You Changed It The better side of her desperately whispered in her ear that she had nothing to fear. But the voice can’t erase the memories in her head that haunt her as she slips into bed.
She misses the ocean air. Her family beside her as the salty wind caressed their hair. Messy houses filled with smiles. Footsteps echoing down hallway aisles.
Now, she smiles as she sees her other friends’ eyes shine. She realizes, “They’re it!” - her lifeline.
But not everything can be solved by a simple, stupid joke.
She feels as if she is dying,
coughing on life's thick smoke.
It didn’t use to be like this. Years before , when her life was an open door, mishaps and pain passing her by while her and her friends stared at starry skies.
She’s falling, her screams with no sound. At this rate, when she hits the ground she won’t be found. She tore herself apart. What was happening to her fragile heart?
She stopped her crying. She so desperately wanted to feel like flying, to feel okay, for even just one, measly, little perfect day. But the shadows advanced. Rain continued its cold dance. While she walked, her world rocked.
Rock bottom drew nearer. The surface growing clearer. She closed her eyes, no longer seeing the skies.
Then suddenly, there’s a tug on her hand, right before she could land. Brown eyes. She sees the Face that saved her life. Was this really the End to her long strife?
She couldn’t be so sure. After all, nobody else had had a cure. She skeptically scanned Him over. Could He really be her Four-Leaf-Clover?
She found herself grinning. Maybe finally, she was winning. A thousand points for her Player, Who could, for all she knew, be a Dragon Slayer.
There was no doubt now. She didn’t know quite how, but He had found a way to fix her broken mind. He truly was a One-in-a-Million Find. For all the people who hadn’t helped her before, she didn’t feel hatred or disdain towards anymore. For with this Person she could walk with for miles, laughing simply at His quirky style.
He helped her realize that, though the shadows stood nearby, they always ran away. And He told her, ‘Don’t be that kind of guy.’ He showed her the way raindrops caught in her hair.
“Look!” He would say. “The clouds made a crown for you to wear!”
Where had He been all her life? When she had held an imaginary knife, severing her connections with toxic friends, where had He been, at those annoying bends?
Was He reflecting back then, without her, wondering when He would meet someone that would help Him when the light in His eyes dimmed? In fact, He had dwelt on exactly that - wondering when one little chat would make him realize that He had found the One, Someone brighter than the morning sun.
He met her, all shy. It hurt Him to see her cry . So He went over to help the lost child.
And, after awhile, she finally smiled. It was contagious! She showed her true colors, showed she was courageous.
And He knew - just knew. He found himself muttering, “It’s you!” for all the people that stood by and watched their tears, each day, for years , and finally saw what they could’ve brought to the Light. They saw that they should have done what was right.
It was too late for them to catch her. She had already been caught! Something awoke in their heads as the girl and her best friends playfully fought.
So the next time an Average Boy came across someone with a tear-stained shirt, He came over, and promised them He wouldn't let them, ever again, hurt.
Faded
“Save a cookie for Nick!” I shouted from my room.
Nick laughed beside me.
“You don’t have to do that,” he smiled.
“Of course I do!” I said briskly. “You're my best friend!”
He smiled at me, this time with a little glint in his eye. I frowned. Lately, he hadn’t been himself; less joking, less getting me in trouble, less of everything. It weirded me out. Nick didn’t wait for me - he leapt before he thought. I brushed it off as nothing. Nick would get better soon. Nick always got better.
After a long game of catch in the yard, we went to bed. Nick took his usual spot on the mattress next to my bed, while I snuggled into the covers. I was tired. After a long day, I blacked out, whisked away to a world of dreams. Little did I know, a great disturbance would await me.
I woke up earlier than usual.
“Nick! Nick! See I can wake up ea-”
I paused. Nick wasn’t there.
“NICK!” I yelled, scared.
No. He couldn’t go. He couldn’t play games. Not like this.
“Dude! Where are you?! You know it’s the weekend, right? We can play Xbox now! NICK!”
No response. Just the soft hum of the game consoles I had forgotten to turn off the night before. I was alone. I sat down on my bed, and rocked myself back and forth. For the first time in my short life, I was alone. Everything instantly turned darker. A great anger screamed in me to escape. And escape it did. With great force, as strong as a scrawny nine-year-old could, I slammed a glass vase into the wall. It shattered, stardust falling from the wall.
“BLUE!” I heard my dad yell.
I stiffened, realizing the true weight of what I had done. As he burst through the door, I jumped into his arms and cried.
Choking in between sobs, I cried out in agony, “Ni-Ni-Nicks gone! A-a-and I d-don’t know what to d-do! HELP ME!”
I was crying so hard, I swear a little puddle had formed on the crisp carpet. My dad’s face softened, then widened as his green eyes took in the scene of my room. It was a mess, the shattered fragments of the empty vase on the wall spilling onto the floor, my bed, and papers upon papers of drawings and lists of my favorite animes stacked high on my desks, spilling onto the carpet. As I stared up at him, I could see him searching in the back of his mind for the right words, the ones that would make everything better.
But there were none. My friend was gone. My dad stared back down on me, and before another wave of sobs wracked my body, he reached down, wrapped me in his arms, to tell me the words that would make everything okay.
“Blue . . .” he began.
I stifled another sob and straightened up. Here it came. The assurance I nee-
“Nick isn’t real.”
Quick Draw We have maps for a reason, We use them frequently, with each passing season To find our way to work or school, They’re a helpful little tool. You doodle and draw, If your really amazing, your get work gets stares of awe Pencil in hand to erase little mistakes, Knowing when it’s time to hit the brakes. You are a walking, talking map when you think about it; You try and direct yourself the right way to avoid being a misfit. You steer yourself in the direction you think best, An attempt to give yourself a much needed rest. You draw your life out, with a pen in hand, And try your best to make it grand. You start out with a fresh canvas, But quickly realize it's easy to draw into the madness. You soon realize the map isn’t always correct, And have to take a little time to reflect. You start making your own map to find your way, Running through twists and turns with each passing day. You were given a canvas, some paint and a pen, Go ahead, make a masterpiece then. But keep in mind, though it truly is unfortunate, That paint and pens are permanent. You have to map it out and draw quickly too, But you must also reflect on the things that you drew. Was it another mess? Based on the look on your face, I’ll guess that means yes. Wow, you really mess up a lot, don’t you? Admit it, stupid girl, it’s one-hundred-and-ninety-eight percent true. You never take time to realize that things you want stare you down, By the time you notice, they’re never around. But it’s okay in the end As broken pieces always mend. Plus, you're not the only one who’s terrible at quickdraws; Look at the seven-billion other people with flaws! Your sketches need some work, and you colored outside the lines, But everyone takes wrong turns, at times. Some forgot to color, leaving black and white. While some veer to far the left, but it will always be alright. It will be alright because there are no mistakes in art. Just use common sense, be a little bit smart. When you get the coordinates wrong and run the wrong direction, Smile and try again, never settle for rejection. So don’t be afraid, draw a map to somewhere. And if you want to, bring your map to share. Show off your artwork with perfect imperfections, And promise me to never apologize for your special, unique, and quirky direction.
Small Scars and Paper Stars
I listened to the small ‘tap’ as a small, baby blue paper-star joined the mass of many others, kept together the thick, glass jar. To me, it was the only colorful thing in the entire room. Lately, everything had just seemed so...bleak. Colorless. I surveyed the room, disinterested in the sound of the laughing children I could see from my framed window. I walked over to it. For a moment, as I stood there watching them, I thought I could see something. The brown and blue of their eyes, blond and chestnut chasing each other.
I almost smiled. But then I remembered. I took a handful of the plain bleached curtain, and practically slammed it across the window, the happy scene now hidden from my view. I slumped down over my desk, and wondered where it all went wrong, when all the color in my life had just faded away.
”Hey...guys? I thought we were playing hide-and-go-seek.”
”We were.”
”Then why didn’t you try to find me?”
”After we found Molly, we got bored. We didn’t feel like taking the time to find you.”
A blue star hit the bottom with a ‘tink’.
”Hey, can’t you find some other group? Our friend is going to join us.”
A star landed softly, cushioned by some others.
”Stop crying. This is for your own good. We are doing all this FOR YOU. So stop crying and get over it. We can’t have a crybaby in this house of mine. I said stop!”
The jar had a bottom layer now.
"Why do you always get in the way?! You know what, just leave! You're useless!”
The jar was getting heavier.
”Why does SHE have to be on our team?! She can’t do anything right! Why can’t we get someone else? Anyone else?!”
All the little things, all the seemingly small things that hurt me, had etched small scars in my mind. And scars don’t fade fast.”
Hey! So I edited Star Eyes, and changed the name to Lost, Maybe Found. It seemed to fit the plot better, so that's that. Also, here's some of the stories I wrote over the summer. They might be kinda messy since I wrote one per day over vacation, but yeah!
Lost, Maybe Found
<A Gift to Remember>
I watched him make his way down the streets with her. So young. So pure. I winced as girl and boy laughed out sunshine, the light dripping off their smiles. I followed them, tracing their footsteps. My feet splashed in the little puddles of color they left behind. In sync, they walked to match each others pace. One foot, then the other, then again, sneakers kissing the cloudy concrete.
There is much to say about the little boy with stars in his eyes. Almost too much. For one, he was very carefree, and did not let negativity throw him off course. As far as he was concerned, wherever it threw him was a new place to explore. He had a fascination in music, and loved the way music notes tumbled off the pages, into his mouth. He ate it all up. He wasn’t exactly the nicest, because, believe it or not, there is such a thing as being too nice. If you leave behind so much warmth for others, where will you get your own fire from? People are very delicate creatures too, we must remember. If they get too warm, it can cause them to be uncomfortable. Too cold, and the same result is definite. The most anyone can do is share what they can, and hold the hand of a loved one tight while they need it. And know when to let go. In the midst of all the confusion, though, I knew one thing for sure. Beneath all his quirks, this kid was simply one thing; a little boy. Nothing more, nothing less. I could ramble off about him for days, about his time in this world. Unlike his friend, he had many ticks left to go in his existence. Unlike her, he’d live.
Who was to know, such a perfectly healthy small girl who shed light in the night was almost at her last tick of the clock? Nobody. Nobody would suspect anything. For when ‘he’ would strike is always unpredictable, even for me. I always have a difficult time letting the little ones go. The older ones are easier to accept, as they have lived their life. They have tasted despair, seen love, and breathed joy and snarled at anger. Children haven’t yet experienced this. There are first loves, and smiles and fights. The true thing is different though, as they would see. If, that is, they got to grow up. Some didn’t.
Up ahead, I embraced the sight of two clocks. A boy with charcoal eyes and ebony hair who released the night skies moonlight into the daytime. A girl with the stained-glass-sky in her eyes, hair with the pigment of a faded orange pulled up in a ponytail. She introduced the sun to the shadows.
I will admit, at that moment, as I felt the touch of their playful words brush across my face, I felt something I do not feel often. I do not have a word to mark it with, but I can vaguely describe the shiver I felt through me. It was warm and tingly. It made me smile. It also made me walk alongside them, if only briefly. I matched their pace. One foot, then the other, then again. The slap of feet against the scratchy ground.
I held the little girl’s hand, and held her smile in my arms. I reached out one hand to hold the starry-eyed boys hand. It was soft and warm. The girl’s came to differ though. I could feel the tick of her clock, and I could feel it getting slower. How I wish I could repair clocks. One of my biggest regrets is not being able to give that girl a little more time. She would’ve grown to be a beautiful, successful lady. But it was not meant to be.
I carefully let their hands go, and placed their smiles back on the street for others to come across. I prayed that they would not be stepped on.
That was a very, very long time ago. Back then, even I did not know what was to come. I only knew that the girls clock was slowing. Her time was coming to an end. In fact, I was soon shocked to realize ‘he’ was standing right next to me. Waiting for her to go to sleep so he could take her away. To a better place, hopefully. Together, we watched the children play on the stage. He spoke to me.
“It’s a shame, to take her.”
“So it is.”
“I don’t want to bring her up.”
Silence.
“Is there a way to let her stay?”
“Unfortunately, no.”
“Will he be okay?”
“You mean the boy?”
“Yeah.”
He sighed inwardly. I could smell his disappointment.
“That’s up to him.”
So together, we watched. They had sat down on a bleached bench, tips of their sneakers stretching to reach the ground. I heard them talk to each other, about many different things. School. Friends. Family. Memories. Only one thing in particular made me catch my breath, though. The girl was throwing her arms up into the air, in excitement.
“What have you been so excited about lately?” the boy asked.
The girl tossed a smile at his face .
“Oh, it’s nothing. I’m just really happy.”
She went quiet. The boy breathed in the silence, the slight breeze carrying his worries away. The air combed through their hair, and finally, the girl disturbed the silence.
“Reece?”
“Yeah Cloud?”
“I want to give you this.”
I watched Reece as his obsidian eyes watched her. She slipped a bracelet from under her long-sleeved shirt. I think, deep down Cloud Coleman knew she was going to go soon. I strongly believe to this day that she gave Reece Redfox that bracelet because she knew. It was a gift she would think of as she died on the wood floor of a strangers house. On the floor, she hoped to the heavens he would remember her.
I could see her hold up the charm. The butterfly was attached to a simple wheat-colored string. As Reece breathed in the sight of it, he couldn’t help but notice the wings. The small, delicate glass wings. They looked as if they wanted to take flight. To fly far off into the sky, to drown in the blue.
Though young, they both seemed to realize the weight of the moment. For Reece, it was a memory he would hold the hand of forever. For Cloud, it was the last memory with Reece she would ever clutch.
As I met her in the stitched up cotton of the white fluff scattered across the sky, I asked her what she would go back for. Her answer was plain and simple, not sugar coated. She handed me the answer just as she would hand me a sandwich. The crusts of her answer were not cut. It was just peanut butter. Her family and Reece Redfox, she told me. Together, we watched him grow up. She smiled every time she saw him. How she really did love him. She loved him so much that even from a million miles away, she still looked over him.
He accepted her gift with a broad grin. Though it was girly, it was a gift from her. If it made her happy, of course he’d wear it. In return, Reece unclasped the necklace he wore from his neck. It danced in the wind that had since picked up. Cloud’s eyes grew round in curiosity. It was a star. A small, coppery star. He handed it to her, and she gently slipped it over her head.
In that moment, I didn’t see two children. I saw a bond so strong, that would have, should have lasted forever. The butterfly that ached to take flight hung from Reece’s wrist. One of the stars that shined in their eyes laid on top of Cloud’s heart.
As they parted ways for the last time, Cloud looked back. She smiled, and waved. Reece waved back at her. Little did he know, his daytime shooting star was about to fall. She was about to crash to the ground, all light extinguished. Because, as we all know, no light lasts forever. In fact, it tends to be the brightest stars that burn out the fastest . . . isn’t it?
<When the News Came>
I feel like I should have warned him, in some way. I guess I thought foolishly that the words of his parents would be enough to coax him. How utterly wrong I was. He ran out the door. When he ran out of that door, I think he left a little bit of himself behind. And you’d be surprised what losing a little bit of yourself can do.
He wanted to kill something. I could see it in his dark eyes. The stars were still there, all right. But something was different about them. They were not shining. They were dull. Brimming with deadly intent. He vowed right there, on Feather Street that he would find the person responsible for taking her.
His best friend, his ride or die, had suddenly disappeared. I could taste his pain. He radiated anger the night she went missing, and the stench of pure hate burned my nostrils. I had watched the life leave her face, slowly draining out of her. If I had gotten the chance to talk to Reece I don’t think it would do any good. It would have made things so much worse.
The way Cloud Coleman died was unspeakable, and I will not go into detail as it would be too horrifying to describe. All I will say is she was not tortured, and a type of poison was used. Of course, only me and ‘him’ knew how she died at the time. I recalled, too, when I knelt down by her side in those final moments of hers.
<Too Soon>
She should have lived a little longer, through those moments. I did not allow it. Mercifully, I took her life from her, and ‘he’ carried her away. She was so strong, but like all humans, delicate. I watched the glass butterfly fly away, into the sky, leaving its cocoon behind.
Meanwhile, as a stubborn boy vowed to find the person responsible for the crime of her disappearance, on his knees in the middle of Feather Street, the Coleman’s were quietly tucked into their house. Cloud’s brother stared at Reece from his window. He was even younger than Cloud, little Jay. Unlike her, he had a healthy clock.
He was only five, and loved his thirteen-year-old sister very much. He had an unusual way of showing it, though. He stole her things, hiding them away in his room. He was often jealous of Reece, who got more attention from Cloud than he did. He would wait in anticipation for her to come in, her voice raised at him to hand over the stolen items.
He could still hear the sound of her voice ringing in his ears. This time around, he had been waiting all day. She had never come home with Mom yesterday. There, I sat with him on his little sailboat bed. I held him in my arms, very tightly. This was not something I did often. But then again, I made many exceptions for the Coleman family. When he grew up, he would understand. But not now. Right now, he shouldn’t listen to Reece’s wrathful rant. I slowly pulled him into the dark. He fell asleep surrounded by his deceased sisters books, sweaters and pictures.
I found myself picking up a little scrapbook. The cover looked as if the petals of roses had been wiped across it, with its beautiful vermillion shade. I flipped it open. Inside revealed the thoughts and dreams of a girl. And oh, the art it held inside its depths. I traced over the exquisitely sketched lines of the fictional characters in her mind. No one's imagination can stretch as far as an ambitious child, that was for sure.
As Cloud’s little world ended, all her thoughts past, I came to a little pocket in the back of the book. I reached inside. The aged memory emerged into the fluorescent light of Jay’s room, in the form of a colorful square. It was a of Cloud and Reece. They were frozen in time, forever smiling. From a time before butterflies, before galaxies and stars. There was also another girl in between them, her arms slung over their shoulders. I took that picture. Later, I would see sad eyes stare down at the frozen moment.
I slowly placed down the scarlet book, and I walked to the Levy’s kitchen. I caught a glimpse of Sara Coleman hugging Finn Coleman while crystal tears fell down the father's face. I could see the struggle Sara was having, trying so hard to keep her emotions in check. I walked up behind them, too.
Humans could be so stubborn. Always being shamed for their emotions. Always telling each other not to hide their emotions, but put each other down when they take the advice. Kids cry in school, break down in class. I had seen it many times before. Some broke down over pressure. Some over guilt and bullying. Behind the remorse in their peers’ faces, behind that mask, I knew what was really there. Judgment was hiding behind the mask.
I placed my hand on Sara Levy’s shoulder. It’s okay to cry. I squeezed her gently. Let it out. A tear fell down her light skin, onto the icy tiled floor below. You need it the most, Sara Levy. The tears came faster.
After that, I let them be. I also let them cling to the hope she might be alive, regretfully. To her parents, to her neighbor across the street who wore a glass butterfly. They clung to this hope, for weeks. Search parties were sent out to look for the girl with stained-glass eyes.
In Reece’s dreams, bright blue irises stared him down. Mocking him. She flew away, into the sky. Then she fell. Glass shattered. He woke up, in a cold sweat each time. Halley and Gavin Redfox could do nothing to help their son. No words could soothe him, and they all lost sleep at night. For weeks on end, this continued.
<Until the News Came>
After the news came, Reece didn’t dream at all. He’s scarcely talked. I checked in on him all the time. I don’t know what I was waiting for, though. It didn’t matter where he was, he always acted the same.
School was quiet. He barely heard anything anyone said, and his grades dropped to an all-time low. He just couldn’t accept it. He didn’t cry, not matter the pain he felt from a bad fall or accidental cut. No matter the snide remarks on his behavior. He didn’t feel anything.
At first, his classmates attempted to help him. But after their efforts proved futile, they just stopped. All the sudden, sympathy morphed into hatred. Yes, it was wrong of them. Of course, it was wrong. They couldn’t even imagine the strife he went through that turned stars into nothing.
If you can’t tell already, the star-eyed boy was not one to forgive easily. Especially when it came to himself. Maybe, he thought, if he had just stayed with her, he could’ve prevented what had happened to her. Honestly, he was probably right. The person who took Cloud would have never have taken her if another person was watching. Reece followed Cloud everywhere. If Reece has been with her, she would not have been pulled into that car while her mom’s back was turned.
I do not blame Reece, though. How was he to know? How were Cloud’s parents to know? It was an unfortunate twist of reality, but it happened. This world could be nasty sometimes. It can do bad things to you. Sometimes, it’s not even the world to blame; it’s the people living on the world. But for every bad person, there’s a good one. One of the good ones stepped into Reece’s life just in time.
<Word Fire> The meeting of Lucy Levy and Reece Redfox occurred long ago, actually. It all happened before stars and music pages, before aspiring artists and limitless blue. Lucy remembered this. Reece did not.
At the age of five, Reece was not the most social child in world. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, don’t get me wrong. But certainly, it must be concerning when a child closes themself off from everyone around them. If Lucy had never caught him back then, I don’t think he would have ever loved stars. And I greatly doubt he would have ever met Cloud. If not for the girl with chocolate-smeared eyes and earthen hair, I think he would still be quiet.
In the beginning, I remember how different their personas were. Reece, the introverted, quiet boy who never raised his hand in class. Then there was Lucy. Lucy, Lucy, Lucy. Children would part in the playground when she walked through. At first, I felt remorse for this five-year-old girl. Then I realized there was nothing to feel sorry for. She was content being herself, and I came to see that the air she carried with her was proud, and brave. And very loud. This was a child who was never taught to whisper, who no matter the scoldings and consequences, refused to walk through her time quietly. From the start, she was born to stand out, and stand out she did.
Tell me, why are people afraid of the unknown? The very ones asking that question seem to be the ones who are the most terrified. It makes me question this strange world you all live in, that I took part in to create. Lucy was the very definition of unknown, if you can’t tell. She was different, and everyone knew it. Parents in the class often whispered of the strange girl who sat in the third seat to the left of her class. I frowned upon this. They took special, and turned it into danger.
I will tell you right here and right now that I threw the unknown into this world to try and stir things up. It was time, I thought, for a change. Though her quirky behavior fed the flames of fear for others, one boy in particular learned how to be warmed by the fire. I think you know who it was.
But no success comes without failure. At first, he burned Lucy with her own creation. Accidentally, of course. It’s a simple story, really, that I will discuss with you later. Anyways, after two months of isolation from his peers, Reece tripped on his way home from school. Lucy happened to pass right as this occurred and grabbed his shirt right before he hit the ground.
“Are you okay?”
Reece stared up at his rescuer. Of course he was okay. He had just been saved by her, after all.
“Yeah.”
He began to walk away. Lucy was not satisfied.
“Are you sure?”
He grimaced. What did this girl want from him?
“I said yes.”
Lucy studied him carefully. She leaned in close to him. She came to her conclusion quickly.
“No your not.”
He reddened, slightly angered now.
“Says who?”
She stepped back and tilted her head to the right.
“Says me.”
She stared straight into his black sheet of his eyes.
“Your eyes are sad.”
He snickered.
“How would you know if my eyes were sad or not? Also, eyes don’t have feelings, genius.”
She looked hurt.
“I know what sad eyes look like,” she said quietly. “You had sad eyes when we were younger too.”
Reece had had enough of this nonsense. It was after school. His mom would be waiting for him. He thought of Cloud. He balled his hands into fists.
“Look, whoever you are . . . I’m not in a good mood right now.”
He shoved her away and started walking away.
“Don’t make it worse.”
On that note, he left. Broken music notes rose from his throat as he held back tears. I saw Lucy’s glass in her chocolate smeared eyes crack. She murmured under her breath in dismay as she watched him trudge away.
“He doesn’t remember.”
I think it’s safe to say Lucy stopped at nothing in the coming weeks to make his eyes shine again. She was burned. Each and every time. Weeks evolved into months. And she endured it all. All the marks he left on her, she just covered them up for his sake. Poor girl. I held her hand in the night as she cried herself to sleep. She talked to herself. It was always the same thing;
“I just want him to be happy again.”
Even special ones have a breaking point. For her, she broke on the 27th of June.
“Reece! Wait up!”
She ran like her life depended on it. Reece, used to this routine turned around in disgust.
“What do you want?”
He almost snarled. She tried her best to smile. I could see her breaking.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Silence. Reece punched the wall it formed, and it went flying.
“Seriously, can you just leave me alone?”
Lucy stared up at him. Her confidence was not yet deterred.
“Do you really not remember me?”
He laughed as her hopeful eyes stared at him.
“Why would I? You’re completely new to me! What class of mine are you in again? PE?”
He laughed. Lucy looked at the floor. And suddenly, she snapped. Like a hair band, that Reece had pulled too far and hit himself directly in the face. She took a long look at him.
“Cloud would hate this. What have you become, Reece?”
It was his turn to fall silent. He had no answer for her.
“Fine.”
She turned on her heel and walked away. Her air of pride had been polluted. She would walk away with guilt, and shame now. She turned to chuck one last disappointed glance at him. She paused her fast-walk for a second, and talked to him while facing the other way.
“I can’t believe you forgot about me.”
She shook.
“Don’t you remember anything?”
She began to walk again.
“Oh, and also, I’m in your History class.”
As he watched her run off, Reece was stabbed with a realization that he had done something wrong. Then he saw it. He saw it. It all came back to him.
“Here, take this Reece!”
He felt his neck. The star pendant was gone, as he had given it to Lucy. A cold feeling sunk over him.
“Lucy Levy” he whispered. “I’m so sorry.”
That night, Lucy grabbed her bike and drove herself to the park that lay nearby; Sparrow Park. She lived two streets away from Reece, on Dandelion Drive. For the first time in her life, I saw her worry. Not in her face; she was good on covering that up. It was something else. When she walked, her head was no longer held high. She tripped over her own feet. And she shook. As she pulled up by the playground the park had to offer, she collapsed on the green carpet of grass, allowing it to swallow her up.
I looked at the girl in the grass, and sat next to her. The words. They were etched into her skin. Burned in. I carefully touched each burn as she stared up at the sky. There were not many stars showing, as they were scared of the light that rose up from the city. Regardless, the few that braved the night were beautiful. Yet, I could tell no star in the sky was as brave as the one with words burned into her flesh, into her mind. She was the one star brave enough to come down to Earth.
After many hours, she biked home. I remember that night specifically because of the moon. It was so bright out, you didn’t even need a flashlight to go about. And that was exactly the reason a lady on Aero Street caught a glimpse of her as she shot by.
<The Normal-Abnormal> The woman I am about to discuss with you is actually very normal compared to Redfox, Coleman, and Levy. In fact, she was society’s picture of normal, whatever that looks like; short sandy hair, the average height. Not completely refined, but nice-looking. Only one thing stood out about her to me, and that was the way she looked at people. She seemed to look right through them as she talked. Her laugh was...empty. Hollow.
I kept an eye on her. Something was definitely off. Had I made a mistake with her? Yes, I must have. I only realized the weight of my mistake when she grabbed Cloud Coleman that night, on July 25th of 2016. As I clung to Cloud’s side, I felt her warmth, her aliveness. There was also something else. Looking back, I think it was her personality. I reached out, and the tips of my fingers brushed across the woman. I drew back immediately. She was warm, of course. But as I touched her, a shiver ran through me. She was missing something Cloud had, that almost every other person on the planet had.
That confirmed it. She was sick, sick in the head. So sick it drove her to insanity. To murder. Cloud’s taking was only the first of seven. Four died. Three lived. If not for chocolate smears and a boy who vowed, only one would have survived their time in the house. One of the four that died, though did not die in a similar way to the others. He died in a way far worse than any loss of touch, sight, sound and taste. Oh, no. The boy on Sparrow Street died the worst death you can; the death of his emotion.
*Cue the start to Blue's short stories*
Also a quick note- stories titled (KKJL) are the ones with Kyler, Kirana, Jake, and Luke. They are four characters I came up with so I could write multiple short stories without changing names and also at the same time sort of creating a storyline of some sort (a weak attempt, I know). Other than that, Block 14 is based off a Japanese concentration camp I visited from WW2. I'm not sure if my facts were right or not, though, so you can say it was loosely based on it. Each story is based off a day of my vacation.
Raindrops, Flip-Flops
“Mind to explain where the heck we’re going?”
“Keep it down Riley. You’ll figure out soon enough.”
“I wanna know now though!”
Jay whipped around to meet his brothers eyes from the front seat.
“Try me,” he snarled.
Riley quieted down, settling for glaring fixedly at this feet. Their dad looked at his wife in worry, which she returned with a cold set of blue eyes. This was going to be an interesting trip; the usual.
“Watch your brother, Jay!”
His eyes rolled back in disgust.
“But mom-”
“No.”
He was stuck. He gazed off into the distance from where they camped. It was on top of a mountain, and the view was beautiful. Shafts of light shone through the clouds swimming in the sky, while the ground below was dotted with the green. The winding dirt trails shot through it all, in a burst of electricity it seemed. He tapped his dads elbow. He gestured to the scenery around them.
“Such a beautiful place, Dad.”
The father nodded in agreement. It was pretty. Before he could answer, though, his son was turning him towards the tall rocks behind them.
“But that, that thing-”
He glared up at Riley, who had successfully climbed to the top and was now waving his arms wildly in the air;
“-ruined it.”
Riley overheard, and spun on his heel in disgust.
“Shut up, you dumb person.”
Jay opened his mouth to retort, but before he knew it Riley was flicking his head up to the sky and smiling down on him.
“I am the view.”
At that moment, a drop of rain splashed on to his nose. Moments later, Riley was scrambling down the rocks, drenched. He glowered in anger as Jay laughed at him, climbing up the slippery slope to hand a hoodie to him. As Jay reached him, he turned his head away.
“I don’t need your help.”
Jay shrugged, finding a hint of pity inside himself. He shoved it into Riley’s crossed arms. His flip-flops tapped repeatedly against the stone.
“Yes, you do. Don’t be stupid.”
Riley looked up, thoroughly angered now.
“Look, Jay. I said I don’t need your help so just f-”
Jay slammed his hand across Riley’s mouth.
“Language, little brother.”
Riley blushed.
“Just go away!”
“Fine!”
Jay stood still on the slope, watching his brother’s dark hair flop in the rain. He sighed, turning around himself. It was not meant to be. A scream pierced his senses, filling him up with dread.
“RILEY!”
He heard a faint call for help as he neared, his heart and feet the only thing he could taste in his ears. He skidded to a stop as he found the edge of where Riley had fallen. He reached down to the small slab of stone he sat on.
“Grab my hand!”
Riley reached out, but hesitated. Jay breathed hard, exasperated.
“NOW!”
He struggled to help him up, knowing if he let go he was a good as dead. It wasn’t working, and Riley knew it. In desperation, Riley said one word with great effort;
“Hoodie.”
Jay understood. Quick as the lighting that shot through the sky, he took it off. He lowered it down to Riley. And then it was over. Two boys, black hair and brown, dark eyes and light stared up at the raindrops that stung their eyes. Nearby, a lone flip-flop sat on a stone ledge. As the slab crumbled, the shoe went down with it.
Jay shut his laptop.
“That’s why we don’t wear flip-flops.”
Block 14
Asuna walked down the little dirt road. Block 1. Block 2. Block 3. And on and on. Block by block, step by step. She did not pay much attention to them all, though. Until she made it ‘there.’ To her block. She raised her eyes from the sign, and looked at the concrete foundation slapped down on the yellow land. Block 14.
It brought her back.
“Nawa, you can’t leave me!”
Her best friend shifted uncomfortably.
“Asuna, you know we have no choice.”
Tears welled in the both girls eyes.
“I have to go.”
Asuna flung herself at Nawa.
“Stay with me, please! I can’t get through this all without you!”
Nawa hugged her tight.
“You can,” she said as she smiled slightly. “You always have.”
As per usual, Asuna did not listen to her parents as she walked out the door that day to apply for relocation. Her mind was in one place, and that one place was Nawa Kurihara.
She strutted up to Nawa proudly the next day.
“Guess what?”
She smiled happily. Nawa sighed. She was up to something, yet again. But as Asuna told her what she had done, her blood ran cold. She stuttered as she tried to comprehend it.
“Where?..”
Asuna grinned as Nawa frowned.
“Manzanar.”
Nawa’s heart fell. She cried as she said her own destination.
“Heart Mountain.”
Asuna’s heart plummeted, and broke as it hit the floor.
She came back to reality. The cloudy concrete smiled at her. Then she went back to the past again.
She was crying when she entered the camp. Japanese-American was what she was now. Why hadn’t she listened? Block 14 became her new home. Everyday, she sat beneath the tall tree on her Block, head down and eyes dull.
One day, though, she had stopped trying to hide it. She cried her eyes out. And as she started, a warm hand settled on her shoulder.
“It’s okay, Asuna. I’m Hikoji.”
She looked up, shaking. A boy was now seated next to her. How did he know her name? Spotting her confusion, he quickly answered the question in her head.
“I saw your name on your card.”
He held it up, and handed it to her.
“You left it inside.”
And that was the beginning of her block. What followed was difficult, but beautiful. Strained smiles, and scrapes and bruises. Loss. And gain. She looked beside her at the strong woman she was proud to call her daughter. Hikoji stood behind her, his hand on her shoulder. She reached up to grab it.
“Let’s go, Hikoji.”
They looked down at the energetic girl smiling up at them.
“You too, Nawa Nishi.”
Yeah. This was Block 14.
The Flight Of Food
“Taiga, don’t stuff your face like that.”
“Shup-uf!”
Ryuuji shook his head, smiling. Predictable Taiga. Messy and klutzy as hell. Also the reason his money was swirling down the drain at a fast rate. For such a small girl, she ate a lot. They were attracting looks from nearby tables now, and even their cheerful waiter was beginning to wince.
“Taiga,” he whispered.
But she was not listening. She had began to argue with the people at the table next to them.
“Stop eating like that!”
She snarled at the group. Ryuuji cautiously got up, backing away. They were in the hands of fate now. They had no idea.
“Shut-”
A handful of hashbrowns smacked Taiga across the face. The group began to laugh at her, but before the first culprit could even observe his handiwork Taiga had flipped their table over. Ryuuji watched in horror as the calamity unfolded before him. Eggs, bacon, and other breakfast foods flew like a whirlwind towards the opposing team from both sides. It was four against one, and yet Taiga was winning.
“Get your girlfriend to stop!”
One yelled in fear.
“Never!” Taiga yelled. She shot deathly glare at Ryuuji.
“Help me.”
He hesitated.
“Now!”
Ryuuji decided it was time to leave. Dropping a hundred dollars at the counter to repair damage and pay for food, he grabbed Taiga's hand and they skidded out.
“Your so dumb, Taiga.”
“Shush.”
Ripples
The glassy water spread over the land like butter. It was late at night, and not a breeze was to be felt. The trio stared into the glass, each leaning a little to far. In the mirror of nature, the image was skillfully branded into the back of their minds. Blue eyes showed the day in the night, while brown brought the night to day. Regardless of coloring, though, the stars shone in all of them; reflected and not. Something would disturb the glass mirror though, and the girl in between the two other children fell like a shooting star from beside her planets.
Down she went, disrupting the peaceful image. One hand in. The water bounced back to allow her entry. Two hands in. The water jumped now, terrified of her sudden appearance to the other side. Her nose. It ran. The rest of her. The water then flew. It jumped for a minute, then relaxed slightly, rippling. She was on the other side now.
Above her, she could see the distorted faces of her friends, disfigured by the water in her eyes. Slowly, she could feel herself drifting away from their grasp. Sinking farther, she panicked, and became distraught. Soon, she was sure she was never going to see the surface again.
But then she felt them. They grabbed at her hands, pulling her out to her rightful side. Her vision cleared, and she could breathe again. Her fall had changed the image. It was now messy, and broken.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
The girl beside her gently brought up her chin.
“It’s okay.”
“Some things just aren’t meant to last forever, no matter how much we want them to.”
The boy to her right picked up her hand as she watched the ripples fade away on the water.
“We can’t fix it. We just can’t. It’s never going to be the same again.”
A tear slipped down the girls face.
“But, we can do something.”
“From what scraps survive the crash, we can build a new picture.”
The three kids walked away from the ever-changing mirror of a new perspective.
“Together.”
Around We Go
One step. Two steps. Three steps. Four. Five. She walked briskly as she went forward. Or tried to. She wasn’t getting anywhere. Down the dirt road. Six. Seven. She tripped. And this time, there wasn’t a hand outstretched to help her up.
Her eyes flew open. She sighed, grateful it had only just been a dream. She got up, and took a walk outside.
It snuck up on her. One minute, it wasn’t there; the next second, it was. She swung around, and what faced her was a...maybe a wheel? With a house-like design. She gingerly stepped in, unsure of the weird structure. She attempted to walk forward. Her suspicions were right; it was a wheel. It went around, the planks beneath her feet soon above her, then back again. This was oddly like her dream. She began to run, out of curiosity. She lost her footing, and fell. She tried again, but she got too dizzy and fell again.
“It helps if you keep a steadier pace.”
She looked for the source of the voice, and found that another person had joined her in the wheel.
“Go a little slower so you don’t fall,” he said. “Also focus on something that’s not moving; it helps the dizziness.
(Note- This is incomplete and I’ll probably finish it at a later date)
The Shack House “I don’t know, Jay,” Sky whispered as they got closer. “You heard what Abby said on Discord when he looked this place up for us.”
Jay had not been deterred.
“So what? A couple of ghosts can’t scare me. And on the plus side, we both know Abby.”
Sky giggled. Yeah. Abby was a friend they had met over the social media platform called Discord. He had been like a brother to them, but often over-exaggerated things.
“Well, let’s go then!”
Sky, with great caution gingerly opened the door with peeling paint. The dry grass choked underneath their feet as they went in. Jay followed close behind Sky, a little apprehensive himself in this house. To their surprise, the house was actually quite normal inside.
“Ring up Abby,” Jay whispered to Sky.
She nodded her head and went to Facetime.
“Go upstairs,” he told them. “The reviews say it's kinda..”
“Weird?”
“Yeah.”
Jay craned his neck over Sky’s shoulder. He grinned into Abby’s blue eyes.
“Thanks for the pass to this place, mate.”
Abby smiled back.
“My pleasure.”
After hanging up, they went up the steep steps to the second floor. Jay scoffed.
“That stupid person lied to us.”
He gestured to Sky.
“C’mon, Sky. There’s nothing to see here.”
Sky was not convinced. If Abby thought something was here, then something was most definitely here. She texted him, her thumbs flying across the keyboard. He said the words that she had been waiting for;
“Check the closet.”
She opened it. And as she did, she flew back.
“JAY!”
Walk With Me
Kyler flopped down on his bed. This vacation was not going the way he had expected. It was early in the morning, and he was playing Graal with Luke and Jake. He sighed, and turned his head to look at the sleeping girl on the futon beside him. At least Kirana was here with him. He smiled. At that moment, his friend’s reddish eyes flew open. He laughed.
“G’morning, Kirana!”
She sat herself up, hair falling into her face as she did so. She plopped down next to him.
“What’cha playing?”
“Graal.”
Her eyes lit up.
“I wanna play! Hold up, lemme grab my phone.”
She crawled over to get her phone from underneath the mass of blankets she had camped out under. Seconds later, she was online and they were playing under a tent she had constructed.
“You’re so weird, Kirana.”
“Shush. This is awesome!”
He looked up from his screen where they were comparing avatars, and could tell she was in deep focus. Which mount would she use? What sword? Choice of helmet? He had nearly chosen his for the day.
Fast-forward and they were floating down a river. He flinched as there was a giant splash from Kirana jumping off their paddleboard.
“C’mon, Kyler! It feels nice!”
He rolled his eyes in amusement, but carefully walked onto the sandbar they were currently floating across. Well, was carefully walking. Kirana tripped and bumped into him, and down they went. They just laughed. He offered his hand to her, and they helped each other up. He started back to the paddleboard, but Kirana had other ideas.
“Kyler! Please, walk with me?”
He hesitated at first, but looking up at her red eyes, he changed his mind.
“Of course.”
Color Filters (KKJL)
The day started out a with a blue tint, the color drowning red into purple. Kirana woke up, deciding against waking up Kyler. She walked to the mirror, where her reddish eyes shone back at her, bright as ever despite her sleepiness. She washed her face, a little more awake. The coloring of Kyler’s amber eyes made the hue of her world turn a warmer filter as he woke up.
“Graal?” he asked, yawning.
“Yeah!”
As they played and played, the hue shifted to a more yellow scene. The dark sky soon flicked on a flashlight, and they could see the particles of dust dancing in the air around them. Time ticked by. And some more time. Soon, Kirana was packing up.
“See you at school, Kyler?”
“See you at school, Kirana.”
They waved to each other. As they caught a glimpse of each others eyes for the last time before 7th grade, Kyler’s world turned to an earthy-red, while Kirana’s turned a golden amber.
She continued on with her day, as Kyler continued with his. Kirana ended up camping while Kyler went home, to Jake and Luke. Jake and Luke were also Kirana’s best friends; in fact, Kirana was the reason Luke, Jake, and Kyler even knew each other. She had met Jake online when she was seven playing Graal, and by some amazing twist of fate, they had ended up going to the same school. Jake had originally lived in Britain, but had moved. They moved because his dad had had a work offer in Tierrasanta that was too good to pass up. They were eleven at the time, and though Jake had mentioned moving to Tierrasanta, they had both assumed it was probably some other Tierrasanta.
On the first day of school, Kirana facetimed Jake. They talked to each other, as it was his first day of school too.
“When does your school start?” Kirana asked absentmindedly.
“Nine O'clock, sharp.”
“Mine too!”
Kirana found a question coming to her as she looked down at his image on her phone.
“Jake, what school do you-” she crashed into someone, and they both went falling to the floor.
“Sorry about that! I was calling my friend,” she laughed nervously as she picked up her stuff, not bothering to look up.
A familiar voice laughed back at her.
“Same,” the boy responded.
On instinct, they both looked up. The person's voice who was talking to them sounded like the voice they talked to every night. How many times had he fallen asleep to the sound of it? How many times had she? The one that was there at every birthday party and the voice that never let the other fall asleep in tears. As red met green, they yelped in surprise.
Kyler, spotting Kirana after looking for her for ten minutes ran up to her.
“Ran-” he paused.
He would know those green eyes from anywhere. Kirana reached for her phone. She put the speaker next to her mouth, tears to her eyes as she said it.
“Jake?”
Next to the boy, her voice was echoed.
“Holy crap!” he whispered.
They both laughed, and hugged each other. That was how Kirana met Jake for the second time. They both agreed that meeting for the second time was even better than the first time.
But that day was nearly a year ago. At the end of the day, as Kyler drifted to sleep with the air a red tint. Meanwhile, Kirana’s sky was of newspaper and smoke, mixed with the paint of sunset.
“Fire,” she said quietly.
The Highway of Stories (KKJL)
Kyler looked out the window as he, Jake, Luke and Ran slipped into silence. They often talked a lot, but today had been exhausting. Jake and Luke had teamed up against him and Kirana in a game of tag in the park they had went to, with Luke and Jake coming up victorious due to Luke tackling Ran to the ground. It was peaceful.
“Where are we going now?” Jake asked with a curious look on his face.
“Traveler’s Inn,” Kirana’s mom responded.
Kyler felt himself get worried. Jake was acting weird, as if he had seen a ghost. He brushed it off. Jake got scared easily. He looked over at Kirana, who was very focused on the passing cars.
“What’s so interesting, Ran?”
She shook her head briskly.
“Oh, nothing. I’m just looking at the people in the cars passing us.”
Luke scoffed, smiling.
“Creepy much Kirana?”
She turned red and laughed.
“No Luke, I’m just thinking about what type of lives the people have.”
Luke was laughing now.
“Your totally a stalker, Kiri.”
“Shush,” she said as they all laughed with him.
As Kyler looked out the window again, though, he began to realize what Ran was looking at. What type of lives did these people live? What type of troubles had they faced? Did the boy in the black Dodge have a fear of birds? Or did he love them? Introvert or extrovert? Who were these people?
He looked over at Ran with awe. She paid way more attention to things than he had ever realized. He could tell that Jake already knew what she was looking for. It made sense. Jake had known Kirana for years. He felt a pang of envy. The thing was, he knew her first. He didn’t know why, but he had always had a slight dislike for Jake. No matter what, he couldn’t shake the feeling off. And he hated himself for it. Nonetheless, Jake was a good person, and a good friend. So why? He winced as he pressed his hand to his head. He was totally sick.
Be Careful, Ran! (KKLJ)
Kyler had fallen sick and was unable to attend, but Luke, Jake, and Kirana were staying together in a hotel called Ramada for the night, for fun. The day before they had stayed at a Traveler’s Inn with Kyler, taking care of him until he fell asleep. The next day, he was driven home.
Today, they decided to play a game of Truth or Dare. Ran went first.
“Okay Ran,” Luke grinned. “Truth, or Dare?”
He gestured wildly at each word. Knowing how bad Luke could be in this game, she went with the smart approach.
“Truth.” Luke looked disappointed, but was undeterred.
“Ok. Ran, do you like anyone?”
She shook her head simply.
“Nope.”
She laughed.
“Thanks Luke, I thought it would be scary!”
Luke nudged Jake who sat to his right.
“Looks like you’re outta luck, bud-”
“Shut up, before I stab you,” He said with deadly intent.
Luke casually put his hands up, backing away.
The game of Truth Or Dare this trio is playing by the way is called the same name, but a little different; Truth or Dare x3 was the name. Basically, each person has to go three times in a row. So it was Ran’s turn again. This time she picked Dare. Jake decided to spare her.
“Change your profile picture to your face,”
“Definitely not me, but okay.”
She laughed. She took a good picture, and got it approved by Jake and Luke. But something went wrong. She fell backwards, and her head hit the corner of the bedpost. Her finger slipped. It sent. Silent horror set in for all of them. Luke, because he knew what Ran was like when she was scared and mad, Kyler because he was genuinely worried about Ran’s feelings, and Ran herself because of the person it had been sent to.
“NO!!” She screamed.
She held down on the photo, quickly unsending it.
“You sent it to Kenneth?! How do you mess up that bad?!”
She looked at Luke with horror in her eyes.
“I HAVE NO IDEA!”
They spent the next hour calming her down.
“It probably unsent. You unsent it right?”
“What if it didn’t?!”
“Happy thoughts, Ran. Happy.”
Stellar Jay (KKJL)
“When I first met you guys, I never thought we’d end up in Sequoia.” Luke said, amazed.
Yet they had. After a couple days, Kyler had gotten better. On a family trip, Jake, Luke, Kyler, and Kirana’s families had gone on a camping trip to Lodgepole, Sequoia.
No one was as excited as Jake, though. Ran looked over at him in amusement. His green eyes seemed to outshine even hers, and he kept on fidgeting in his seat. He was sitting next to Kirana, and descriptions of squirrels and stellar jays and Sequoias flooded out of his mouth. Kyler and Luke were in the back seat behind them. As Jake began talking of the rivers and waterfalls, Kyler sneered at him.
“Talkative much, Jake?”
Kirana winced as Jake’s eyes dulled a little. He stopped his wild gestures. She whipped around.
“Kyler!”
He shrunk back a little, but is attitude wouldn’t cease.
“What?”
He looked her in the eye. Why was he doing this? Jake was actually talking about interesting things, and even Luke, usually uninterested in such topics, was intrigued. Yet he couldn’t stand it. He couldn’t stand how happy she looked at him when he was talking, the way she seemed to cling to him as if he was the most precious thing on the face of the earth. But he instantly regretted his words as she turned around. She slumped down a little. He had hurt her.
“Ran, I’m sorry-”
“Jake, what were you saying?”
She smiled at him slightly.
“Rivers, right?”
Jake perked up a little, but he had lost his excitement.
“Yeah . . .”
Kyler could feel his embarrassment. He ignored them, looking out the window. Luke nudged him.
“Bro, what was that?”
He shrugged. Luke wasn’t pleased with his half-answer.
“You like Ran, don’t you?”
He knew the answer was no. Though he would never admit it, he was jealous that she seemed to favor Jake as her best friend. Again he shrugged. Luke knew he wasn’t going to get a straight answer to anything.
“Well then...” he sighed. “Look at them, Kyler.”
He lifted his head a little to see over the seats. They were both laughing.
“How do you think Ran feels?”
He hesitated, but said it.
“Happy.”
Luke nodded.
“She looks like that with us too, y’know.”
He looked Kyler dead in the eyes.
“So don’t ruin it.”