Revolution

So when I wrote this I had a headache, please tell me if it was hard to follow. thanks :)

      ~Emma~

The city streets were cold and dark; no streetlamps shone down on the weary mother as she hurried on her way.  She knew they would catch up to her soon, so she needed to be swift in her work.  If anyone was to know the truth she had to hurry.  She hastened her steps as she approached the old library.  

            Now, the old library would be the perfect place to hide the documents that the drained women possessed.  She hastily opened the compartment and descended the musty tunnel stairs.  When she believed she was deep enough, she pulled out a loose brick in the wall revealing a safe.  She placed the documents carefully in the safe then sealed it.

            When she emerged from the library she stopped at three different buildings, trusting that it would give them too much trouble to continue the search.  Maybe she would get away with it; then, and only then could she see her daughter grow up to be a young women.  However, the instant she turned the corner she knew her time had come.

            “You have given us enough trouble ma’am, now tell us where the documents are and you and your husband will be free to go.”  The man wondered how this woman escaped his grasp for so long and it caused him to become irritated.

            “Promise me my child will live through the purge.”  The man was confused, but as he looked at the bundle in her arms, a smirk crossed his face.

            “I will see to it personally that she finds a nice family to call her own, as long as you’re sure that is your choice?”  The mother nodded quickly as the tears began to fall from her face, “Very well.”  He nodded to his partner as he took the bundle from the mother’s arms.

            After a minute the men continued their way to the father’s house. The leader, who was carrying the little girl in his arms, allowed an evil grin to spread across his face.  The women didn’t protest as she gave up her life; now she lay in a heap on the sidewalk.  His pride allowed him to believe that her attempts were futile.  How could she ever succeed?  The purge began and a new era arose, a time of lies and deceit.

            ~seventeen years later~

            It was midnight when Jewel hobbled down the dark alleyways.  Despite the late hours, the city was bustling with activity.  Fifteen years ago America had undergone a dramatic change; many believed that this change was good.  They had discovered power and secluded themselves from other nations.  Few knew the meaning of the nation’s new name, Cupidite.  Jewel was one of those few, being the daughter of an official, it meant greed.  America had become the country of greed.

            They believed in laughter, lust, and love; not love of others but love of what makes oneself happy.  Cities had been set all across the country for the young people.  Ages sixteen through nineteen would go a city while those thirteen to fifteen would go to another.  Everyone under the age of thirteen would stay with the ‘oldies.’ 

Oldies were anyone over the age of sixty; those in charge of the nation deemed them the guardians.  Although they all knew that once you reached the age of sixty you were sent to factories and farms to either clean up after the reckless youth or to supply them with food.  The young ones mostly worked on farms until the age of ten, where they would then go to the factories to recycle waste.

Jewel, being the daughter of an official, had special privileges; she was able wander to anywhere she liked.  She had learned dark secrets about the new nation, secrets about her past.  Now, at the age of seventeen she had been sent to a city where she was told to enjoy her life.  Most other youth here party their lives away, never thinking of the consequences.

There was a small group of people, however, that Jewel discovered and had shared her secrets with them.  Now she was meeting up with a friend from that group and they were headed to meet one Oldie who had survived the purge of doubters.  There, Jewel and her companion hoped they would find a way to find true happiness.

The train that carried Jewel and her friend was barren from any youth, so the two had to wear large cloaks to conceal their identity.  Jewel gazed solemnly at the weary passengers that were trying to savor the precious moments of peace.  She wondered if they regretted their actions when they were youths- told to party their life away.  Everything had its consequences; even now Jewel knew that the consequence of her discovered identity was fatal.

The train had dropped Jewel and her companion off at an old city.  As the two gazed at the ruins, they felt the evil power that had been released many years ago.  They quietly picked their way through rubble to an old library, the only building that remained upright.  They plodded up the stairs, careful to avoid rubble and crumbling brick, and entered the doorway.

“So you did come,” said a frail voice.  The withered man, who stood gazing at an old stained-glass window, sounded amused.  “There are so few who wish to believe the monstrous actions taken to give them a moment of fun.”  The whole time he spoke with them his eyes never left the window, “You must know this first, the only reason I survived the purge was because I was a political leader.  They called me a President.  I was supposed to be the leader of the Nation, however, I had no control over what was happening.”

“They decided that if I died then the people would rebel.  As long as I was alive it appeared that I had agreed.  They locked me up, only to bring me out when they needed a public appearance or a new picture to show my face.  Of course my face was edited, but the public never knew.  Those leaders were foolish!  They were stupid enough to let me live.”

“Now the truth!  Bellowed the old man, the purge was to rid America, or Cupidite, of all who thought that they needed to work to earn happiness.  They thought such thoughts were poison to the mind.  Once they had wheedled out the ‘faint in mind’ they began building a new nation.  The nation was formed from lies, and the truth will be its downfall.”

Now the old man turned to them and pointed at Jewel, “Your real parents knew the truth. They locked it away and hid the key right under the nose of the officials.  You are the key. Jewel, you know how to save us before it is too late, but you can’t do it alone.”  He turned to Jewel’s friend, “You must support her and lead others by sharing the truth with them.”

The friend looked at the man, puzzled by his words, “But won’t you be better than us? You were once important to this land?”

The former leader let out a hearty laugh, “This generation does not look to its elders for help!  Maybe when I was a boy an elder would be a better option, but not now.  No, they look to the new and all things that are pleasing to the eye.  I do not know how to make anything look appealing.  My work is done and my time has come.  I have but a few breaths left in my body and I will fight against this evil with each one.”

He brought himself up to full height and handed Jewel an envelope. He then saluted the two and said, “Remember the truth, it will set you free, it will set us all free.”

Jewel opened the packet and found a key and a letter.  She read the letter and walked over to a large desk at the back of the room.  Finding a slot she put the key in and turned it.  A passageway was opened for her and she descended the stairs.  As she walked down the tunnel she ran her fingers along the wall imagining if what she was feeling now, her birthmother felt many years ago.

After pacing back and forth a couple times she found what she was looking for.  The brick dropped to the floor, causing the tunnel to echo with the sound of the discovery.  She pulled out a package and returned to her friend.  Silently they returned to their city.  The revolution will start with them and it will not be easy, but the truth would spread.  It would spread throughout the nation like medicine to a sick man, crumbling down the barrier that the lies had built up.

Her True Voice

I got inspiration for this while I was practicing at choir. This girl is not based off of me however because my voice is far from angelic. 

Aurora fidgeted excitedly awaiting her turn to take place on the stage; she was waiting to sing.  She had loved singing ever since she was able to talk.  Her mom said that, before she could talk, she would hum and tap her feet to any music that was playing.  Now she sang at every opportunity she had; she was in her school and church choir, where she would try out for every solo.  She normally got the solo considering the fact that her voice was angelic, at least that was what so many people told her.

Aurora was signaled onto stage; the pauper girl with a stunningly gorgeous voice.  When she left the stage at the closing scene she could have sworn some of the audience was crying.  Why wouldn’t they be crying she was a star and her voice could grip their hearts in its grasp?  She grabbed her backpack and headed to the bathrooms to change, she was sure her parents would want to take her out to eat since she was so stupendous.  She dropped her costume off at the fitting room where the costume designer, a boy at her school, congratulated her for her performance, then headed into the crowd.

Aurora’s parents were waiting for her at the front of the auditorium with a bouquet of flowers in her mother’s arms.  She strolled over to them acting casually and even though she knew the flowers were hers she acted surprised when she got them.  Her mother got upset when Aurora talked about how good she was, she called it being prideful, but aurora called it being truthful.  The family strolled out of the school arm in arm talking about the possible dinner places.  “I still think tonight sounds like an Olive Garden night,” Aurora’s mom said.

“You always think any night feels like an Olive Garden night,” Aurora contradicted.  “This is my bug night and I think I should choose.”

“Your mother has told not to be so prideful, Aurora,” Her dad scolded but Aurora just smiled.

“You know I was great and you want to congratulate me don’t you, you just don’t want me to get a big head and run off to Hollywood to become a star.  But don’t you worry I won’t forget about my poor darling family.”  She said in a dramatic tone, but her mother pursed her lips and her father rebuked her even more.

“You won’t be going anywhere until you can learn to throw away that pride and consider others as well.  Did you congratulate any of the others in the program for their wonderful job, or the people who worked backstage to make sure everything went smoothly?”

“No,” Aurora said in a quiet voice.

“No, and how many people congratulated you?”

“Dad, everyone congratulates the star of the show it’s common sense.”

“Then I guess I’m not common.”  Her dad stated flatly, by then they had arrived at the car.  The irritation that had formed in Aurora’s throat grew stronger but she chose to ignore it and stuck her head in the bouquet that was in her arms.  “Don’t these flowers smell wonderf,” she couldn’t finish her sentence because it felt like her throat was swelling to double its size.  She dropped the bouquet and grabbed her throat struggling to breath.  “Aurora, what’s wrong sweetie?” She could hear her mother’s frantic voice and her dad saying something over the phone, but they both seemed so distant and kept getting farther and farther until all that was left was blackness.

Aurora awoke and stared at the wall next to the bed she was in for about thirty seconds before she remembered what happened earlier.  She didn’t know how long she had been out but she figured she was in a hospital bed.  Once she was able to move her limbs and sit up she confirmed her suspicions.  She scanned the room but it was completely empty except for the stuffed animal that had been set in a chair by her bed.  It was a bear, but not like a teddy bear, it was realistic and when she reached out to touch it felt as soft as velvet.  She pulled the bear onto her bed and sat there hugging it waiting for someone to come in.

My mother entered within five minutes with a nurse and they both smiled at me.  I smile back and open my mouth to say something to them but nothing comes out.  I swallow a couple times hoping that my throat was just dry but deep inside I knew the truth.  Tears fall down my face as the nurse hands me a pad of paper and a pencil and my mother looks at me sympathetically.  ‘How long?’ I wrote frantically.  My mother sighs and tells me to wait for the doctor to come and explain everything. She walks over to my bed and takes me in her arms.  The nurse left leaving us alone and all I can do is cry; my mother strokes my hair trying to comfort me.

Around seven minutes after the nurse left my room the doctor walks in. “How’s my patient?” He asks with a smile on his face. It almost makes me mad at how he can see so much sickness and still walk into a room with a patient in it and smile like everything is okay.  I frown at him and look at my mom, she understands my gaze.  “My daughter was wondering how long this she will be in this,” She seemed to search for the right word, “This condition.  You told me you would explain everything once she wakes up.”

“Yes that is what I said, well,” He turned to me as he spoke now, “You had a severe allergic reaction to the flowers in the bouquet you were given.  If you had known you had an allergy to flowers and had medicine with you then your voice would have been back by the end of the week.” He slowed talking and his voice dropped as though what he was about to say next would be difficult. “We could only do so much; when your throat swelled it damaged your voice box. It is very rare for this to happen but it is very likely that you will never speak again.”

The next day I lay in bed hugging the bear that came from a mysterious person, when I asked my mom who it came from she told me she didn’t know.  I looked it up online and learned that it was a simple brown bear and there were only one hundred stuffed bears like it.  The thing is huge, like the size of a medium sized dog.  I emailed all my friends and relatives to see if they got it for me but no one said they did. I began to wonder if it was meant for me at all.

Later that day I check my email for the hundredth time but there is nothing new in my inbox.  It makes sense because all my friends would be at school with it being a Friday.  I won’t be able to attend school again since the teachers aren’t required to learn sign language.  I won’t even be allowed to go to social events without my mom, my phone, a pencil, and a pad of paper until I have learned sign language.  I’m supposed to start tomorrow but I am not looking forward to it.

Tomorrow comes too soon and along with it comes my sign language teacher and another one of her students.  My teacher looks to be in her thirties with short brown hair and, oddly enough, the bluest eyes I have ever seen.  Her student is a shy girl who can speak but has lost the ability to hear; she needs to learn sign language so she can understand her interpreter.  All of us head into the living room where my mom had put some refreshments and we get started.

I lay in bed that night completely and utterly frustrated with trying to learn sign language.  Every time I wanted to ask a question I had to write it down and by the end of the session my hand was cramping up severely.  I am, once again, hugging the mysterious bear whom I have named chocolate chip and thinking of my singing.  It had hit me last night that I will never be able to project my melodious voice again and all I could do is lay there sobbing.  Tonight I feel more at peace over the issue; I realize I had been very prideful about it and it was a wall that separated me from some of my friends.  I thought they were just jealous, but really I had bragged about it so much to them that I became annoying, now I can’t even explain how sorry I am.

The next few months pass by and I picked up on the sign language more quickly than I thought.  I received a new teacher whose name is Andrew; he is deaf so I am forced to translate for my mother when she talks to him.  Even though Andrew has an interpreter he refuses to use his help when he is at my house which helps me to practice.  My mom is having a hard time learning to sign but my dad, like me, picked up on it quickly.

The days passed quickly for me, I had finished sign language lessons last week and mom has been trying to keep me up to date with my school work.  She has been extremely busy lately because she is still learning to sign, she works three days a week, she is homeschooling me, and she is caring for our family.  One thing my mom refuses to give up is the church choir, I refused to let her.  I will go with her sometimes and sit in the church pew and listen to the harmony between the many voices in the choir.

One Sunday I was in listing to the choir practice and found myself signing along to the words; not singing, signing.  The choir leader asked me if I would sign along to some songs when they sing them at church.  At first I told him no, because I wanted to leave my life with music behind me.  The more I thought about it the more I felt I should agree.  The next time I saw him I told him that I would try one song and if I didn’t feel comfortable then I wouldn’t do any more.

The day I was supposed to sign along with the choir came and for the first time in my life I had nervous jitters, not excitement jitters, nervous ones.  I was debating copping out of signing when the choir director found me and told me it was time.  I walked up with the choir and as they sang I signed; I saw many people in the pews had tears running down their faces but I figured it was because of the singing.  When the song was over we walked off the balcony and made our way back to the pews.  I couldn’t help but smile, this was the first time since the incident with the flowers that I had performed anything on stage.  The feeling from doing this was much better than thousands of my singing performances combined.  I knew that I would keep signing along with songs because the signing that I did was my one true voice.

Help

I need ideas, anyone have suggestions for the topic of a story?

A Girl and Her Dog

Okay guys are you ready for a sad ending?             

                        Daniela had wandered around her farm most days; she had been unable to do much else since the accident she was in when she was ten.  She had been unable to do many activities that involved running or a lot of walking.  Her right leg had been severely screwed up and all she could do was limp around.  Now, three years later nothing much had changed, her leg still hurt if she was on it for long periods of time and she still couldn't run and play with the other teens.

                Buddy was a yellow lab mix who was by Daniela’s side from when she stepped out the farmhouse door to when she stepped back in.  He would always greet her with his tail wagging and his tongue lolling out of his mouth.  They would check on the animals in the barn then head into the woods to the creek where, depending on the weather, Daniela would soak her bare feet and stroke Buddy’s thick, rough fur.

                Today, Daniela stumbled out the door with tears running down her face, buddy waited for her outside the door, but this time she hardly noticed him.  She made her way to the barn as quickly as she could, then, tried to climb the old ladder into the hayloft.  It was a difficult feat because she had to pull herself up it while anyone else would just climb it normally.  Buddy waited at the bottom with his ears drooped and his head lying between his paws.  He whined sympathetically but Daniela paid no attention to him, still; she was too busy sobbing.  This would be the last month she would have on the farm.

                Daniela’s parents were sending her off to a boarding school where she would be able to learn and compete in sports.  The boarding school was for kids who were crippled in some sort of way; the people there would create sports that the kids would be able to compete in.  Daniela hated the idea; she hated the thought of leaving her farm and the animals on it.  She hated the thought of leaving her friends and her family behind, and then she remembered Buddy.  She lowered herself down the ladder and sat in the dirt beside the loyal canine.  He nuzzled her hand and she stroked his soft head dreading the day when she would leave.

                Two weeks later Daniela stood on the porch with her suit cases lying beside her and Buddy lying at her feet.  He knew something was wrong but she would have never guessed that her leaving would bring him much pain.  She knelt down and squeezed his neck then, said goodbye and boarded the bus.  As the bus pulled away she looked back and saw her mother struggle to hold Buddy back. He was trying to leap out of her arms, barking frantically attempting to follow Daniela.  She turned away with the very familiar feeling of tears running down her face trying to forget but knowing she never could.  “I’ll be home soon.” She quietly promised Buddy then fell asleep.

                The second night at the boarding house she received a call from her mom.  “What is it like there, honey?”  Daniela’s mom asked.

                “Awful.”

                “No honey really what is it like?”

                “I told you awful, there are no animals, no woods, no hay, and everyone here is nice but they treat us like babies, then the girls really do believe that they should be treated that way and expect everyone to show them favoritism.”

                “Oh Daniela, try to like it there I am sure it is better than going to public school here.”

                “Then why don’t you homeschool me?”

                “You know we can’t do that, we have enough to do with your dad working two jobs and taking care of the farm and me teaching at the elementary school.”

                “Mom what’s wrong?”  Daniela asked, she knew something was wrong because her mom’s voice sounded more stressed than usual.

                “We just miss you is all.”  She sighed Daniela could tell it was a lie.

                “Why aren’t you telling me?”  Daniela accused.

                “It’s Buddy,” Daniela’s mom began and Daniela wasn’t sure if she wanted to hear the rest.  “He was searching for you all day after you left and all the next day.  When we got up this morning he was gone; the mailman said he saw him running down the road you left on.”  Daniela stood by the phone stunned, her best friend was missing.  He had come after her, and she would probably never see him again, “You still there sweetie?”  Her mom asked on the other end of the line.

                “Ya,” She muttered weakly, “I have some homework I need to do, bye.”  She hung up the phone, she had told a lie, they hadn’t even started classes yet but she was too mad to continue talking with her mom.  Her mom let her best friend just run away and hadn’t found him yet, now he was probably going to die by getting hit by a car or caught and have some needle injected into him.  Daniela shivered, she had to find him.  After everyone had fallen asleep she grabbed the backpack she had packed with food and blankets and snuck away.

                Getting away from the boarding school was easier than Daniela thought; maybe the people there thought that because the kids were crippled in some way they wouldn’t try to run away, they were wrong.  It was a good thing she had woken up after the bus left her town or she wouldn’t have remembered the roads they took to the school.  She silently rejoiced because she had such a great memory, and followed the exact roads they took until she became weary and her knee started hurting her.  Daniela found a place in some woods to sleep and pulled out a sleeping bag then drifted off.

                When Daniela woke up she saw lights shining through the trees; there were voices that sounded far off but as soon as she shook herself awake she realized they were all around her.  There were people in the woods calling her name and as she looked back in the direction of the road she saw blue and red lights.  How would she be able to find Buddy if they took her back?  She sat there for a moment after she rolled her sleeping bag up then decided she would have to sneak farther into the woods.  Daniela wondered how she could sneak past the policeman when they had flashlights and would shine them on her if she moved, then an idea popped into her head.

                Ten minutes later Daniela turned off the flashlight that helped her sneak past the policemen.  She had hoped that if she turned on her flashlight the policemen would think she was one of them, and wouldn’t pay attention to her, she was right.  Now she was following some old railroad tracks that she knew would eventually lead past her town.  Her and Buddy used to follow them occasionally.  She made sure she kept close to the bushes so she could dive in them if anyone happened to come along.  No one, however, thought to look for her at the abandoned tracks.

                Once again Daniela’s leg made her stop to rest; she sat down on some rotting railway ties and pulled a sandwich out of her backpack.  She finished up the sandwich quickly then sat in silence for a moment.  Daniela was about to resume her trip when she heard a whimper, she paused for a second and heard nothing, but when she was about to continue she heard it again.  It sounded like the sound was coming from inside the woods and it sounded distinctively like a dog.  She rushed into the woods as fast as she could, hoping, and dreading that it could be Buddy; then the rain started.

Daniela knelt down and picked up the sopping furry body; the rain was pouring down but it didn’t compare to how fast the tears were flowing down her face.  She tried to regain her balance after she tripped on a tree root; the weight of the animal in her arms seemed to be growing heavier with each step.  Her best friend lay in her arms; it was just two weeks ago that Buddy had been comforting her while she was hurting.

                Daniela struggled to make it to the road, she knew the police would be there waiting for her, all she had to do was make it there.  She stumbled along in the woods for half an hour before she caught sight of the road.  She fell to her knees beside the road and pain shot up her leg like a wild fire, but she ignored it.  Her only thought was Buddy; she laid him beside her and looked to see what was wrong.  Even with the rain blurring her vision, Daniela knew what had been causing blood to pour from Buddy’s shoulder.  It was a bullet wound, deep and infected with puss oozing out of it.  She stifled a cry as she used a clean piece of cloth to tenderly clean the wound; it made her want to puke.

                Daniela sat by the roadside for twenty minutes before she saw the flashing lights approach; she knew help was there.  She looked down at Buddy, stroked his head, and told him help was coming.  He gazed back up at her with pain in his eyes, whimpered, and then tenderly licked her hand before he dropped his head back to the ground.  With one last heavy sigh, Daniela’s faithful and never criticizing friend, breathed no more.  Just then the lights appeared beside her and she felt strong arms lift her up off the ground.  Voices swirled around her and a blanket drooped over her but none of that mattered, because her only friend was gone.

                Three days later Daniela had been released from the hospital with the doctors saying that her parents should watch her cold, in case it turned into pneumonia.  All she did was lie on the porch swing where Buddy would lie with her, if he was still alive.  He had been buried by their favorite spot, by the creek and now Daniela would never visit there.  Slowly she allowed her life to ease away; she acted the same, day to day hoping no one would notice.  No one did notice until it was time for her to leave, by then she was too far gone.  She miraculously made her way to where Buddy was buried, laid her head beside him, and prayed that God would watch over her family while she was gone.

                Daniela’s parents knew she had been sick for a long time, they had hoped she would live long enough to make it through her young life.  They never realized she was slipping away from them in her last days, because she would hide it excellently.  But, when they found her body lying peacefully beside Buddy’s grave, they knew their mistake.  They mourned her loss and praised God for the time she had lived, they knew until her accident Daniela’s life was full of happiness and adventure.  Now she was embarking on the greatest adventure she could dream of.  Yes her parents mourned for their daughter, but they also rejoiced for they knew her pain was over, and her best friend would be there to guide her way.

posts

Now that my vacation is over I am really busy, my posts won't be as frequent. sorry

Unit Jumper

Unit Jumper

A shiver ran through Marcus as he crouched in the middle of a barren, corn field.  The looming, black, storm clouds drew closer and the wind began to pick up, ruffling his shaggy blond hair.  No other living being was outside of some sort of shelter; none, except him.  They had good reasons too; the storm that was approaching was supposed to be the biggest in thirteen years.  Yes, anyone in their right minds would not be waiting there for the forty mile an hour winds or dare to brave the deadly tornadoes that would be sure to touch down.  But they didn’t know the secret he did; he knew he would not be harmed in the storm, she wouldn’t allow it.  ‘She’ was the unnatural being that had appeared in every deadly storm that hit where Marcus was.  He never noticed her until the past year, however, he believed she was there because he realized how many near death storm moments had come his way, yet he was still alive.

The first time Marcus saw her she seemed to be floating down on a wave of leaves; Marcus was sure she was riding the wind rather than leaves.  He had been walking back to his farmhouse when the sudden storm hit and thing quickly grew ugly from there.  The tornado had formed in the field to his left and its path was heading straight at him; he knew there would be no escape from the deadly winds.  Then, she rode down on the wave of leaves; her hair was jet black and her eyes were a piercing light blue color.  Her skin was paler than any other Marcus had seen before, almost whiter than snow.  She landed about a hundred yards away from him and turned to look at him for a moment; in that moment Marcus experienced calm in the storm.  He couldn’t explain it, he should have felt fear or regret, after all he was seconds away from death.

 The girl looked away and walked towards the tornado, Marcus wanted to scream but nothing came out; he thought she must have been suicidal.  She entered the tornado and instead of seeing a body fling out, Marcus saw her rise in the tornado with her long hair flying in every direction as she raised her arms.  To Marcuse’s surprise the tornado began shrinking, and by the time it would have reached him, it was just a small swirl of wind in the girl’s hand.  She stood in front of him and blew away the swirl in her hand as if it was no more than a birthday candle, smiled at him, then ascended on the wave of leaves once more.

When Marcus had reached home he could hardly believe what had happened to him, and his mom could hardly believe that he was alive.  That was a year ago when he was fifteen, today, on his sixteenth birthday he felt an adrenaline rush as the lightning began, followed by the sound of thunder.  He wouldn’t stand now that the lightning started, not until she showed up.  The girl would never speak with him, but the mystery made her that much more intriguing.  The storm was upon him now, the wind whipping around him, and the rain pouring bucketful’s of frigid water on him.

Thirty minutes into the storm and Marcus had begun to lose hope, maybe she wouldn’t come today, he thought about running back to the house where his mother would wait with a worried expression on his face.  After his father had died in a tornado Marcuse’s mom was very protectant of all the kids during storms.  There were seven of them, Andrew was the oldest, then Marcus, next Jason and Jamie the twins, Jamie was the only girl in the family.  After the twins came Henry, and last was David.  Marcus was thinking about his family when a sudden, and very close flash of lightning jerk him back to his surroundings.

The storm was getting extremely dangerous; Marcus would have kicked himself if he had not been crouching on the ground.  Why was he so daring?  His need for an adrenaline rush would be the death of him.  Lightning was circling all around him when she appeared; this was the first time she rode no wind.  She descended from the sky on the steps of the lighting, and for the first time Marcus saw her as a radiant and very powerful creature.  Her feet touched the ground and the storm around them calmed, it was like they were in the eye of a storm.

“You like near death experiences, don’t you?”  She asked.  Her voice surprised Marcus, it wasn’t soft as he imagined it, or strong and powerful.  It was the most dangerous type of voice in the world, the kind that could manipulate you into doing anything.  Marcus knew he shouldn’t trust her, that he should have stopped looking for her in storms since the first time they met.

 “We have been watching you,” she continued, “You’re different, as are we.” She smiled and Marcus knew she was either drawing him into a trap or offering him a once in a lifetime opportunity; yet again his need for adrenaline and adventure won over.

“What are you talking about?” he asked, “And who are you?”

“Come with us and all will be explained,” She said in a singsong voice and Marcus struggled to keep control of himself.  She brought down another lightning ladder and extended her hand for him to take.

“Come with us, we can fill the void that haunts you every day.”  Marcus began to reach out and a smile started forming on the girls face, then all the sudden Marcus snapped out of it and jerked his hand back.

“Who are you?” He shouted and her smile quickly vanished, “What are you trying to do to me?  I am not as much of a fool as you might think.”

“If you were no fool then you would not reject our offer,” She hissed, her face inches away from his; he could smell the smell that only occurred after it rained.  “Come with us or our protection will leave you then what do you think your life would be like.  Your home lies in the path of our alley.” He knew she was talking about the tornado alley, and he realized for the first time that it was her who protected the family home through the years.

“Do you control the storms?” Marcus asked warily, she let out a long laugh that sounded like a sweet melody, and then replied with the former charm, all sting gone from her voice.

“We not only control storms but all elements; it is what we were appointed for just as you were appointed to care for the earth and the creatures that rely on it.”

“But if I am appointed to care for the land then why do you want me to go with you?”  Marcus challenged, he knew that if he pushed it to far then he and his family would pay. 

“Did you not hear me, I said you are different; every once and a while one of the land dwellers has a power surge flow through them and it can change their nature and they acquire a new trait so they may be approached to change their life.  Only a few people know about the different units and only they can approach new members.”

“So you want me to leave my family behind after what they have already been through, and following you into some unknown place, all because I am different,” It was more of an angry and confused rant than a question.  Marcus had no idea what to think about the whole thing; he wished they had never moved to that farm after his father died.  Everything was falling apart yet something in him wanted to go into the unknown; it couldn’t get any worse could it. The girls face had hardened once again.

“We are getting inpatient with you boy, we will be back at the next storm, then, you will have an answer.” Her voice that hissed out the words then, suddenly, she seemed to change her mind and her face softened then she spoke again, using the mesmerizing tone that was so dangerous.

“Just remember,” She said as she climbed the ladder of light staring down into his eyes, “Only two other land dwellers have changed their units; only two have ever had the privilege of being called a unit jumper.”  With those last words she disappeared into the clouds.  Rain once again poured down onto Marcus, but that was all that was left of the ferocious storm.

Marcus headed back to the farmhouse hoping to sneak inside, dry off, and pretend he’d been there the whole time however, his mom had other plans.  The instant he walked in the door she breathed a sigh of relief, but he had been warned too many time to receive any more gratitude of his return.

“How many times do I have to tell you to come home when a storm is coming, you know how dangerous they are.  You will not get out of this house again until I am sure you won’t go running off hoping to get ripped apart by a tornado……..”  Marcuse’s mom ranted on and on but he ignored the words to distracted by the choice he had been given.  He gave her a kiss on the cheek and headed up the stairs to get dried off not waiting for her to finish.

“This is the last straw,” she shouted up, “You hear me; I will ship you off if you don’t stop ignoring me.”

Marcus’s mom’s last words made it through his thick skull and bounced off the walls inside unable to escape.  She had been threatening that for the past three storms, Marcus was smart enough to know his mother would ship him hundreds of miles away, rather than see him die in a storm.  If he wanted to experience storms the same way he had for the past year he would have to become a unit jumper.  If he wanted to stay with his family he would have to give up storms, forever.  He thought about two words: family and storms.  He thought about which burned more, like a wild fire that couldn’t be contained, and which was icy freezing his skin.  He repeated the words aloud a few times to see his reaction to each of them.

Marcus stayed up almost all night thinking about the two choices; by three in the morning he had made a decision and drifted into a disturbing sleep.  When morning came he saw the skies were dark, promising another storm.  He headed downstairs to eat breakfast and his family was sitting there waiting for him.  While they ate the others carried an easy conversation; only Marcus and his mother remained silent.  He sneaked a peek out the window and smiled as he saw the clouds, big mistake.  For the rest of the day his mother frowned on him and made sure he never had a chance to exit the door; he had to get out, to leave.

 Marcus found his opportunity when his mother headed upstairs; he dropped the dishes he had been working on and darted to the door.  His mother saw him from the upstairs window and shrieked; she had lost him.  She knew he had been visited on his sixteenth birthday as had two of her children before him; one of them refused the offer but the first accepted it.  She now knew Marcus would follow his older sister into the clouds; He was heading out to meet her now, though he did not know.  Their eyes were the giveaway, the same light blue that mesmerized anyone who looked into them, just like their father’s.  She looked out and saw lightning flash, just one streak.  A shadow descended it waited at the bottom only for a moment, then, two shadows ascended the bolt and it disappeared into the other realm.

A Sunset to Remember

Hey this is kind of a children's story, let me know how you like it.:)

I am a barrel cacti, I am fifty years old and still young.  I live in Casa Grande, Arizona where the weather gets very hot and is often sunny.  I always point to the southwest so that I don’t get burnt.  To my right sits a prickly pear cactus, to my left stands a saguaro cactus.  The saguaro stands tall and when the sun sets he blocks my view of the beautiful sunset.  I often complain to him but he just laughs and says I need to grow taller.  Well, I am ten feet tall, and for a barrel cactus that is an amazing feet; it was clear I wasn’t going to get any taller.

 The saguaro called himself Guapo, which meant handsome; but the barrel decided to take on a more modest name, Epico.  Guapo was sixteen feet tall and had many arms that reached out in all directions; he teased Epico, since Epico was a plain stalk.  Every evening Guapo would stand tall and exclaim over the beauty of the sunset, he would never describe it to Epico; he would only say that it was more beautiful than the last.  Epico resented Guapo for this and every once and a while he would yell at him for his audacity.  

Cosa Dulce, which meant sweet thing, would calm Epico down on these occasions.  She was the little prickly pear that dwelt beneath him; she would never be able to see the sunrise or sunset for she was too short.  A building blocked her way on the east and on the west both Epico and Guapo blocked her view.  Epico was always courteous enough to describe the sunrise down to the smallest detail.  Epico also noticed that she was never irritated with either him or Guapo for standing in her way; Cosa Dulce always seemed to be happy.  Epico decided he would try and acquire Cosa Dulce’s optimistic attitude and for years after he became less infuriated with Guapo.

It had been seven years since Epico had learned to be content, and he had still never seen a sunset.  Guapo was too proud to describe it to him and still teased him about his lack of limbs; but Epico’s temper never was raised.  Now Epico saw that Guapo had become sullen and the tall proud cactus he remembered was slowly disappearing.  One night Epico woke with a start to a loud thud, he glanced over and saw Guapo slouch down even more than he had been and heard a loud sigh.  He could never tell but he believed Guapo had lost one of his marvelous limbs.  The first frost came upon them and Epico toughened it out; he knew Cosa Dulce would be able to stand it, but Guapo had been getting worse and worse.  

It was now three months into the winter season and daylight broke; Epico and Cosa Dulce watched the sun rise, for the building which had hindered her view had been removed.  She loved watching the colors blend together in the crisp morning sky, and never grew tired of seeing the golden rays of sun come over the mountains.  The sun had risen and the daily show was over; Epico heard a sigh and turned his attention to Guapo.  The cactus that had once been tall and proud stood now slouched appearing that he would collapse at any moment.  Already there was a steady wind coming in and Clouds began to cover the sky; it would be a cold day.

 “Tonight,” said Guapo breathing deeply and heavily, “Tonight you will see a sunset.  I am sorry that in my prime I was too prideful to realize that it was a phenomenon meant to be shared with everyone.  I am sorry.”  He said and Epico didn’t even know how to respond.  The aging cactus needed no reply for he had drifted away preparing for the next gust of wind that would bring him to his knees.  It came towards the evening, and when it did Epico looked away; there was a loud crash then it was over.  Epico looked back and saw the mighty Cactus lying on the desert floor, then, it happened, a mighty sunset, far better than any Guapo had seen before.  There is no way to explain it; all you who saw it would understand, and when it was over Cosa Dulce asked for him to describe it.  “When I fall,” said Epico, “You will understand, for it is something far beyond explanation.  I will fall before you Cosa Dulce, and you will see the beauty and the splendor that is, a sunset.

Something Funny??????

The Queen of His World

It was well into the night when Nadia climbed out her bedroom window.  She had moved to the first floor after her parents died; the change brought fewer memories of them.  She quietly made her way to the back yard and followed it until the she arrived at the edge of the woods.  She stood now on the edge, pausing for a brief moment before slipping into her nightly dwelling place.  Swiftly she made her way to the little stream that flowed through the enchanted forest she called her kingdom.  She ascended upon her throne, which was no more than some tree roots with moss and woven grass mats to create a comfortable seat.  To Nadia, this was the most wonderful place in the world; a place where the worries of the lighted world vanished, where she could sit and think for hours without crumpling down sobbing.

Ever since her parents died Nadia slept little, ate less, and smiled even less; her bubbly personality vanished, and she believed that it would never return.  It had been three months, and everything in her life changed.  She was fourteen and was thinking about going to a public school, since she had been homeschooled, for the first time her freshman year.  Now, she didn’t even want to be around the people at her church.  Everyone just seemed to bring up her parents or ask how she was doing; she would mentally shout, “I was beginning to feel like today I wouldn’t be haunted by the memories of my parent’s faces but, thanks to you, I am thinking about them.”  Out loud she would simply mutter that she was doing better.

 It was partially the truth, every time she visited her kingdom she would return in the morning refreshed and ready to take on another empty day.  However, if she was unable to visit her hiding place, her face would be the dwelling place of a dark shadow.  It had gotten so bad that she believed she was awake and alive in her little world and every time she left it she drifted into a nightmarish slumber.  No one knew what was wrong with her because she never told anyone about it, the woods were her secret kingdom and she hoped that it would always be that way.

Nadia’s mind was so sick, that one day Devon, a boy who’s family had been friends with her family for years, found her crumpled on the edge of the woods sobbing.  He had started towards her when he heard her crying out in a soft voice, “Why do you leave me?  Why do my fair folk shut me out when the sun rises?  I belong in there let me in.  Open the gates so I may dwell among you forever.”  Worried, he carried her inside, and all the while she never even noticed that he was there.  Now, Nadia arose from her throne in the wilderness and began to leave, for she knew that her magical kingdom only lasted when the sun was hidden.

 Nadia slowly walked out of the trees as the sun arose from its hiding spot and she turned to face it, as she did every time she came out.  “Let the golden rays of the fire orb protect my fair place and all the folk that dwell in it.  Curse is anyone who enters without the fair folk’s consent.”  With that she turned away preparing herself for the nightmare she was entering.  Nadia walked over to the house, climbed into her window, and prepared herself for the day; she looked in the mirror and saw she had dark circles under her eyes and her face appeared hollow and ghastly.  She applied enough makeup to make herself look at least a little bit healthy and got dressed in fresh clothes.  It was summer, so she had no school to do but it also meant she had nothing to do, which she hated.

Nadia knew Devon would be over to try and take her with him to do something other than sit and mope, as he always did.  He was careful with her and tried to coax her to come out of her sickly state of mind; she could tell he worried about her, but convinced herself that he was just a dream and when the great golden key fell from the sky, he would go with it.  However, there were times when Devon and his brothers were able to bring back some of Nadia’s old spirit, and she would feel a flow of life shoot through her.  Those days were some of the best of her life, but in her state of mind she was determined to believe that the feeling was some sort of evil trickery, to lure her into the haunting world where she would never again rule over her fair people.

When Nadia entered the kitchen, she found Devon was already there with his younger brother, Gavin.  They had some pancakes that Nadia’s older sister probably made, before she went to work; Gavin was the first to notice her.  “Aidan,” he shouted with his mouth full of food, he always said her name backwards, which either made her smile or it made her mad, today she was feeling a little happier so it made her smile.  “We were told to make sure you ate something since you didn’t eat diner.”  Devon and Gavin lived four minutes away by driving and ten minutes by walking and at least someone in their family was always over.  “Sam is not here.”  Said Nadia referring to her sixteen year old brother who was Devon’s age; she would always say that, even though she knew Devon was there to keep an eye on her.  “I know,” Was always his reply.

 Gavin, who was ten, had already cleaned up a large helping of pancakes and was getting some more, he, always had room for food.  Nadia sat down and Devon slid a plate of pancakes, that had already been buttered and had syrup poured on them, across the table to her.  He would sit there as long as it took until she ate at least half of the food.  Nadia learned to go ahead and eat them before he started forcing her to, that way she made herself believe she chose to do it.  When Nadia finished with most of her food, she threw away the rest and started washing dishes.  When she was done she joined Devon on the porch while Gavin was climbing the front tree.

Nadia felt alive today, and up for any adventure Devon would throw out at her.  “What are you going to try and drag me into today, Devon?”  She asked but she had no way of preparing for what he would say.  “Can we take a walk through the woods?”  He asked so softly that Nadia could almost believe the words never left his mouth; at least she hoped they didn’t.  “What did you say?”  She asked, every muscle in her body was beginning to tense up with anticipation.  “You know what I said Nadia,” He replied in a soft voice, “After dad comes to pick up Gavin I want to see the woods.”  “You can see the woods, unless you’re blind.”  Nadia nervously chuckled, no one, not even Devon would enter her woods.  “Nadia,” He said so kindly that she just wanted to cry, “You know what I mean, and if you ever want to get better, you have to show someone what you’re hiding in the woods.”

As Nadia stared at the ground Devon’s dad drove up, picked up Gavin, and waved as he drove away.  It was a long time before Nadia answered, “I can’t, because they won’t let me.”

“Who won’t?”

“My fair folk,” Nadia replied in a whisper, “They only let me in at night.  They wouldn’t accept you anyways, you are a dream and they believe you are trying to take me from them.  They need me to watch over them and their homes, so no one from the dream world will destroy them.”  Nadia looked up into Devon’s eyes and saw so much pain that she wondered if he was real instead, but why would there be so much pain in something real, who would ever want to live in this world.  She looked away, her good day had been ruined; she wished the golden key would fall and she could enter her kingdom once more.  “Nadia,” said Devon, his voice strained with emotion, “I am what’s real, not your people in the woods.”

“No, they said you would try to change me, they told me to stay away from you.  I thought that you were the only person in the dreams I could trust, now you have taken that from me.”

“Nadia think, think long before you ever saw the woods what do you remember?”

“All I remember is pain, there was a man and a woman in my dreams, I loved them dearly, and this cruel world decided to destroy them.”

“They were your parents, and it wasn’t a dream world that was the cause of their death, it was ice on a bridge.”

“The dream world created the ice it wanted me to feel pain so succumb to its wishes.”

“No the only dream you are living is in the woods, listen to me, please.”  Both of their voices were raising now, Devon’s in desperation, Nadia’s in frustration and confusion.  “My fair folk are no dream; they love me and treat me like their queen.”  Nadia said her voice had lowered and she was hugging herself and rocking back and forth on her seat, she was staring at no apparent thing.  “Nadia,” Devon said as he went over and knelt before her so she would have to look at him.  His voice too had lowered to its soft caring tone, “If you’re fair folk were real, then they would let you in the woods during the day.”  He took hold of her hands, trying to make her stop trembling.  “But they love me and I am their queen,” She said confused.  She had stopped rocking and her body went eerily limp; she slumped into the seat like she had lost all ability to move.  Her face took on a haunted and betrayed look and she stared off into the sky as though she was deep in thought.  “Hey sweetie,” Devon said so tenderly that it brought her out of her mesmerized state, “Let me take you into the woods and you can decide if you want to stay there forever or come back with me, please?”  It was a question that Nadia didn’t want to answer, but she absent mindedly nodded her head and Devon stood and picked up her frail body.  

Nadia clung to Devon’s neck as they neared the edge of the woods; he paused at the edge then followed her well-trodden path to the stream.  He saw her throne, set her upon it, and as he sat back, the bright rays of the sun shone through the trees and hit her golden locks making them shine.  To him she never looked so beautiful than that time when she was sitting peacefully on the bed of moss, with her eyes closed and her frail body folded up.  After a moment he noticed she was looking at him; there were tears showing in her eyes and all she said was, “They won’t answer will they.”  She needed no answer and he did not wish to give one, so he silently picked up his queen and carried her back home to the world where she chose to stay.  She entered it then and left it many years later with her head laying on his shoulders and her golden locks flowing down his back.

Ideas

Hey if anyone has any ideas about what I should write about feel free to let me know. Some of the stuff I post will be geared more towards younger kids because if you get a story line in your head it is impossible to get it out unless it is written(or typed) out. If anyone sees something that needs edited feel free to speak up; I am still a young writer and will make a lot of mistakes. Thanks all.

By the way

I am going to be in Arizona for a little while so if I don't post anything it is because I am visiting with relatives. Thanks for your patience with me. :)

Getting Started

Well, this is my first blog, ever,so bear with me. I decided to create a blog based on my interest in writing and will try to post some stories up as often as I can. I am working on a long book and, most likely, will not post any of that book however, I will try to put up some short stories. In addition to writing I also enjoy taking pictures so, I will, sometimes, put up some pictures to go along with my stories. Again, this is my first time doing a blog so we'll see how it turns out. Thank you. :)