it,” Sidriel coaxed. “She alienated you in a way that would give you no familial bonds to her. It is her own fault, and she must suffer the consequences of her actions.” His previous words echoed in my head once more, she is even now afraid we will overthrow her. I could have my chance at revenge, my chance to indulge in the fury that so often possessed me in between the bouts of pure inexistence. Before he could say another word to manipulate me into his purposes, I shoved him away and dashed into the room I had been living in, slamming the door in his face.
I could have revenge.
I could punish her for all the pain she had caused me, this mother of mine. I could fight for the power to control my own destiny. I could make her pay for taking away so many bits of my own existence that I no longer knew who I was.
My breath came quicker with these thoughts, and in the background I could feel the now reassuring presence of Sidriel. He could be my ally rather than my enemy, and I would have at least a piece of the family I had always imagined. There may never be a way to return to the person I used to be or the life I used to have, but I could gain control over this new one.
Only a minute had passed, and my brother had not left his position at my door, waiting for a response or only monitoring my reaction, I could not tell. Before I could talk myself out of the tentative choice I had made despite the chaotic feeling still running through me, I opened the door, letting the stronger piece of my personality taking control once more.
“I’ll do it.”
by Lindsey
Age 17
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Pigs Get Slaughtered
The cool autumn breeze caressed my mask-covered face, as flickering Jack-O-Lanterns
scowled into the oblivion. A four foot tall ghost brushed up against me, and sent the basket I
was carrying into the bushes, candy scattering everywhere. Her mother, dressed as a princess,
said, “Jacquelyn, apologize to the nice young man!”
“Sorry,” the little girl exclaimed sweetly.
“It’s okay,” I reassured, grinning broadly. There would be plenty of opportunities to
gather candy tonight. After all, it was Halloween.
***
I walked up to Michael’s front porch and rang his doorbell. The door creaked open, and
Michael sashayed out in full costume. “I vant to suck your blooooood!” he screamed, flashing
his realistic-looking plastic fangs.
“Nice costume!” I replied sarcastically. Michael, definitely on the “creative” side, had
dressed up as a vampire clown wearing five-inch stiletto heels.
“Hey, it’s better than your costume!” Michael retorted. “What are you, a pork chop
covered in ketchup?”
“I am a victim of the corporate slaughterhouses. Did you know that more than
five million cows, pigs, and chickens are brutally murdered every year by slaughterhouses
controlled by the same three major corporations? The parts of the animals that aren’t used for
food are actually put back into the feed for cheap feed for the other animals, reverting them
into a cannibalistic state!”
“Are you serious?” Michael stuttered.
“Nah, I’m a pork chop.” We giggled for a bit, and then got serious.
“Who should we hit up for candy first, Blake?” asked Michael.
“Over there!” I pointed to a small, lavender-colored house a few door down. To be
honest, it reminded me more than a little bit of an oversized doll house, but that didn’t concern
me in the least bit. Every year, the owners leave a bowl of candy on the doorstep, with a sign
that says “Please take only one.”
“Perfect,” my partner-in-crime commented. “I’ll race you there!”
We took off running, almost knocking over four little Power Rangers and a gorilla.
Michael won, but I reached the candy bowl first. It was almost empty, but I poured the
remaining Snickers and Tootsie Pops into my basket.
Did you save any for me?” Michael whined.
“Here, catch!” I tossed him a used lollipop stick.
“Whatever!” He groaned. “Let’s go to the house next door.”
We darted over, trying to avoid the swarm of kids heading towards the same house. We
reached the house, gasping for breath, and we rang the doorbell. An elderly woman opened
the creaky door, and Michael winked at me. Time for a guilt trip.
“Happy Halloween, ma’am,” Michael began. “Our little brother is undergoing
chemotherapy for his leukemia tonight, and can’t Trick-or-Treat.”
“He was so disappointed,” I continued, “so we wanted to Trick-or-Treat for him, that
way he would at least have some candy, and wouldn’t be too bummed out. He was diagnosed
with depression also, and the last year has been very rough for him.”
The woman wiped a tear from her eye, and wordlessly handed us the entire bowl of
“Thank you for your generosity, and have a wonderful night,” we concluded.
We burst out laughing as the door closed softly behind us.
“Man, I can’t believe she actually bought it!” I exclaimed.
“Oh, and the whole depression thing just put her over the edge! She’s probably still
crying!” Michael said, doubled over with laughter.
We admired our stash, shoved a handful of Skittles into our mouths, and set out for
more candy.
“Hey, look over there!” Michael had spotted a lumpy, white sheet in the middle of the
road. We walked over to it, and realized that it was an abandoned pillow case, about halfway
filled with candy. We started dividing up the candy, when a piece of paper fell out of the bag.
“Wait, what’s that?” I asked, picking up the paper.
“I don’t know, but it looks like an address. Maybe there’s a party there! Come on,
Blake, let’s check it out!” Michael was practically jumping up and down with excitement, and I
am still amazed that he didn’t trip on his stilettos and break his neck. I nodded, and looked at
the address. 2276 Maple Lane, that was just down the street.
“Let’s go!” And with that, we made our way down the road, stopping at a few houses to
Trick-or-Treat. When we reached our destination, we were in shock. There was no party going
on, there weren’t any lights on in the house, there wasn’t even a candy bowl on the porch!
“What a rip off!” I screamed. “Let’s TP them!”
“WAIT!” Michael said, pointing to an object that was concealed by the front door’s
shadow. “I think I see candy!”
I couldn’t believe my eyes. There, right in front of me, was a full-size witch’s cauldron
filled to the brim with every type of candy imaginable! We shrieked like little girls, and danced
all around. JACKPOT! I plunged my hands immediately into the cauldron, grabbing everything
within my reach, and shoving it into my candy basket.
“Hey, Blake, the sign says to take just two pieces, I think you should listen to it.” Michael
said tentatively, not wanting my euphoric mood to disappear.
“Who freaking cares?!” I replied. “Stop being such a princess!”
“I’m just giving my opinion, but if you say so…”
I rolled my eyes at Michael, and went back to my stash. Suddenly, I felt something seize
my ankle, and pull me down. My head hit the sidewalk with a sickening crack, and I blacked
out…
***
I awoke to find myself hanging upside-down by my feet in a large, cavern-like room. A
glistening, fanged smile stood several inches from my face. I let out a blood-curdling scream
before an icy-cold hand covered my mouth, rendering me unable to speak. I looked up to see
who this madman was, and I realized that it was Michael!
My panicked eyes seemed to convey the message I was thinking to him, and he began
speaking. “You seemed a bit surprised, Blake. I suppose you want to know what is going on.”
What do you think, Smart One? I thought to myself. What in the world was going on
“Well, you see,” Michael began, “I tried to tell you to stop at two pieces of candy, but
you ignored me. That made me angry, and I saw what a greedy, miserable pig you are! No pun
intended…” He glanced at my costume and chuckled. I suddenly understood the irony of the
situation. “So, Blakie-roo, I’m going to let you in on a little secret of mine. Guess what, I’m a
vampire. Isn’t that so hilarious? Oh wait, funny for me, but not so much for you.
“You see, every Halloween, I set out to find the most gluttonous vermin in Sarasota, and
test them to see where their limit is. Guess what again, you set a new record! Now, I’m going
to suck you blood. Any questions?”
Michael uncovered my mouth, and I tried to wrap my head about what he was saying. A
vampire? Really?
“I guess not. Good night, Blake, and Happy Halloween!”
All of a sudden, my neck was in flames, and everything slowly faded to grey…
By Olivia
Age 14
scowled into the oblivion. A four foot tall ghost brushed up against me, and sent the basket I
was carrying into the bushes, candy scattering everywhere. Her mother, dressed as a princess,
said, “Jacquelyn, apologize to the nice young man!”
“Sorry,” the little girl exclaimed sweetly.
“It’s okay,” I reassured, grinning broadly. There would be plenty of opportunities to
gather candy tonight. After all, it was Halloween.
***
I walked up to Michael’s front porch and rang his doorbell. The door creaked open, and
Michael sashayed out in full costume. “I vant to suck your blooooood!” he screamed, flashing
his realistic-looking plastic fangs.
“Nice costume!” I replied sarcastically. Michael, definitely on the “creative” side, had
dressed up as a vampire clown wearing five-inch stiletto heels.
“Hey, it’s better than your costume!” Michael retorted. “What are you, a pork chop
covered in ketchup?”
“I am a victim of the corporate slaughterhouses. Did you know that more than
five million cows, pigs, and chickens are brutally murdered every year by slaughterhouses
controlled by the same three major corporations? The parts of the animals that aren’t used for
food are actually put back into the feed for cheap feed for the other animals, reverting them
into a cannibalistic state!”
“Are you serious?” Michael stuttered.
“Nah, I’m a pork chop.” We giggled for a bit, and then got serious.
“Who should we hit up for candy first, Blake?” asked Michael.
“Over there!” I pointed to a small, lavender-colored house a few door down. To be
honest, it reminded me more than a little bit of an oversized doll house, but that didn’t concern
me in the least bit. Every year, the owners leave a bowl of candy on the doorstep, with a sign
that says “Please take only one.”
“Perfect,” my partner-in-crime commented. “I’ll race you there!”
We took off running, almost knocking over four little Power Rangers and a gorilla.
Michael won, but I reached the candy bowl first. It was almost empty, but I poured the
remaining Snickers and Tootsie Pops into my basket.
Did you save any for me?” Michael whined.
“Here, catch!” I tossed him a used lollipop stick.
“Whatever!” He groaned. “Let’s go to the house next door.”
We darted over, trying to avoid the swarm of kids heading towards the same house. We
reached the house, gasping for breath, and we rang the doorbell. An elderly woman opened
the creaky door, and Michael winked at me. Time for a guilt trip.
“Happy Halloween, ma’am,” Michael began. “Our little brother is undergoing
chemotherapy for his leukemia tonight, and can’t Trick-or-Treat.”
“He was so disappointed,” I continued, “so we wanted to Trick-or-Treat for him, that
way he would at least have some candy, and wouldn’t be too bummed out. He was diagnosed
with depression also, and the last year has been very rough for him.”
The woman wiped a tear from her eye, and wordlessly handed us the entire bowl of
“Thank you for your generosity, and have a wonderful night,” we concluded.
We burst out laughing as the door closed softly behind us.
“Man, I can’t believe she actually bought it!” I exclaimed.
“Oh, and the whole depression thing just put her over the edge! She’s probably still
crying!” Michael said, doubled over with laughter.
We admired our stash, shoved a handful of Skittles into our mouths, and set out for
more candy.
“Hey, look over there!” Michael had spotted a lumpy, white sheet in the middle of the
road. We walked over to it, and realized that it was an abandoned pillow case, about halfway
filled with candy. We started dividing up the candy, when a piece of paper fell out of the bag.
“Wait, what’s that?” I asked, picking up the paper.
“I don’t know, but it looks like an address. Maybe there’s a party there! Come on,
Blake, let’s check it out!” Michael was practically jumping up and down with excitement, and I
am still amazed that he didn’t trip on his stilettos and break his neck. I nodded, and looked at
the address. 2276 Maple Lane, that was just down the street.
“Let’s go!” And with that, we made our way down the road, stopping at a few houses to
Trick-or-Treat. When we reached our destination, we were in shock. There was no party going
on, there weren’t any lights on in the house, there wasn’t even a candy bowl on the porch!
“What a rip off!” I screamed. “Let’s TP them!”
“WAIT!” Michael said, pointing to an object that was concealed by the front door’s
shadow. “I think I see candy!”
I couldn’t believe my eyes. There, right in front of me, was a full-size witch’s cauldron
filled to the brim with every type of candy imaginable! We shrieked like little girls, and danced
all around. JACKPOT! I plunged my hands immediately into the cauldron, grabbing everything
within my reach, and shoving it into my candy basket.
“Hey, Blake, the sign says to take just two pieces, I think you should listen to it.” Michael
said tentatively, not wanting my euphoric mood to disappear.
“Who freaking cares?!” I replied. “Stop being such a princess!”
“I’m just giving my opinion, but if you say so…”
I rolled my eyes at Michael, and went back to my stash. Suddenly, I felt something seize
my ankle, and pull me down. My head hit the sidewalk with a sickening crack, and I blacked
out…
***
I awoke to find myself hanging upside-down by my feet in a large, cavern-like room. A
glistening, fanged smile stood several inches from my face. I let out a blood-curdling scream
before an icy-cold hand covered my mouth, rendering me unable to speak. I looked up to see
who this madman was, and I realized that it was Michael!
My panicked eyes seemed to convey the message I was thinking to him, and he began
speaking. “You seemed a bit surprised, Blake. I suppose you want to know what is going on.”
What do you think, Smart One? I thought to myself. What in the world was going on
“Well, you see,” Michael began, “I tried to tell you to stop at two pieces of candy, but
you ignored me. That made me angry, and I saw what a greedy, miserable pig you are! No pun
intended…” He glanced at my costume and chuckled. I suddenly understood the irony of the
situation. “So, Blakie-roo, I’m going to let you in on a little secret of mine. Guess what, I’m a
vampire. Isn’t that so hilarious? Oh wait, funny for me, but not so much for you.
“You see, every Halloween, I set out to find the most gluttonous vermin in Sarasota, and
test them to see where their limit is. Guess what again, you set a new record! Now, I’m going
to suck you blood. Any questions?”
Michael uncovered my mouth, and I tried to wrap my head about what he was saying. A
vampire? Really?
“I guess not. Good night, Blake, and Happy Halloween!”
All of a sudden, my neck was in flames, and everything slowly faded to grey…
By Olivia
Age 14
Writer's Block
Wow, $500? That’s more than enough to cover publication costs, Allie thought. Plus, that trip to Hawaii is the perfect Christmas present for mom and dad. I just gotta win that contest!
The flyer read:
Short Story Writing Contest
Open to ages 15-17
First prize: their story published in Young Writer’s Magazine, $500 and a trip for 4 to Hawaii
Second prize: their story published in Young Writer’s Magazine, $250 and a trip for 4 to Disney World in Orlando, Florida
Third prize: their story published in Young Writer’s Magazine and $125
Honorable Mention: $75
Send all entries to lovetowrite@writing.com by October 31st
Allie wanted to become a writer, just like her Aunt Trudy. Allie’s best friend, Emily, was her editor and critic. But, Maggie was who she got most of her inspiration from. Maggie was a character that Allie had made up when she was a lot younger. In many ways, Maggie was anything and everything in her own imagination. She was the perfect lead character for all of Allie’s stories.
“Okay, Maggie,” Allie said aloud, looking at a drawing of Maggie on her desk, “tell me what ya got!” She grabbed her journal and opened it to the newest blank page and reached for her favorite pen, ready to write.
After 30 minutes of non-stop writing, Allie felt confident that she had all she needed to create the best story ever. “Thanks, Maggie!” she said with a smile, blowing a kiss to the picture of Maggie. “I’ll begin writing tomorrow,” she stretched her arms and legs, and let out a long yawn, “Boy, am I tired.” she said, trailing off as she climbed into bed. “Goodnight.”
“Sweet dreams, Allie.” Maggie answered, as she headed back home.
“Hello? Is someone there?” a voice asked.
Maggie stopped and looked into the Forest of Noy where the voice was coming from. She had never heard it before.
“Can someone help me please?” the voice asked again.
“Sure, I’ll help you.” Maggie answered, walking towards the woods.
A beautiful princess stepped out of the woods. Her long, red hair cascading over her shoulders and covering some of her lilac gown. Her green eyes were filled with comfort when she looked at Maggie, as if she had been in terrible trouble and had finally found her rescuer. “Oh, thank you.” she said, heaving a sigh of relief. “I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever find my way home.”
“And where exactly is home?” Maggie asked.
The princess told Maggie about her kingdom and the people that lived there. Maggie had never heard of this place before, and she had been everywhere imaginable, so it was very unusual for her to not recognize a place, or even a person. Her name was Fallon and she had been lost for months. Maggie agreed to help her find her way back home, wherever it was. Fallon was very grateful to her and the two began their journey towards where Fallon had said she had come from.
*****************
Allie awoke the next morning and went straight to her journal and began writing about her dream. She wrote about Maggie and Princess Fallon and even about the kingdom of De Monte, where Fallon was from. “This is going to be a great story!” she said with excitement.
Allie went about her day as usual; school, dinner and homework. She couldn’t wait to work on that story again. She reached for her pen and journal and started writing, but stopped and ripped out the page. “That’s not good enough.” she said and tried again, but stopped and ripped that page out too. “Forget it, maybe I’ll try again in the morning.” she said, frustrated.
Meanwhile, in the Forest of Noy, Maggie and Fallon continued their trek through the woods. Maggie hoped they were nearing the end soon, she felt as if she couldn’t walk much longer. That’s strange… I always have so much energy, she thought to herself.
“Everything ok, Maggie?” Fallon asked.
Maggie took a deep breath. “Yeah, I’m ok.” she answered, managing a smile.
Fallon smiled back. “Good, because we have to keep moving if I’m ever going to get back before my brother’s coronation.”
Maggie sighed heavily and nodded. “Alright, Fallon. Whatever you say.”
Fallon smiled once more. There was a gleam of satisfaction in her eyes as she watched Maggie fall once more into her trap. Soon, she’ll be too weak to fight, and that’s when we’ll attack.
*****************
The days seemed to get worse and worse for both Allie and Maggie. Allie couldn’t think of a single thing to write and even started to fear that she would never get this story done in time. And Maggie grew weaker and weaker as she continued to De Monte with Fallon, fearing that this journey would never come to an end.
Fallon, on the other hand, grew stronger and stronger as the days went on. What Maggie didn’t know was that Fallon was one of the De Monte twins, capable of bringing fear into the lives of those who came in contact with her. She was also able to drain the strength and life out of others, while their strength made her stronger and more beautiful. Her twin brother, Dante, was capable of bringing doubt into the minds of others. Together, they were able to destroy the joy and happiness of imaginations of writers everywhere, discouraging them from writing for good.
*****************
Allie was becoming so upset from the past few weeks events. She decided to email her aunt and explain to her what was happening. Thankfully, her aunt knew exactly what she was going through.
Dearest Allie,
Sounds like you’ve got a pretty bad case of writer’s block. I suggest that you warn Maggie to watch out for any phonies in that little mind of yours. You can’t let her fall into the trap, otherwise, you might never feel like writing again. Be strong and courageous, Allie, I know you two will overcome this.
Love,
Aunt Trudy
Writer’s block? Allie thought. She slapped her forehead. “Of course!” she said aloud, “That explains everything!” She ran over to her desk and grabbed the picture of Maggie. “Maggie. You’ve got to listen to me. Remember that Princess Fallon you met a while ago? Yeah, she’s trying to get you to fall into a trap. Don’t listen to her, Maggie! We can’t let her win!”
A trap? Maggie looked over to Fallon and realized what had been happening. “You tricked me!” she yelled, glaring at Fallon.
She let out an evil laugh, “Too late, Maggie, you’ve already come too far.” A figure came out of the trees behind her. “Meet my brother, Dante.”
The figure removed his hood, revealing a dark and sinister face. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, miss.”
“Sorry I can’t say the same for you.” Maggie replied, anger rising within.
Fallon tilted her head and began to shake it slowly, “Now, Maggie, don’t be mad at us, you brought this upon yourself.”
“Doesn’t mean I’m going to let you get away with it!”
“Come on, Maggie!” Allie cheered as she sat at her desk. “You can do it!”
The Forest of Noy quickly became a battlefield as the De Monte twins attacked Maggie. Hours passed by before Maggie was able to catch her breath for a bit. “Allie, you gotta help me. I can’t do this alone.” she said into the sky.
Meanwhile, in her room, Allie heard Maggie’s cry for help and felt it in her heart--she knew what she would have to do. She nodded and grabbed her pen and opened up to a blank page. At first, she was afraid to write because she was afraid that it would be terrible. But the words of her aunt reminded her that she had to overcome this, and she wasn’t alone. With a smile, Allie began writing. She didn’t care what she wrote, as long as she kept writing.
Back in the Forest of Noy, Maggie began to feel herself getting stronger and stronger. She grinned, ready to fight once again.
“What?” Fallon said, astonished. “This isn’t supposed to be happening!”
“That’s because you’ve messed with the wrong girls, Fallon.” Maggie answered, standing tall. “Leave now and I won’t destroy you.”
Fallon looked over at Dante and they both knew it was a lost cause to try and fight. “Alright, we’ll go.” she replied with a sigh.
“But let me warn you,” Dante began, placing an arm around his sister, “this isn’t the last time you’ll see the De Monte twins. We’ll be back, and next time, we will win.” he said with a grin.
Allie finally finished writing and sat back in her chair to relax. We did it, Maggie. We overcame writer’s block. Allie grinned and began reading what she wrote. Without realizing it, she had actually finished the story. She looked over at her calendar--October 29th. “Not too bad, Maggie.” she said as she opened her email. “But next time, let’s not wait till the last minute, okay?”
Maggie chuckled. “Okay.”
Allie sent the story to Emily first, so she could look it over and critique it before sending it off to the contest.
*****************
It wasn’t long before she received a reply. Allie grasped the envelope in her hands, knowing it was from the contest people. She took a deep breath, squeezed her eyes shut, and prayed that she got at least honorable mention. With a quick rip, the envelope was open, and inside was a letter along with a certificate.
*****************
Christmas morning came and Allie waited for her parents to open the envelope from the contest people. “I wanted to win first prize for you guys so we could go to Hawaii, but I guess I’m just not that good of a writer.” Allie said with a sigh as her eyes went back to the floor. She didn’t win first prize, but she did come in second.
Her parents smiled at one another before her mother put her arm around Allie saying, “Sweetie, you are a good writer. In fact, you’re an excellent writer!”
Her father nodded, “Your mother’s right, Allie. I’ve never read such amazing stories like the ones you’ve written.”
Allie smiled. “You really mean it?” she asked them.
They both nodded. “Besides,” her mother began, “Disney World is way more fun.”
“And we can go visit Aunt Trudy while we’re down there.” her father added.
Allie’s mother looked through the contents of the envelope once more. She took out the certificate, the letter saying Allie won second place, and the tickets. “Hmm, what are we going to do with this fourth ticket?” she questioned, a hint of sarcasm in her words. “Perhaps, Emily should come along?”
Allie’s smile widened and her face brightened up at the suggestion.
*****************
A week later, Allie, her parents and her best friend, Emily, were on a plane to Orlando, Florida to spend the rest of their Christmas vacation with Aunt Trudy and to go to Disney World. Sure, it wasn’t the way that Allie had wanted to end her Christmas vacation, but it definitely was the perfect ending.
-Erika
Age 17
The flyer read:
Short Story Writing Contest
Open to ages 15-17
First prize: their story published in Young Writer’s Magazine, $500 and a trip for 4 to Hawaii
Second prize: their story published in Young Writer’s Magazine, $250 and a trip for 4 to Disney World in Orlando, Florida
Third prize: their story published in Young Writer’s Magazine and $125
Honorable Mention: $75
Send all entries to lovetowrite@writing.com by October 31st
Allie wanted to become a writer, just like her Aunt Trudy. Allie’s best friend, Emily, was her editor and critic. But, Maggie was who she got most of her inspiration from. Maggie was a character that Allie had made up when she was a lot younger. In many ways, Maggie was anything and everything in her own imagination. She was the perfect lead character for all of Allie’s stories.
“Okay, Maggie,” Allie said aloud, looking at a drawing of Maggie on her desk, “tell me what ya got!” She grabbed her journal and opened it to the newest blank page and reached for her favorite pen, ready to write.
After 30 minutes of non-stop writing, Allie felt confident that she had all she needed to create the best story ever. “Thanks, Maggie!” she said with a smile, blowing a kiss to the picture of Maggie. “I’ll begin writing tomorrow,” she stretched her arms and legs, and let out a long yawn, “Boy, am I tired.” she said, trailing off as she climbed into bed. “Goodnight.”
“Sweet dreams, Allie.” Maggie answered, as she headed back home.
“Hello? Is someone there?” a voice asked.
Maggie stopped and looked into the Forest of Noy where the voice was coming from. She had never heard it before.
“Can someone help me please?” the voice asked again.
“Sure, I’ll help you.” Maggie answered, walking towards the woods.
A beautiful princess stepped out of the woods. Her long, red hair cascading over her shoulders and covering some of her lilac gown. Her green eyes were filled with comfort when she looked at Maggie, as if she had been in terrible trouble and had finally found her rescuer. “Oh, thank you.” she said, heaving a sigh of relief. “I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever find my way home.”
“And where exactly is home?” Maggie asked.
The princess told Maggie about her kingdom and the people that lived there. Maggie had never heard of this place before, and she had been everywhere imaginable, so it was very unusual for her to not recognize a place, or even a person. Her name was Fallon and she had been lost for months. Maggie agreed to help her find her way back home, wherever it was. Fallon was very grateful to her and the two began their journey towards where Fallon had said she had come from.
*****************
Allie awoke the next morning and went straight to her journal and began writing about her dream. She wrote about Maggie and Princess Fallon and even about the kingdom of De Monte, where Fallon was from. “This is going to be a great story!” she said with excitement.
Allie went about her day as usual; school, dinner and homework. She couldn’t wait to work on that story again. She reached for her pen and journal and started writing, but stopped and ripped out the page. “That’s not good enough.” she said and tried again, but stopped and ripped that page out too. “Forget it, maybe I’ll try again in the morning.” she said, frustrated.
Meanwhile, in the Forest of Noy, Maggie and Fallon continued their trek through the woods. Maggie hoped they were nearing the end soon, she felt as if she couldn’t walk much longer. That’s strange… I always have so much energy, she thought to herself.
“Everything ok, Maggie?” Fallon asked.
Maggie took a deep breath. “Yeah, I’m ok.” she answered, managing a smile.
Fallon smiled back. “Good, because we have to keep moving if I’m ever going to get back before my brother’s coronation.”
Maggie sighed heavily and nodded. “Alright, Fallon. Whatever you say.”
Fallon smiled once more. There was a gleam of satisfaction in her eyes as she watched Maggie fall once more into her trap. Soon, she’ll be too weak to fight, and that’s when we’ll attack.
*****************
The days seemed to get worse and worse for both Allie and Maggie. Allie couldn’t think of a single thing to write and even started to fear that she would never get this story done in time. And Maggie grew weaker and weaker as she continued to De Monte with Fallon, fearing that this journey would never come to an end.
Fallon, on the other hand, grew stronger and stronger as the days went on. What Maggie didn’t know was that Fallon was one of the De Monte twins, capable of bringing fear into the lives of those who came in contact with her. She was also able to drain the strength and life out of others, while their strength made her stronger and more beautiful. Her twin brother, Dante, was capable of bringing doubt into the minds of others. Together, they were able to destroy the joy and happiness of imaginations of writers everywhere, discouraging them from writing for good.
*****************
Allie was becoming so upset from the past few weeks events. She decided to email her aunt and explain to her what was happening. Thankfully, her aunt knew exactly what she was going through.
Dearest Allie,
Sounds like you’ve got a pretty bad case of writer’s block. I suggest that you warn Maggie to watch out for any phonies in that little mind of yours. You can’t let her fall into the trap, otherwise, you might never feel like writing again. Be strong and courageous, Allie, I know you two will overcome this.
Love,
Aunt Trudy
Writer’s block? Allie thought. She slapped her forehead. “Of course!” she said aloud, “That explains everything!” She ran over to her desk and grabbed the picture of Maggie. “Maggie. You’ve got to listen to me. Remember that Princess Fallon you met a while ago? Yeah, she’s trying to get you to fall into a trap. Don’t listen to her, Maggie! We can’t let her win!”
A trap? Maggie looked over to Fallon and realized what had been happening. “You tricked me!” she yelled, glaring at Fallon.
She let out an evil laugh, “Too late, Maggie, you’ve already come too far.” A figure came out of the trees behind her. “Meet my brother, Dante.”
The figure removed his hood, revealing a dark and sinister face. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, miss.”
“Sorry I can’t say the same for you.” Maggie replied, anger rising within.
Fallon tilted her head and began to shake it slowly, “Now, Maggie, don’t be mad at us, you brought this upon yourself.”
“Doesn’t mean I’m going to let you get away with it!”
“Come on, Maggie!” Allie cheered as she sat at her desk. “You can do it!”
The Forest of Noy quickly became a battlefield as the De Monte twins attacked Maggie. Hours passed by before Maggie was able to catch her breath for a bit. “Allie, you gotta help me. I can’t do this alone.” she said into the sky.
Meanwhile, in her room, Allie heard Maggie’s cry for help and felt it in her heart--she knew what she would have to do. She nodded and grabbed her pen and opened up to a blank page. At first, she was afraid to write because she was afraid that it would be terrible. But the words of her aunt reminded her that she had to overcome this, and she wasn’t alone. With a smile, Allie began writing. She didn’t care what she wrote, as long as she kept writing.
Back in the Forest of Noy, Maggie began to feel herself getting stronger and stronger. She grinned, ready to fight once again.
“What?” Fallon said, astonished. “This isn’t supposed to be happening!”
“That’s because you’ve messed with the wrong girls, Fallon.” Maggie answered, standing tall. “Leave now and I won’t destroy you.”
Fallon looked over at Dante and they both knew it was a lost cause to try and fight. “Alright, we’ll go.” she replied with a sigh.
“But let me warn you,” Dante began, placing an arm around his sister, “this isn’t the last time you’ll see the De Monte twins. We’ll be back, and next time, we will win.” he said with a grin.
Allie finally finished writing and sat back in her chair to relax. We did it, Maggie. We overcame writer’s block. Allie grinned and began reading what she wrote. Without realizing it, she had actually finished the story. She looked over at her calendar--October 29th. “Not too bad, Maggie.” she said as she opened her email. “But next time, let’s not wait till the last minute, okay?”
Maggie chuckled. “Okay.”
Allie sent the story to Emily first, so she could look it over and critique it before sending it off to the contest.
*****************
It wasn’t long before she received a reply. Allie grasped the envelope in her hands, knowing it was from the contest people. She took a deep breath, squeezed her eyes shut, and prayed that she got at least honorable mention. With a quick rip, the envelope was open, and inside was a letter along with a certificate.
*****************
Christmas morning came and Allie waited for her parents to open the envelope from the contest people. “I wanted to win first prize for you guys so we could go to Hawaii, but I guess I’m just not that good of a writer.” Allie said with a sigh as her eyes went back to the floor. She didn’t win first prize, but she did come in second.
Her parents smiled at one another before her mother put her arm around Allie saying, “Sweetie, you are a good writer. In fact, you’re an excellent writer!”
Her father nodded, “Your mother’s right, Allie. I’ve never read such amazing stories like the ones you’ve written.”
Allie smiled. “You really mean it?” she asked them.
They both nodded. “Besides,” her mother began, “Disney World is way more fun.”
“And we can go visit Aunt Trudy while we’re down there.” her father added.
Allie’s mother looked through the contents of the envelope once more. She took out the certificate, the letter saying Allie won second place, and the tickets. “Hmm, what are we going to do with this fourth ticket?” she questioned, a hint of sarcasm in her words. “Perhaps, Emily should come along?”
Allie’s smile widened and her face brightened up at the suggestion.
*****************
A week later, Allie, her parents and her best friend, Emily, were on a plane to Orlando, Florida to spend the rest of their Christmas vacation with Aunt Trudy and to go to Disney World. Sure, it wasn’t the way that Allie had wanted to end her Christmas vacation, but it definitely was the perfect ending.
-Erika
Age 17
The Story of Ben
Ben loved to play baseball. He was very good at it. But when he joined his new team some of the kids
were not very nice to him. One kid, whose name was Rick, laughed at him and called him slow poke. Rick
thought he was the best player on the whole team.
Their first game was today. Ben ate a good breakfast and went to the baseball field. It was packed.
Everyone rooted for their teams. Ben thought, “I feel sick. I hope I do well.” He began practicing with his
team. Rick came up and announced, “Guys, let me handle with the strikes.” Rick was the team’s pitcher.
He practiced really hard. He also started to practice with the team.
Suddenly, Rick was pounded by a baseball. He wasn’t paying attention so he wasn’t able to catch the ball
his partner threw to him. Rick landed with a thud. The coach cried out, “Move everyone, let’s see what
happened.” The coach checked Rick but Rick could not get up. He would not be able to play the game.
Everyone started to panic. “Who is going to be the pitcher now!” one boy said? “Yeah, we don’t have a
backup player.” another said. Then Ben thought, “Wait! I know how to pitch and I think I’m pretty good
at it. Maybe I can be the pitcher.” He secretly told the coach. At first the coach looked doubtful then
smiled because he knew Ben was the only one good enough and he would try his best. So Ben would be
the pitcher for his team.
Ben did really well as the pitcher. His team won their first game. Later, when Rick got better he
immediately went over to Ben and said, “Hey Ben, I’m sorry that I was mean to you. I should have
never done that because I also don’t want to be laughed at. Will you please forgive me?” Ben, without
hesitation said yes. Then Rick replied, “Gee, I had no clue how good you were. Do you want to be our
team’s pitcher?” Ben replied, “Sure!” And so from then on Ben was the new pitcher and Rick was the
first backup pitcher.
-Jonathan
Age 14
were not very nice to him. One kid, whose name was Rick, laughed at him and called him slow poke. Rick
thought he was the best player on the whole team.
Their first game was today. Ben ate a good breakfast and went to the baseball field. It was packed.
Everyone rooted for their teams. Ben thought, “I feel sick. I hope I do well.” He began practicing with his
team. Rick came up and announced, “Guys, let me handle with the strikes.” Rick was the team’s pitcher.
He practiced really hard. He also started to practice with the team.
Suddenly, Rick was pounded by a baseball. He wasn’t paying attention so he wasn’t able to catch the ball
his partner threw to him. Rick landed with a thud. The coach cried out, “Move everyone, let’s see what
happened.” The coach checked Rick but Rick could not get up. He would not be able to play the game.
Everyone started to panic. “Who is going to be the pitcher now!” one boy said? “Yeah, we don’t have a
backup player.” another said. Then Ben thought, “Wait! I know how to pitch and I think I’m pretty good
at it. Maybe I can be the pitcher.” He secretly told the coach. At first the coach looked doubtful then
smiled because he knew Ben was the only one good enough and he would try his best. So Ben would be
the pitcher for his team.
Ben did really well as the pitcher. His team won their first game. Later, when Rick got better he
immediately went over to Ben and said, “Hey Ben, I’m sorry that I was mean to you. I should have
never done that because I also don’t want to be laughed at. Will you please forgive me?” Ben, without
hesitation said yes. Then Rick replied, “Gee, I had no clue how good you were. Do you want to be our
team’s pitcher?” Ben replied, “Sure!” And so from then on Ben was the new pitcher and Rick was the
first backup pitcher.
-Jonathan
Age 14
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Super Louis
My day started out being pretty average, much like any other humdrum day. After a heated argument with the snooze button on my alarm clock and continuous nagging by my mother, I finally decided that it was time for me to get out of bed. I thought to myself that this is gonna be just another one of those days.
I got up reluctantly, brushed my teeth, and put on something that I thought would be OK to wear again. I mean, I’ve only worn it a couple of times, it only smells a little funny, and I only got grass stains on the pants three times! That’s clean in my book. I mean come on! I don’t understand how some people have to wear something new every day. It’s completely ridiculous!
Anyway, after getting ready for another boring day of school, I finally went downstairs to eat breakfast. I was shocked at what I discovered sitting across from me at the dining room table. It was one of my most disgustingly evil nemeses! I immediately began staring at him; something that I knew would bother him immensely. I also watched my back as I went over to the toaster to retrieve my precious pop tart before the filthy hands of my nemesis could steal it from me, like he had done before.
“Don’t look at my yummy moist pop tart with those greedy eyes of yours! You don’t deserve a pop tart this delicious!” I warned my sixteen year old nemesis.
“I wasn’t looking at your “oh so special” pop tart, squirt.” he said in a sarcastic tone, “I was just looking at the clock on the wall behind you. It seems to me like you’re going to be late.”
“Holy cheese! I’m going to be late for school again! Mr. Pudgy is going to be SO mad at me! This time he might actually get up from his seat, put down his favorite type of pudding, and come over and give me a detention for being late! Tell mom that I left for school already! Bye!”
I quickly got my backpack and the money for lunch that mom had left out for me on the counter, and I rushed out of the door as quickly as possible. I knew that it wouldn’t be good to be late for Mr. Pudgy’s class, as he has been known to get quite upset if you interrupt him while he’s in the middle of eating his specially imported pudding. I knew other kids who had gone there…and let’s just say that they aren’t ever going to do that again! Mr. Pudgy might look like a big fluffy teddy bear, but he’s more like a mother bear protecting her cubs (his pudding) from danger.
Luckily, I got there on time. Mr. Pudgy hadn’t had time to open up the pudding cup yet, so I didn’t interrupt anything important. He did give me one of those looks that teachers give you when their slightly annoyed though.
“Mr. Small, do I need to personally remind you that you shouldn’t be late to my class…EVER?” Mr. Pudgy scorned as if he hadn’t had any sugar to sweeten his attitude towards me today.
“No sir,” I said quickly.
“Then I suggest that you have a seat Louis!”
“Yes sir.”
Now I have to sit in my seat for the whole class and pretend to listen and understand what Mr. Pudgy is saying, even while he’s eating! I’m definitely not happy now! Mr. Pudgy just crossed over to the dark side and became one of my lower ranked nemeses. That’s not a good thing, because you definitely don’t want to get on my bad side. Once you cross over, it’s hard to return.
When this class finally let’s out, I’ll be extremely happy, but for right now I have to deal with the smell of pudding for at least an hour.
********************************
Mr. Pudgy finally let us out of his class after lecturing us for what seemed like ages on the value of proper nutrition. That’s what he called it anyway. In my opinion though, it was more of a “how to” seminar in which he showed us how he eats various foods. That’s right, it wasn’t just pudding today. I know, it’s very shocking to hear, but it’s the truth. Thanks to this lovely little lecture, my brother, or should I say my sixteen year old nemesis, Aaron, moved up higher on my list of evil people that I know. Why? He told me that “Mr. Pudgy is a really good teacher” and that I should “definitely get him.” He’ll be receiving my prank of appreciation for this awesome piece of advice very soon. I haven’t decided which ones yet, but the prank will probably involve a couple of the following items:
- glue/tape
- water balloons
- bucket
- his girlfriend
- his car
- lots and lots of paint
That’ll be really fun to pull off! He might end up telling on me though, so I have to make it look like I had nothing to do with it…somehow.
Now I get to go to Ms. Dean’s class, and thank god! I like Ms. Dean’s class because Ms. Dean is almost completely deaf, and we can get away with pretty much anything. As long as a missile doesn’t go off, Ms. Deaf, as we call her, is completely clueless about what goes on in her class.
I decided to eat my breakfast in her class since I hadn’t really gotten a chance to this morning. I had been too busy protection my precious pop tart from being stolen by my nemesis to actually get to taste its chocolaty goodness melt in my mouth. Thinking about how good it is made me take it out and take a big, huge bite of it. Unfortunately, taking out something as good as a pop tart attracts a lot of unwanted attention from people around you. As soon as the fourth graders around me got a whiff of its yumminess, they all gathered around me, begging for a piece. I refused to share it with anyone though, so I kept eating. The bad thing though is that I hadn’t noticed one person in particular that wanted a piece. His name is Rex Normous, and he’s the biggest, meanest, and scariest kid in my grade. He’s so scary, that I heard that he kicks puppies and that he always gets what he wants because his parents are too scared of what will happen to them if they say no. Let me put it this way…getting on Rex’s bad side isn’t a good thing; it’s worse than being on my bad side, which is pretty hard to beat.
Anyway, it seemed that Rex really didn’t care that I hadn’t shared my pop tart with him so I decided to lay it out in front of me on my desk and have a little fun. I took out a straw and some paper, and the next thing that kids saw coming from my direction was a HUGE spit ball that landed with a plop on Ms. Deaf’s board.
“That was so totally awesome dude! I should go and tell Francesca about that one, she’ll think it was really awesome too,” Sheldon Mackerel said. Francesca Fair is Sheldon’s girlfriend and they are totally in love, which I think is kind of gross. I mean, how can any sane person tolerate that much…GIRL? I think it’s very strange, but Sheldon’s one of my two best friends, so I have to live with it and support him. Plus, Francesca isn’t that girly, so it’s not that bad to have her around all the time (kind of).
“You should do that again! That was totally teletubbies…you know what I mean?” exclaimed Ethan Fries, “You should like get a burger with legs…you know what I mean?” Ethan is my other best friend. He is awesome just like Sheldon, but sometimes it’s a little hard to understand what he’s saying. That’s why he’s considered so cool…no one can understand him! That’s a reason that we’re friends though…we understand each other and we laugh at all of the same stuff.
Sheldon and Ethan are my two best friends. We’ve done everything together since we were five, and look at us now, we’re practically grown-ups! We’ve known each other for a long time so, when they encouraged me to shoot another spit ball, I did it for them. Everyone else around me laughed at the fact that Ms. Dean hadn’t noticed and they all encouraged me to do it again too. So I did. This time I got an even bigger spit ball ready. I put the straw to my mouth, aimed it, blew, and PLOP!
Good news: It was the biggest spit ball that I had ever made.
Bad news: I missed my target.
The fact that I missed my target isn’t very big news if you really think about it. That’s not really the “bad” part of the situation that I put myself in. The really bad part was what, or should I say who, I hit instead of Ms. Dean’s board. What I hit could dramatically change my life and possibly even my facial structure, no joke. The thing that I hit was big and it was tough and it was ugly and it was…it was…it was REX! I held my breath for a few seconds as I analyzed the situation for a second. Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, my time’s up…literally. Rex made his way towards me very slowly with a look of aggravation upon his face. My brain told me that I should run, but my legs were frozen stiff and my eyes were fixed on Rex and what he was doing.
I finally began to move as I realized just how serious the situation was, how mad Rex was, and possible things that he might do to me if he got a hold of me. Yup, it was bad…very, very BAD! My legs realized this and began to make their way to the nearest exit.
“WAIT!!!” Rex cried after me, and the tone that he used told me that I better listen to him or else he might do something worse to me than he was already planning to do.
I stopped and waited for Rex.
“Look. I graciously didn’t pound your face in when you refused to share your pop tart with me, but this,” he pointed to the spit ball on his cheek, “is going too far!”
“I…I…I’m s…s…sorry Rex,” I whimpered, “I didn’t mean to hit you with that, I was aiming for the board. You just happened to move right in front of me as I blew it out. This is a complete misunderstanding. Let’s just work this out and forget that it ever happened. Maybe we could even be friends?”
Rex shook his head back and forth menacingly. “I don’t think so. How about you do what I say? Meet me out by the jungle gym at recess…if you’re not there, you’re just making it worse for yourself.” He cracked his knuckles to show me that he was 100% serious about what he had just said.
“See you then…I guess…” I said, in what must have sounded like a whisper to those around me.
“You better be,” Rex warned as he began to turn around and go back to his seat. As he walked by my desk, he helped himself to the pop tart that I had left lying on my desk. “Oh, and thanks for this pop tart, I appreciate it.”
I was left stunned, standing in the same spot for twenty minutes as Rex helped himself to my pop tart, and I thought about my last wishes.
********************************
The rest of my classes went by as I thought about what was going to happen to me at recess. In Mr. Bobinson’s class I began writing my will, making sure to give most of my things to my two best friends, Sheldon and Ethan, who were my biggest supporters, and to my mom, who would beat up Rex for me after my funeral. In Mr. Whatshisface’s class I began to think about how much it would actually hurt, when Rex took all of his anger out on me. He’s a big guy…he might have a lot of anger stored away inside of him! Uhhh…I shivered at that thought. He could also have a lot of energy, which meant that I had to deal with the pain for longer, and that it would keep getting worse by the second. Ouch! That might hurt. I gave myself a little pep talk as I exited Mr. Whatshisface’s class, knowing that lunch followed by recess was next. I could feel the pain seeping through me already…oh the fun.
********************************
Lunch went by slowly as I counted down the minutes I had with my face. Twenty-one… twenty…nineteen…tick-tock…tick-tock. The wait was agonizing! Even though I didn’t want to go to recess, the wait just made me go crazy. Fifteen…fourteen…thirteen… tick-tock…tick-tock. Time seemed to stop in its place while I waited. Ten…nine…eight…seven…tick-tock…tick-tock. I just wanted to get the pain over with, but the time continued to elude me. Five…four…three…tick-tock…tick-tock. It was getting closer; it was all going to be over soon. Two…one and a half…one…tick-tock…tick-tock. The very last minute took the longest time. Finally when the whistle blew, announcing that lunch was over and that recess was starting, I was ready to have my face rearranged.
********************************
As we reached the jungle gym and our teachers let us go wild for recess, I began feeling a bit nervous. I had butterflies flying around my belly at very high speeds. I didn’t want to know what it felt like to be hit that hard.
Then, I saw Rex, and he was looking even more enormous and dangerous than I last remembered. I was super scared. I walked up to him slowly. He was already at the jungle gym. I approached what looked like a hungry lion waiting to pounce on anything that looks like food. And right now, I was the thing that looked like food to Rex. I know why his mom named him Rex now; it’s because of his dinosaur like teeth that are exposed and waiting to be used.
As I approached him, I looked down, not wanting to see the expression on his face. I noticed that there were a lot of people around us though; a lot of people that would see my getting beat up horribly. I saw that three of those people were Sheldon, Ethan, and Francesca…I didn’t want for any of them to come and watch me now.
As if reading my thoughts, Rex shouted, “Leave, get out of here, all of you! You can only stay if you want me to pound your face in!” Immediately, all of the people around us disappeared. This was now just between Rex and me. I closed my eyes. Let the face pounding begin. Tell my mom I love her.
As I stood there with my eyes closed, I realized that Rex wasn’t pounding my face in. I slowly opened one eye in order to take a peek at my opponent, and what I saw shocked me. Rex was standing there…SMILING! I had never seen him smile before. This isn’t true, I thought to myself. There is no way that Rex wouldn’t seize the opportunity to hit someone…hard. He’s probably just trying to mess with me or something because there’s no way that Rex would be smiling…especially at me.
“Why are you smiling?” I asked cautiously. “Are you gonna punch me or not?”
“Now why would I punch you?” Rex questioned.
“Cause you said you would,” I responded covering my face for protection.
“I never said that!”
“Yes you did!”
“Oh, that! I was just keeping up a reputation. You know that I have a reputation as being the bully at this school.”
“Yeah. So why aren’t you hitting me right now?”
“Cause I don’t want to hit you.”
“But why? You told me to meet you here, and now you’re not going to do anything?”
“To be honest, I don’t really have any friends, and I was kinda hoping that maybe we could sorta be like kinda friends…”
“Why would you want to be friends with me?”
“I don’t know. I’m lonely. Plus…I kinda wanted for you to teach me how to get spit balls stuck on boards…if you wanted to teach me that is.”
“Sure…I’ll teach you. But, are you sure that you aren’t just pretending that you want to be my friend? Then, when I least expect it, are you gonna hit me? Cause if you are, I’d rather just have it be over with right now.”
“I really do want to be your friend and no…I’m not gonna hit you. You know what, to prove to you that I want to really be your friend, how about I bring you a pop tart tomorrow?”
“Sure but, I still don’t understand why your being so friendly.”
“I don’t like being known as the bully…I want to have friends.”
“I can help you. Hey, you wanna come to my house after school today? We can play video games, play a prank on my brother, and I can teach you how to blow spit balls!”
“That sounds great! I can’t wait!”
********************************
Only one more class to get through, and then my new friendship with Rex begins. I feel bad about all of the things that I thought about him before. He’s actually a really great guy. I can’t wait until tonight…it’s gonna be so much fun. My last class for today is with Mrs. Goop…oh the joy!
********************************
After sitting through a long one hour class it was finally time to go. Before leaving though, I asked Mrs. Goop a question.
“Mrs. Goop, do we have anything to do for tonight?”
She responded in a very bored tone.
“Homework.”
The monotonous way in which the teacher said this completely caught me off guard. I didn’t think that anything so annoying would be assigned on a night like tonight. Mrs. Goop had just ruined my entire night. All of my plans are now down the toilet. My very strange day ended with something that even I didn’t expect. It was totally unfair! A busy day, a perfect spit ball shot onto the board, and a perfect night planned out of nothing but video games had all vanished with the utterance of that one, single word. All of my plans with Rex were gone.
The first thing that my mom will ask me tonight is, “do you have any homework?” I’ll have to respond to her by saying that I did…then she won’t let Rex come over. Oh well! I’ll just use the excuse that Rex has to help me with my homework! Brilliant!
I wonder what interesting thing will happen to me tomorrow when I wake up and think that it’s just gonna be another one of those days?
- Sandra
Age 15
I got up reluctantly, brushed my teeth, and put on something that I thought would be OK to wear again. I mean, I’ve only worn it a couple of times, it only smells a little funny, and I only got grass stains on the pants three times! That’s clean in my book. I mean come on! I don’t understand how some people have to wear something new every day. It’s completely ridiculous!
Anyway, after getting ready for another boring day of school, I finally went downstairs to eat breakfast. I was shocked at what I discovered sitting across from me at the dining room table. It was one of my most disgustingly evil nemeses! I immediately began staring at him; something that I knew would bother him immensely. I also watched my back as I went over to the toaster to retrieve my precious pop tart before the filthy hands of my nemesis could steal it from me, like he had done before.
“Don’t look at my yummy moist pop tart with those greedy eyes of yours! You don’t deserve a pop tart this delicious!” I warned my sixteen year old nemesis.
“I wasn’t looking at your “oh so special” pop tart, squirt.” he said in a sarcastic tone, “I was just looking at the clock on the wall behind you. It seems to me like you’re going to be late.”
“Holy cheese! I’m going to be late for school again! Mr. Pudgy is going to be SO mad at me! This time he might actually get up from his seat, put down his favorite type of pudding, and come over and give me a detention for being late! Tell mom that I left for school already! Bye!”
I quickly got my backpack and the money for lunch that mom had left out for me on the counter, and I rushed out of the door as quickly as possible. I knew that it wouldn’t be good to be late for Mr. Pudgy’s class, as he has been known to get quite upset if you interrupt him while he’s in the middle of eating his specially imported pudding. I knew other kids who had gone there…and let’s just say that they aren’t ever going to do that again! Mr. Pudgy might look like a big fluffy teddy bear, but he’s more like a mother bear protecting her cubs (his pudding) from danger.
Luckily, I got there on time. Mr. Pudgy hadn’t had time to open up the pudding cup yet, so I didn’t interrupt anything important. He did give me one of those looks that teachers give you when their slightly annoyed though.
“Mr. Small, do I need to personally remind you that you shouldn’t be late to my class…EVER?” Mr. Pudgy scorned as if he hadn’t had any sugar to sweeten his attitude towards me today.
“No sir,” I said quickly.
“Then I suggest that you have a seat Louis!”
“Yes sir.”
Now I have to sit in my seat for the whole class and pretend to listen and understand what Mr. Pudgy is saying, even while he’s eating! I’m definitely not happy now! Mr. Pudgy just crossed over to the dark side and became one of my lower ranked nemeses. That’s not a good thing, because you definitely don’t want to get on my bad side. Once you cross over, it’s hard to return.
When this class finally let’s out, I’ll be extremely happy, but for right now I have to deal with the smell of pudding for at least an hour.
********************************
Mr. Pudgy finally let us out of his class after lecturing us for what seemed like ages on the value of proper nutrition. That’s what he called it anyway. In my opinion though, it was more of a “how to” seminar in which he showed us how he eats various foods. That’s right, it wasn’t just pudding today. I know, it’s very shocking to hear, but it’s the truth. Thanks to this lovely little lecture, my brother, or should I say my sixteen year old nemesis, Aaron, moved up higher on my list of evil people that I know. Why? He told me that “Mr. Pudgy is a really good teacher” and that I should “definitely get him.” He’ll be receiving my prank of appreciation for this awesome piece of advice very soon. I haven’t decided which ones yet, but the prank will probably involve a couple of the following items:
- glue/tape
- water balloons
- bucket
- his girlfriend
- his car
- lots and lots of paint
That’ll be really fun to pull off! He might end up telling on me though, so I have to make it look like I had nothing to do with it…somehow.
Now I get to go to Ms. Dean’s class, and thank god! I like Ms. Dean’s class because Ms. Dean is almost completely deaf, and we can get away with pretty much anything. As long as a missile doesn’t go off, Ms. Deaf, as we call her, is completely clueless about what goes on in her class.
I decided to eat my breakfast in her class since I hadn’t really gotten a chance to this morning. I had been too busy protection my precious pop tart from being stolen by my nemesis to actually get to taste its chocolaty goodness melt in my mouth. Thinking about how good it is made me take it out and take a big, huge bite of it. Unfortunately, taking out something as good as a pop tart attracts a lot of unwanted attention from people around you. As soon as the fourth graders around me got a whiff of its yumminess, they all gathered around me, begging for a piece. I refused to share it with anyone though, so I kept eating. The bad thing though is that I hadn’t noticed one person in particular that wanted a piece. His name is Rex Normous, and he’s the biggest, meanest, and scariest kid in my grade. He’s so scary, that I heard that he kicks puppies and that he always gets what he wants because his parents are too scared of what will happen to them if they say no. Let me put it this way…getting on Rex’s bad side isn’t a good thing; it’s worse than being on my bad side, which is pretty hard to beat.
Anyway, it seemed that Rex really didn’t care that I hadn’t shared my pop tart with him so I decided to lay it out in front of me on my desk and have a little fun. I took out a straw and some paper, and the next thing that kids saw coming from my direction was a HUGE spit ball that landed with a plop on Ms. Deaf’s board.
“That was so totally awesome dude! I should go and tell Francesca about that one, she’ll think it was really awesome too,” Sheldon Mackerel said. Francesca Fair is Sheldon’s girlfriend and they are totally in love, which I think is kind of gross. I mean, how can any sane person tolerate that much…GIRL? I think it’s very strange, but Sheldon’s one of my two best friends, so I have to live with it and support him. Plus, Francesca isn’t that girly, so it’s not that bad to have her around all the time (kind of).
“You should do that again! That was totally teletubbies…you know what I mean?” exclaimed Ethan Fries, “You should like get a burger with legs…you know what I mean?” Ethan is my other best friend. He is awesome just like Sheldon, but sometimes it’s a little hard to understand what he’s saying. That’s why he’s considered so cool…no one can understand him! That’s a reason that we’re friends though…we understand each other and we laugh at all of the same stuff.
Sheldon and Ethan are my two best friends. We’ve done everything together since we were five, and look at us now, we’re practically grown-ups! We’ve known each other for a long time so, when they encouraged me to shoot another spit ball, I did it for them. Everyone else around me laughed at the fact that Ms. Dean hadn’t noticed and they all encouraged me to do it again too. So I did. This time I got an even bigger spit ball ready. I put the straw to my mouth, aimed it, blew, and PLOP!
Good news: It was the biggest spit ball that I had ever made.
Bad news: I missed my target.
The fact that I missed my target isn’t very big news if you really think about it. That’s not really the “bad” part of the situation that I put myself in. The really bad part was what, or should I say who, I hit instead of Ms. Dean’s board. What I hit could dramatically change my life and possibly even my facial structure, no joke. The thing that I hit was big and it was tough and it was ugly and it was…it was…it was REX! I held my breath for a few seconds as I analyzed the situation for a second. Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, my time’s up…literally. Rex made his way towards me very slowly with a look of aggravation upon his face. My brain told me that I should run, but my legs were frozen stiff and my eyes were fixed on Rex and what he was doing.
I finally began to move as I realized just how serious the situation was, how mad Rex was, and possible things that he might do to me if he got a hold of me. Yup, it was bad…very, very BAD! My legs realized this and began to make their way to the nearest exit.
“WAIT!!!” Rex cried after me, and the tone that he used told me that I better listen to him or else he might do something worse to me than he was already planning to do.
I stopped and waited for Rex.
“Look. I graciously didn’t pound your face in when you refused to share your pop tart with me, but this,” he pointed to the spit ball on his cheek, “is going too far!”
“I…I…I’m s…s…sorry Rex,” I whimpered, “I didn’t mean to hit you with that, I was aiming for the board. You just happened to move right in front of me as I blew it out. This is a complete misunderstanding. Let’s just work this out and forget that it ever happened. Maybe we could even be friends?”
Rex shook his head back and forth menacingly. “I don’t think so. How about you do what I say? Meet me out by the jungle gym at recess…if you’re not there, you’re just making it worse for yourself.” He cracked his knuckles to show me that he was 100% serious about what he had just said.
“See you then…I guess…” I said, in what must have sounded like a whisper to those around me.
“You better be,” Rex warned as he began to turn around and go back to his seat. As he walked by my desk, he helped himself to the pop tart that I had left lying on my desk. “Oh, and thanks for this pop tart, I appreciate it.”
I was left stunned, standing in the same spot for twenty minutes as Rex helped himself to my pop tart, and I thought about my last wishes.
********************************
The rest of my classes went by as I thought about what was going to happen to me at recess. In Mr. Bobinson’s class I began writing my will, making sure to give most of my things to my two best friends, Sheldon and Ethan, who were my biggest supporters, and to my mom, who would beat up Rex for me after my funeral. In Mr. Whatshisface’s class I began to think about how much it would actually hurt, when Rex took all of his anger out on me. He’s a big guy…he might have a lot of anger stored away inside of him! Uhhh…I shivered at that thought. He could also have a lot of energy, which meant that I had to deal with the pain for longer, and that it would keep getting worse by the second. Ouch! That might hurt. I gave myself a little pep talk as I exited Mr. Whatshisface’s class, knowing that lunch followed by recess was next. I could feel the pain seeping through me already…oh the fun.
********************************
Lunch went by slowly as I counted down the minutes I had with my face. Twenty-one… twenty…nineteen…tick-tock…tick-tock. The wait was agonizing! Even though I didn’t want to go to recess, the wait just made me go crazy. Fifteen…fourteen…thirteen… tick-tock…tick-tock. Time seemed to stop in its place while I waited. Ten…nine…eight…seven…tick-tock…tick-tock. I just wanted to get the pain over with, but the time continued to elude me. Five…four…three…tick-tock…tick-tock. It was getting closer; it was all going to be over soon. Two…one and a half…one…tick-tock…tick-tock. The very last minute took the longest time. Finally when the whistle blew, announcing that lunch was over and that recess was starting, I was ready to have my face rearranged.
********************************
As we reached the jungle gym and our teachers let us go wild for recess, I began feeling a bit nervous. I had butterflies flying around my belly at very high speeds. I didn’t want to know what it felt like to be hit that hard.
Then, I saw Rex, and he was looking even more enormous and dangerous than I last remembered. I was super scared. I walked up to him slowly. He was already at the jungle gym. I approached what looked like a hungry lion waiting to pounce on anything that looks like food. And right now, I was the thing that looked like food to Rex. I know why his mom named him Rex now; it’s because of his dinosaur like teeth that are exposed and waiting to be used.
As I approached him, I looked down, not wanting to see the expression on his face. I noticed that there were a lot of people around us though; a lot of people that would see my getting beat up horribly. I saw that three of those people were Sheldon, Ethan, and Francesca…I didn’t want for any of them to come and watch me now.
As if reading my thoughts, Rex shouted, “Leave, get out of here, all of you! You can only stay if you want me to pound your face in!” Immediately, all of the people around us disappeared. This was now just between Rex and me. I closed my eyes. Let the face pounding begin. Tell my mom I love her.
As I stood there with my eyes closed, I realized that Rex wasn’t pounding my face in. I slowly opened one eye in order to take a peek at my opponent, and what I saw shocked me. Rex was standing there…SMILING! I had never seen him smile before. This isn’t true, I thought to myself. There is no way that Rex wouldn’t seize the opportunity to hit someone…hard. He’s probably just trying to mess with me or something because there’s no way that Rex would be smiling…especially at me.
“Why are you smiling?” I asked cautiously. “Are you gonna punch me or not?”
“Now why would I punch you?” Rex questioned.
“Cause you said you would,” I responded covering my face for protection.
“I never said that!”
“Yes you did!”
“Oh, that! I was just keeping up a reputation. You know that I have a reputation as being the bully at this school.”
“Yeah. So why aren’t you hitting me right now?”
“Cause I don’t want to hit you.”
“But why? You told me to meet you here, and now you’re not going to do anything?”
“To be honest, I don’t really have any friends, and I was kinda hoping that maybe we could sorta be like kinda friends…”
“Why would you want to be friends with me?”
“I don’t know. I’m lonely. Plus…I kinda wanted for you to teach me how to get spit balls stuck on boards…if you wanted to teach me that is.”
“Sure…I’ll teach you. But, are you sure that you aren’t just pretending that you want to be my friend? Then, when I least expect it, are you gonna hit me? Cause if you are, I’d rather just have it be over with right now.”
“I really do want to be your friend and no…I’m not gonna hit you. You know what, to prove to you that I want to really be your friend, how about I bring you a pop tart tomorrow?”
“Sure but, I still don’t understand why your being so friendly.”
“I don’t like being known as the bully…I want to have friends.”
“I can help you. Hey, you wanna come to my house after school today? We can play video games, play a prank on my brother, and I can teach you how to blow spit balls!”
“That sounds great! I can’t wait!”
********************************
Only one more class to get through, and then my new friendship with Rex begins. I feel bad about all of the things that I thought about him before. He’s actually a really great guy. I can’t wait until tonight…it’s gonna be so much fun. My last class for today is with Mrs. Goop…oh the joy!
********************************
After sitting through a long one hour class it was finally time to go. Before leaving though, I asked Mrs. Goop a question.
“Mrs. Goop, do we have anything to do for tonight?”
She responded in a very bored tone.
“Homework.”
The monotonous way in which the teacher said this completely caught me off guard. I didn’t think that anything so annoying would be assigned on a night like tonight. Mrs. Goop had just ruined my entire night. All of my plans are now down the toilet. My very strange day ended with something that even I didn’t expect. It was totally unfair! A busy day, a perfect spit ball shot onto the board, and a perfect night planned out of nothing but video games had all vanished with the utterance of that one, single word. All of my plans with Rex were gone.
The first thing that my mom will ask me tonight is, “do you have any homework?” I’ll have to respond to her by saying that I did…then she won’t let Rex come over. Oh well! I’ll just use the excuse that Rex has to help me with my homework! Brilliant!
I wonder what interesting thing will happen to me tomorrow when I wake up and think that it’s just gonna be another one of those days?
- Sandra
Age 15
Side Effects May Include
Side effects may include....
Crash.
Slam.
skid.
ka-boom.
When I opened my eyes, those noises weren’t there. instead, I heard silence.
And I couldn’t see much anyway. I blinked a few times, and my vision seemed to get
better. Blink. Blink. Where was I?
Sounds were slowly coming to my ears. i didn’t even notice they were ringing
until I started to hear voices under the constant tone. They seemed so far away... Then
i could hear a slow beeping.... it sounded close.... where was it coming from? I tried
to turn my head in the direction of the sound.... My neck wasn’t cooperating. My nose
wasn’t either. And I was numb... what happened?
My eyes focused on the room around me. Small, kinda cramped. The chair in
the corner was currently being used by... someone.
‘Who are you?” I blurted out. But it sounded ore like “ooor r r uuuu?”
“Marcy? marcy?” the voice was shrill and high. “Are you really awake this time?”
I tried to nod, but it hurt so much; an uncomfortable “uh hun” was all the
stranger got.
“Marcy...’ the stranger said, pulling her chair close to the bed. “Can you?... Do
you know who I am? The doctor said you might not. Do you know who I am?”
I squinted at the person, whom I could now tell was a girl, but no name came to
mind. I managed to move my head back and forth without it causing me too much
pain.
‘It’s me, Marcy, Eugenia... you’re sister?” Why was she asking me? Things
were starting to come back to me.... Eugenia.... yes, I knew her....we shared the same
room....
“Marcy.... do you know who YOU are?”
Did I know? not really. I’m... Marcy. That’s all. “Marcy?’ I croaked.
She sighed. “Marcy. You’re 15. Have a cat, Belle. I’m your sister. I’m 17. We
shared rooms until I convinced mom I needed privacy. You have another sister, she’s
24. You following?”
Everything was coming back to me now. Me riding my first bike. First day of
school. Eugenia and I “fighting” about who’s fault it was that the room was messed
up.
“Gini.... what happened?” I said.
At that moment, some one opened the door. Gini got up and moved to the
corner of the room, offering the chair to the new arrival, who didn’t even thank her.
“How are you feeling, Marcy?” she said. I noticed that she was dressed in a
blue smock. Was she a nurse or something?
“M’ok”
“Marcy, do you remember ANYTHING of what happened? Anything at all?”
Accident? what accident? I shook my head. “ This might shock you, but you have to
know... You were in the car with you family. A bus driver ran a red light, and you
crashed. The bus only had injuries and everyone survived, though some are in critical
condition. But... your family’s dead, Marcy.”
Shock. What had happened? I couldn’t remember any of that.”
“My parents....” I groaned.
“They’re gone, Marcy.”
“And.... me?”
“You’re recovering. We had to amputate. I’m sorry. But apart that, you should be
fine now. How are you feeling?”
“Thirsty. Stiff”
“I’ll get you some water, and a nurse will be around to administer painkillers.”
“Wait... Am I in a hospital?”
She nodded. She had obviously dealt with patients like me before, and wasn’t
surprised how slow I was to catch on.
“What will happen to me?”
“We’ll work that out. You’ll probably stay with your cousins.”
“What about my sister?”
“Don’t you worry, Marcy. you need to rest to recover. I’ll bring you something to
help you sleep.” She stepped out of the room, then she turned around abruptly. “I
know this is a lot to think of. Sleep helps.” she left.
I felt tears in the corners of my eyes. I started to cry, the drops of salty water
running down my cheeks. I raised a hand to wipe the tears away, and saw that I was
missing a finger. two fingers, my index and my middle finger of my right hand. I would
never write again. I sobbed harder.
Gini took her seat back. She sat there in silence, then she put her hand on my
left one.
“It’s going to be ok, lil sis. They won’t separate us. We always have each other.”
That didn’t help. I was still blubbering like a baby.
“We always joked about what life would be without the parents. How much
easier everything would be. How we could live without them. Don’t worry, Marcy.”
Another nurse came in and handed me some pills and a small cup of water. I
took them without hesitation, though grasping the cup with my right hand was a bit
hard. I soon fell asleep, a nice deep sleep....
***
When I woke up again, I had light in my room. The window was open, and I
could see the treetops outside, the birds on the branches.... the birds in their nest,
feeding their young....
“Close the curtains, Gini.”
“Gini is not here,”someone else said. I whipped my head around to find the
owner of the voice, but obviously i did so too quickly and my neck hurt me again.
“Who are you?” I managed to say.”
“Detective Keller, from the police department? I’m here to ask you a few
questions about the accident.”
“ I don’t remember much...” I whispered. I didn’t want to think about it.
“Even small things can help us find out what went wrong.”
“Wasn’t it the bus driver who ran a red light?”
“ I don’t think so. i was just talking with Redd...”
“ You were talking with him? He survived?”
“ Yes, but at a cost. He will never be able to use his legs again. He’s in the
same hospital, actually. room 305.”
“Oh.” good for him. He still had a family.
“Anyway, he seems to think his breaks were faulty. But before, he said that the
light had just changed to green for him, and it was red for your car. Did your dad drive
through a red light?”
“I’m sorry, I can’t remember.” Was it Dad’s fault? He always was one for speed.
did he run a red light?
“What can you remember, then?”
“ I was texting, but I was in the back of the car. Dad was driving... I think. I
remember looking up and seeing the bus coming at us, quickly. That’s about it.”
“Nothing else? I mean anything at all?”
“I’ll tell you if I do. But i don’t want to think about it.”
“I understand. I mean, losing your whole family like that?”
“ I still have my sister.”
“Thank God for that. I’ll leave you alone, get some rest. call me if you remember
anything, ok?”
I nodded. The detective left the room, and Gini came in. Still wearing the clothes
from the day before, making wonder how long I’d been out.
“How’re you holding up?” she asked.
”’M’ok, considering. You?”
“Outraged. Did you hear? That bus driver was blaming us, US for the accident!
what a lying, stinking, murdering....”
“Gini, it was an ACCIDENT. That’s it. What;’s done is done.”
“You don’t despise him? He killed our parents, Marcy. Don’t you want revenge?”
“No.”
“Marceee....”
“Shut up, Gini. I can’t think straight with your constant blabber. I want some
sleep.”
“Suit yourself.” she shrugged off my words as if they were nothing but dust on
her shoulders. She got up and left without another word.
I noticed the pills on my bedside table; a nurse had set them out for me. I
swallowed them, and fell into a dreamless sleep.
***
Detective Keller was around when i woke up. This time I was feeling less
groggy, and my vision was better then it was the last time i woke up.
“How long was I out?” I asked.
“Sorry, i don’t know. This is.... 36 hours? Since my last visit. I came in and out of
consciousness... Are you really awake this time?”
“ I think so. I’m not sleepy. How’s the investigation going?”
“Not well. You remember Redd, the bus driver?”
I nodded.
“He passed away about a day ago.”
Now THAT got me awake. I sat up straight, surprising even myself at how
painless that action was.
“Died? How?”
“He just... stopped breathing. The hospital thinks he just choked in his sleep.”
Silence hung in the air as thick as a sheet. I stared at my hands, freaking
myself out as I saw again my mutilated hand. The other one, the left hand was scared,
but no digits were missing. I awkwardly thought of my feet: were they in one piece?
“How do i look?”though an awkward question at a time like this, It had to be
asked. The detective jumped.
“What do you mean?”
“I haven’t lost an ear or something? I’m honestly to scared to see my
reflection...”
“Well..” she was hesitant. "You look normal. You’ve got a few cuts on your face,
but I expect they’ll go away in time. A terrible cut on your forehead, you needed
stitches... 4 or 5 to my knowledge. Your legs are amazingly unharmed, I think. but you
might need therapy to to walk normally again. You’ve seen your hands....”
“Am I...ugly?”
“No way!” she laughed. “ You’re absolutely beautiful, even with the cuts.”
I was so touched at the sweetness of the young detective I started to cry again.
She shuffled in a worried way, got up to put her hand on my shoulder.
“Shhhh....” she whispered.
“What will you do next, for the investigation, I mean?”
“Before Redd passed on, he told me a passenger tried talking with him... A
certain Mrs. Holmes... I’ll talk to her next.”
“Did she get hurt as well?”
“Un-hun. When the windshield crashed, since she was standing, she was
ejected out of the window onto the street. She was in surgery for almost a full day: but
she’ll survive.”
“Close call... I’m glad no-one else died.”
“Do want to get up? Walk around? Maybe you want to talk to Mrs. Holmes?”
“ I don’t know...”
“Do need to walk around, though. You’ve been sleeping for days on end...”
“ I don’t think I can walk. and I don’t want a nurse to push me around.”
“If you want, maybe I could push the chair.... if it makes you feel more
confortable...”
“Ok... What about my sister?”
“She’s sorry... she sat by your side for hours, but she needed her sleep.
Someone drove her home.”
She got me a wheelchair and helped me onto it. I glad to see that my legs only
had small cuts and bruises, but apart that, they were absolutely fine. But they hurt like
****.
The detective wheeled me out into the hallway, and we made our way to Mrs.
Holmes’s room. It wasn’t far from mine, pretty much just around the corner.
Mrs. Holmes was doing WAY worse than me. Her exposed skin was covered in
cuts of all sizes, bruises... Her neck was in a brace, one of her legs in a cast. I
gasped.
“Mrs. Homes?” Dt. Keller asked politely. Mrs. holmes wet her lips with her
tongue, slowly in a drawn out action, as if she had to think out EVERY action involved.
“Here.” her voice was raspy and dry.
“I’m investigating the accident. Do you remember what happened? The driver
said you were talking to him at the time... What exactly were you talking about?”
“Uhhhhh...” she breathed slowly, thinking back... “I think we were talking about
how bad the neighborhood was these days, or something along those lines. Some
kids in the back of bus had pants down almost to their knees, and he was sayin’ how
he was hoping it was just a phase... then we crashed.”
“Was he watching the road?’”
“Yes, he was very vigilant. The other car cut right in front of us, when it was
green for us.”
The detective looked down on me, but he expression stayed the same: One of
calm and deep thought.
“Thank you. Anything else that might help us?”
“Hey, that girl was in the car, wasn’t she? The one in the wheelchair, there, right
in front of you! I saw her, as i flew out...”
“Yes, she survived.”
“Girl, you tell your parents...” deep breath. “That they should keep their eyes on
the road.”
“I can’t... they died....”
“I’m sorry...” she honestly sounded like she was. “Now, can you please leave
me alone? I need to catch up on my beauty sleep.”
Keller gave her another “thank you” and turned us around, and we went back to
my room.
“Can you remember who was driving at the time of the accident?” She asked
as I settled back in my bed.
“No, but I think it was Dad. Yes, I am SURE it was Dad. He hates Eugenia
driving. And mom never drives. He like holding the pizza when we buy it.... oh, we just
bought pizza!”
Keller grinned. “Wow, you are remembering stuff!! Can you remember the
conversation?”
As much as I thought about it, I couldn’t remember. “Sorry.” I said.
“Don’t worry. These things will come back to you, eventually. Don’t rush.”
“ I think I’m going to sleep for a while, now. My legs are killing me!”
“Ok. I’ll be back tomorrow.” We exchanged smiles, and she left. I was bringing
the pills to my lips as the door opened, showing Gini.
“Mrs. holmes is full of...”
“Whow, Gini. I though you were at home.”
“ Nah, lounge. Back to the point. She’s saying it was our fault? Our fault for the
accident? If we were responsible, they would be dead, not us. That’s how it works with
accidents.”
“Gini, I don’t think it works like that...”
“Now you’re against me to?”
“No way, Sis. But you’re going over board, just a bit....”
‘Am I now? My parents are dead! how are you not sad or anything?”
“I don’t think it has set in yet....”
“Then let it sink in, Sis. Feel something, for once. You never take anything
seriously.”
“ I do. I’m just trying to be pragmatic about it.”
“Always the nerd.”
“Gini, I’m going to bed. I don’t want you like this when I wake up.”
I gulped down the pills, drifting back into a calm sleep...
***
Gini was there when I woke up, but she hadn’t changed her attitude yet. Her
face was almost set in stone, a sneer drawn across it which made me almost fear for
my life.
“...”
“Gini, If you’re going to be all insultful and such, i don’t want to hear it.”
“Fne. I was just going to tell you that that lady down the hall died.”
That caught me off guard. “What? When? How?”
“ I guess the pain was too great. They found her pinching her IV tube.”
“That’s terrible!”
“Is it really? She deserved to die during the accident.”
“Who are you to judge?”
“She distracted the driver! it’s her fault the accident ever happened!why don’t
you care?”
“I do care, Gini! But I know that the accident was nobody’s fault, and so nobody
deserves to die!”
“And the parents? They didn’t deserve to die either.”
“No, they didn’t.... how come you survived, Gini? Not a scratch on you. Mom and
Dad died, and I almost did as well.... but you, you’re fine.... What really happened?
What happened in the accident?”
“Nothing happened, Marcy. We were driving. A bus ran a red light. that’s it.”
“ I don’t think so.....” Suddenly, my brain flashed to the moment of the accident....
I was in the car, playing super Mario Bros..... some one was fighting....
“The pizzas are going to get cold.” A woman, I assume it was Mom, said.
“No they won’t. Eugenia, slow down, we’re coming to a red light.” Was that
Dad?
“Dad, they’re no one coming.” Gini? Gini was driving the car?
“Eugenia, you have to stop at a red light.”
“No i don’t Dad. Look, no one’s there! I’ll just...”
Crash.
Slam.
Skid.
Ka-boom.
My eyelids opened quickly.
“Gini..... YOU were driving the car?”
“Well well well, look who remembered...”
“Gini, I’m going to tell Detective Keller.”
“Oooooo, you’re going to TELL, I’m so scared...”
“Gini, YOU killed the parents! You made us orphans! And all those people in
the bus..... Gini, you’re psycho....”
“ I was just trying to prove my point, Marcy..... They didn’t have to be there..... The
light was BARELY red, I mean, it just turned.... Redd didn’t have to blab like that...”
“Whow, whow, whow..... what about Redd?”
“I had to shut him up.”
“YOU killed Redd?”
“Oh yeah, and that... what’s her name...”
“You killed Mrs. Holmes? Oh Gini... She had a family....”
“So did we... once....”
“Gini, you’re sick. I’m calling the detective.” I frantically started to push the call
nurse button.”
“Oh no you’re not!” Gini yelled. She grabbed my pills, pinned me down and
started to jam them into my mouth. “A little overdose? Never suspect murder.....”
I struggled, managed to throw her off. I pushed the call button more vigorously
now.
I started to feel woozy.... oh no, she got one in my mouth.... I felt feint, my grasp
on the button slacking... No, No, I must hold on... tell detective.....
***
I woke with a start. I scanned my room: Gini was nowhere in sight. instead, a
haunting vision: Detective Keller. In the chair in the corner of my room. Limp and
lifeless. I screamed my lungs out.
A nurse ran in. Seeing the body of the closest person I had to a friend, she
freaked out as well. I explained the face that I just woke up. She called the police.
“I didn’t do it... but i know who did....“ I repeated endlessly to various detectives,
doctors, nurses. they put me on a wheelchair and rolled me into the security room.
“i’m Detective Tan.” A young man told me. “ I am... I mean, was... Detective
Keller’s partner. You say you know who killed her?”
“Yes, I do”
“Well, we beat you to it. We know it was you, Marcy.”
“What? No! I...”
“We’ve got it on tape, Marcy.”
They turned on one of the many TVs. I saw myself coming into Redd’s room,
pinching the IV and stopping him from breathing. I saw myself next in Mrs. Holmes’s
room, moving her limp fingers around the little IV tube, her unable to let go... finally, in
my own room, drugging Detective Keller with my pills and then strangling her.....
“That’s not me.” I gulped. “I can’t walk.”
One of the detectives picked up my left foot. “There’s dirt on it.” He said.
“There's been a mistake.... I mean, I couldn’t have done these thinks. I was
sleeping!”
“We’ve got proof, Marcy.”
“My sister did it! She told me!”
“You’ve never been awake while your sister was around.”
“No, not Mckayla, I mean Gini! Gini, or Eugenia! She did it, and admittied it to
me!”
The detectives exchanged worried glances.
“She was driving that day, the day of the accident! You’ve got to believe me!”
“ I wish I could, Marcy. But I’m sorry to say.... Gini died the day of the accident.
We told you, your family’s dead.”
I sat in the room in stunned silence. But somewhere in the back of my head, I
had known it all along. I could see Eugenia, sitting behind the nurses, no-one noticing
her presence....
“She’s right there!” I screamed, pointing at her. One or two people turned to
look, but they couldn’t see anything out of the picture. “I can see her!”
They all looked at me strangely. They thought I was crazy! Gini was laughing
now, whipping her hair her behind her shoulders, her head high in triumph.... She
glared at me, and through her bleach white teeth I thought I could see her mouthe:
“Who’s the psycho one now, Marcy?”
-Sarah
Age 15
Crash.
Slam.
skid.
ka-boom.
When I opened my eyes, those noises weren’t there. instead, I heard silence.
And I couldn’t see much anyway. I blinked a few times, and my vision seemed to get
better. Blink. Blink. Where was I?
Sounds were slowly coming to my ears. i didn’t even notice they were ringing
until I started to hear voices under the constant tone. They seemed so far away... Then
i could hear a slow beeping.... it sounded close.... where was it coming from? I tried
to turn my head in the direction of the sound.... My neck wasn’t cooperating. My nose
wasn’t either. And I was numb... what happened?
My eyes focused on the room around me. Small, kinda cramped. The chair in
the corner was currently being used by... someone.
‘Who are you?” I blurted out. But it sounded ore like “ooor r r uuuu?”
“Marcy? marcy?” the voice was shrill and high. “Are you really awake this time?”
I tried to nod, but it hurt so much; an uncomfortable “uh hun” was all the
stranger got.
“Marcy...’ the stranger said, pulling her chair close to the bed. “Can you?... Do
you know who I am? The doctor said you might not. Do you know who I am?”
I squinted at the person, whom I could now tell was a girl, but no name came to
mind. I managed to move my head back and forth without it causing me too much
pain.
‘It’s me, Marcy, Eugenia... you’re sister?” Why was she asking me? Things
were starting to come back to me.... Eugenia.... yes, I knew her....we shared the same
room....
“Marcy.... do you know who YOU are?”
Did I know? not really. I’m... Marcy. That’s all. “Marcy?’ I croaked.
She sighed. “Marcy. You’re 15. Have a cat, Belle. I’m your sister. I’m 17. We
shared rooms until I convinced mom I needed privacy. You have another sister, she’s
24. You following?”
Everything was coming back to me now. Me riding my first bike. First day of
school. Eugenia and I “fighting” about who’s fault it was that the room was messed
up.
“Gini.... what happened?” I said.
At that moment, some one opened the door. Gini got up and moved to the
corner of the room, offering the chair to the new arrival, who didn’t even thank her.
“How are you feeling, Marcy?” she said. I noticed that she was dressed in a
blue smock. Was she a nurse or something?
“M’ok”
“Marcy, do you remember ANYTHING of what happened? Anything at all?”
Accident? what accident? I shook my head. “ This might shock you, but you have to
know... You were in the car with you family. A bus driver ran a red light, and you
crashed. The bus only had injuries and everyone survived, though some are in critical
condition. But... your family’s dead, Marcy.”
Shock. What had happened? I couldn’t remember any of that.”
“My parents....” I groaned.
“They’re gone, Marcy.”
“And.... me?”
“You’re recovering. We had to amputate. I’m sorry. But apart that, you should be
fine now. How are you feeling?”
“Thirsty. Stiff”
“I’ll get you some water, and a nurse will be around to administer painkillers.”
“Wait... Am I in a hospital?”
She nodded. She had obviously dealt with patients like me before, and wasn’t
surprised how slow I was to catch on.
“What will happen to me?”
“We’ll work that out. You’ll probably stay with your cousins.”
“What about my sister?”
“Don’t you worry, Marcy. you need to rest to recover. I’ll bring you something to
help you sleep.” She stepped out of the room, then she turned around abruptly. “I
know this is a lot to think of. Sleep helps.” she left.
I felt tears in the corners of my eyes. I started to cry, the drops of salty water
running down my cheeks. I raised a hand to wipe the tears away, and saw that I was
missing a finger. two fingers, my index and my middle finger of my right hand. I would
never write again. I sobbed harder.
Gini took her seat back. She sat there in silence, then she put her hand on my
left one.
“It’s going to be ok, lil sis. They won’t separate us. We always have each other.”
That didn’t help. I was still blubbering like a baby.
“We always joked about what life would be without the parents. How much
easier everything would be. How we could live without them. Don’t worry, Marcy.”
Another nurse came in and handed me some pills and a small cup of water. I
took them without hesitation, though grasping the cup with my right hand was a bit
hard. I soon fell asleep, a nice deep sleep....
***
When I woke up again, I had light in my room. The window was open, and I
could see the treetops outside, the birds on the branches.... the birds in their nest,
feeding their young....
“Close the curtains, Gini.”
“Gini is not here,”someone else said. I whipped my head around to find the
owner of the voice, but obviously i did so too quickly and my neck hurt me again.
“Who are you?” I managed to say.”
“Detective Keller, from the police department? I’m here to ask you a few
questions about the accident.”
“ I don’t remember much...” I whispered. I didn’t want to think about it.
“Even small things can help us find out what went wrong.”
“Wasn’t it the bus driver who ran a red light?”
“ I don’t think so. i was just talking with Redd...”
“ You were talking with him? He survived?”
“ Yes, but at a cost. He will never be able to use his legs again. He’s in the
same hospital, actually. room 305.”
“Oh.” good for him. He still had a family.
“Anyway, he seems to think his breaks were faulty. But before, he said that the
light had just changed to green for him, and it was red for your car. Did your dad drive
through a red light?”
“I’m sorry, I can’t remember.” Was it Dad’s fault? He always was one for speed.
did he run a red light?
“What can you remember, then?”
“ I was texting, but I was in the back of the car. Dad was driving... I think. I
remember looking up and seeing the bus coming at us, quickly. That’s about it.”
“Nothing else? I mean anything at all?”
“I’ll tell you if I do. But i don’t want to think about it.”
“I understand. I mean, losing your whole family like that?”
“ I still have my sister.”
“Thank God for that. I’ll leave you alone, get some rest. call me if you remember
anything, ok?”
I nodded. The detective left the room, and Gini came in. Still wearing the clothes
from the day before, making wonder how long I’d been out.
“How’re you holding up?” she asked.
”’M’ok, considering. You?”
“Outraged. Did you hear? That bus driver was blaming us, US for the accident!
what a lying, stinking, murdering....”
“Gini, it was an ACCIDENT. That’s it. What;’s done is done.”
“You don’t despise him? He killed our parents, Marcy. Don’t you want revenge?”
“No.”
“Marceee....”
“Shut up, Gini. I can’t think straight with your constant blabber. I want some
sleep.”
“Suit yourself.” she shrugged off my words as if they were nothing but dust on
her shoulders. She got up and left without another word.
I noticed the pills on my bedside table; a nurse had set them out for me. I
swallowed them, and fell into a dreamless sleep.
***
Detective Keller was around when i woke up. This time I was feeling less
groggy, and my vision was better then it was the last time i woke up.
“How long was I out?” I asked.
“Sorry, i don’t know. This is.... 36 hours? Since my last visit. I came in and out of
consciousness... Are you really awake this time?”
“ I think so. I’m not sleepy. How’s the investigation going?”
“Not well. You remember Redd, the bus driver?”
I nodded.
“He passed away about a day ago.”
Now THAT got me awake. I sat up straight, surprising even myself at how
painless that action was.
“Died? How?”
“He just... stopped breathing. The hospital thinks he just choked in his sleep.”
Silence hung in the air as thick as a sheet. I stared at my hands, freaking
myself out as I saw again my mutilated hand. The other one, the left hand was scared,
but no digits were missing. I awkwardly thought of my feet: were they in one piece?
“How do i look?”though an awkward question at a time like this, It had to be
asked. The detective jumped.
“What do you mean?”
“I haven’t lost an ear or something? I’m honestly to scared to see my
reflection...”
“Well..” she was hesitant. "You look normal. You’ve got a few cuts on your face,
but I expect they’ll go away in time. A terrible cut on your forehead, you needed
stitches... 4 or 5 to my knowledge. Your legs are amazingly unharmed, I think. but you
might need therapy to to walk normally again. You’ve seen your hands....”
“Am I...ugly?”
“No way!” she laughed. “ You’re absolutely beautiful, even with the cuts.”
I was so touched at the sweetness of the young detective I started to cry again.
She shuffled in a worried way, got up to put her hand on my shoulder.
“Shhhh....” she whispered.
“What will you do next, for the investigation, I mean?”
“Before Redd passed on, he told me a passenger tried talking with him... A
certain Mrs. Holmes... I’ll talk to her next.”
“Did she get hurt as well?”
“Un-hun. When the windshield crashed, since she was standing, she was
ejected out of the window onto the street. She was in surgery for almost a full day: but
she’ll survive.”
“Close call... I’m glad no-one else died.”
“Do want to get up? Walk around? Maybe you want to talk to Mrs. Holmes?”
“ I don’t know...”
“Do need to walk around, though. You’ve been sleeping for days on end...”
“ I don’t think I can walk. and I don’t want a nurse to push me around.”
“If you want, maybe I could push the chair.... if it makes you feel more
confortable...”
“Ok... What about my sister?”
“She’s sorry... she sat by your side for hours, but she needed her sleep.
Someone drove her home.”
She got me a wheelchair and helped me onto it. I glad to see that my legs only
had small cuts and bruises, but apart that, they were absolutely fine. But they hurt like
****.
The detective wheeled me out into the hallway, and we made our way to Mrs.
Holmes’s room. It wasn’t far from mine, pretty much just around the corner.
Mrs. Holmes was doing WAY worse than me. Her exposed skin was covered in
cuts of all sizes, bruises... Her neck was in a brace, one of her legs in a cast. I
gasped.
“Mrs. Homes?” Dt. Keller asked politely. Mrs. holmes wet her lips with her
tongue, slowly in a drawn out action, as if she had to think out EVERY action involved.
“Here.” her voice was raspy and dry.
“I’m investigating the accident. Do you remember what happened? The driver
said you were talking to him at the time... What exactly were you talking about?”
“Uhhhhh...” she breathed slowly, thinking back... “I think we were talking about
how bad the neighborhood was these days, or something along those lines. Some
kids in the back of bus had pants down almost to their knees, and he was sayin’ how
he was hoping it was just a phase... then we crashed.”
“Was he watching the road?’”
“Yes, he was very vigilant. The other car cut right in front of us, when it was
green for us.”
The detective looked down on me, but he expression stayed the same: One of
calm and deep thought.
“Thank you. Anything else that might help us?”
“Hey, that girl was in the car, wasn’t she? The one in the wheelchair, there, right
in front of you! I saw her, as i flew out...”
“Yes, she survived.”
“Girl, you tell your parents...” deep breath. “That they should keep their eyes on
the road.”
“I can’t... they died....”
“I’m sorry...” she honestly sounded like she was. “Now, can you please leave
me alone? I need to catch up on my beauty sleep.”
Keller gave her another “thank you” and turned us around, and we went back to
my room.
“Can you remember who was driving at the time of the accident?” She asked
as I settled back in my bed.
“No, but I think it was Dad. Yes, I am SURE it was Dad. He hates Eugenia
driving. And mom never drives. He like holding the pizza when we buy it.... oh, we just
bought pizza!”
Keller grinned. “Wow, you are remembering stuff!! Can you remember the
conversation?”
As much as I thought about it, I couldn’t remember. “Sorry.” I said.
“Don’t worry. These things will come back to you, eventually. Don’t rush.”
“ I think I’m going to sleep for a while, now. My legs are killing me!”
“Ok. I’ll be back tomorrow.” We exchanged smiles, and she left. I was bringing
the pills to my lips as the door opened, showing Gini.
“Mrs. holmes is full of...”
“Whow, Gini. I though you were at home.”
“ Nah, lounge. Back to the point. She’s saying it was our fault? Our fault for the
accident? If we were responsible, they would be dead, not us. That’s how it works with
accidents.”
“Gini, I don’t think it works like that...”
“Now you’re against me to?”
“No way, Sis. But you’re going over board, just a bit....”
‘Am I now? My parents are dead! how are you not sad or anything?”
“I don’t think it has set in yet....”
“Then let it sink in, Sis. Feel something, for once. You never take anything
seriously.”
“ I do. I’m just trying to be pragmatic about it.”
“Always the nerd.”
“Gini, I’m going to bed. I don’t want you like this when I wake up.”
I gulped down the pills, drifting back into a calm sleep...
***
Gini was there when I woke up, but she hadn’t changed her attitude yet. Her
face was almost set in stone, a sneer drawn across it which made me almost fear for
my life.
“...”
“Gini, If you’re going to be all insultful and such, i don’t want to hear it.”
“Fne. I was just going to tell you that that lady down the hall died.”
That caught me off guard. “What? When? How?”
“ I guess the pain was too great. They found her pinching her IV tube.”
“That’s terrible!”
“Is it really? She deserved to die during the accident.”
“Who are you to judge?”
“She distracted the driver! it’s her fault the accident ever happened!why don’t
you care?”
“I do care, Gini! But I know that the accident was nobody’s fault, and so nobody
deserves to die!”
“And the parents? They didn’t deserve to die either.”
“No, they didn’t.... how come you survived, Gini? Not a scratch on you. Mom and
Dad died, and I almost did as well.... but you, you’re fine.... What really happened?
What happened in the accident?”
“Nothing happened, Marcy. We were driving. A bus ran a red light. that’s it.”
“ I don’t think so.....” Suddenly, my brain flashed to the moment of the accident....
I was in the car, playing super Mario Bros..... some one was fighting....
“The pizzas are going to get cold.” A woman, I assume it was Mom, said.
“No they won’t. Eugenia, slow down, we’re coming to a red light.” Was that
Dad?
“Dad, they’re no one coming.” Gini? Gini was driving the car?
“Eugenia, you have to stop at a red light.”
“No i don’t Dad. Look, no one’s there! I’ll just...”
Crash.
Slam.
Skid.
Ka-boom.
My eyelids opened quickly.
“Gini..... YOU were driving the car?”
“Well well well, look who remembered...”
“Gini, I’m going to tell Detective Keller.”
“Oooooo, you’re going to TELL, I’m so scared...”
“Gini, YOU killed the parents! You made us orphans! And all those people in
the bus..... Gini, you’re psycho....”
“ I was just trying to prove my point, Marcy..... They didn’t have to be there..... The
light was BARELY red, I mean, it just turned.... Redd didn’t have to blab like that...”
“Whow, whow, whow..... what about Redd?”
“I had to shut him up.”
“YOU killed Redd?”
“Oh yeah, and that... what’s her name...”
“You killed Mrs. Holmes? Oh Gini... She had a family....”
“So did we... once....”
“Gini, you’re sick. I’m calling the detective.” I frantically started to push the call
nurse button.”
“Oh no you’re not!” Gini yelled. She grabbed my pills, pinned me down and
started to jam them into my mouth. “A little overdose? Never suspect murder.....”
I struggled, managed to throw her off. I pushed the call button more vigorously
now.
I started to feel woozy.... oh no, she got one in my mouth.... I felt feint, my grasp
on the button slacking... No, No, I must hold on... tell detective.....
***
I woke with a start. I scanned my room: Gini was nowhere in sight. instead, a
haunting vision: Detective Keller. In the chair in the corner of my room. Limp and
lifeless. I screamed my lungs out.
A nurse ran in. Seeing the body of the closest person I had to a friend, she
freaked out as well. I explained the face that I just woke up. She called the police.
“I didn’t do it... but i know who did....“ I repeated endlessly to various detectives,
doctors, nurses. they put me on a wheelchair and rolled me into the security room.
“i’m Detective Tan.” A young man told me. “ I am... I mean, was... Detective
Keller’s partner. You say you know who killed her?”
“Yes, I do”
“Well, we beat you to it. We know it was you, Marcy.”
“What? No! I...”
“We’ve got it on tape, Marcy.”
They turned on one of the many TVs. I saw myself coming into Redd’s room,
pinching the IV and stopping him from breathing. I saw myself next in Mrs. Holmes’s
room, moving her limp fingers around the little IV tube, her unable to let go... finally, in
my own room, drugging Detective Keller with my pills and then strangling her.....
“That’s not me.” I gulped. “I can’t walk.”
One of the detectives picked up my left foot. “There’s dirt on it.” He said.
“There's been a mistake.... I mean, I couldn’t have done these thinks. I was
sleeping!”
“We’ve got proof, Marcy.”
“My sister did it! She told me!”
“You’ve never been awake while your sister was around.”
“No, not Mckayla, I mean Gini! Gini, or Eugenia! She did it, and admittied it to
me!”
The detectives exchanged worried glances.
“She was driving that day, the day of the accident! You’ve got to believe me!”
“ I wish I could, Marcy. But I’m sorry to say.... Gini died the day of the accident.
We told you, your family’s dead.”
I sat in the room in stunned silence. But somewhere in the back of my head, I
had known it all along. I could see Eugenia, sitting behind the nurses, no-one noticing
her presence....
“She’s right there!” I screamed, pointing at her. One or two people turned to
look, but they couldn’t see anything out of the picture. “I can see her!”
They all looked at me strangely. They thought I was crazy! Gini was laughing
now, whipping her hair her behind her shoulders, her head high in triumph.... She
glared at me, and through her bleach white teeth I thought I could see her mouthe:
“Who’s the psycho one now, Marcy?”
-Sarah
Age 15
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