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Creativity, My Story

Life Of Two Best Friends: High School CHPT 3

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Life of Two Best Friends Chpt 2

CHAPTER 3

Jenny.

If you you saw her you would understand why I waited. Jenny was wearing tight jeans and a red shirt. The shirt brought out the red in her hair. But my eyes drifted to her steel green eyes; eyes that seemed to smile all on their own. Jenny was with her group of girlfriends. We all were in the same next class.

Her friends were not big fans of me. They seemed to not understand Jenny and I’s friendship. I’m sure they also thought I brought her “cool factor” down. First in the group was Chelsea Walter. She was blonde and dressed with all brand names; at least I assumed, she never stopped saying it. She was the one that desperately wanted me gone. She did not filter her words or actions; she made it very obvious. Britney Halt was actually cool. Of Jenny’s three close friends she would be my
favorite. She was super chill; she would sometimes hang out with me and the guys when Jenny and the others were at cheer practices. Lastly Addison Carlton, she was the top student type; she had dark brown hair, glasses, and always had books in her arms. Addison was nonconfrontational to me, but she also was not accepting. Which is funny because I actually hang out with Matthew Wu, who is the top student of our school. Probably she thinks I ruined Matthews cred with my only above average grades. Jenny was the only one that I truly saw.

Jenny walked towards me; with her group trailing behind. “Hey George. What’s up?” Jenny said as she glanced at what I was wearing. “Is your mom stopping by today?” as she gestured to my look.

“You would be correct. She is stopping by at some point; so I’m prepared for all times possible.” I said as we began walking to our next class. Chelsea and Addison were close behind Jenny; while Britney walked beside me. She was cool.

“How’s it going Brit?” Knowing only this cool girl would actually acknowledge my presence.

“All things are good. I’m just going through the days until I can be done with sophomore year. Can’t wait!” as she spoke her expression changed from chill to ultra excitement.

We collectively reached our classroom door and the second bell chimes.

Jenny stops me, “George, can you wait a moment?”

Chelsea, Britney and Addison all leave and enter the classroom; leaving Jenny and I outside. We probably had about five minuets until the next bell.

“Sure what’s up?” I say causually, but knowing where this was going.

“Can you help me again after practice today? Another guy said he would confess after school and I don’t want to be alone with this one. The girls have to leave right after practice. I was going to tell him right off the back that it wouldn’t work out between us, but he brushed me off and left suddenly. And my mom is too busy to get me early,” She said nervously switching from one leg to the next. “I know you are probably annoyed or bothered to be the one I ask, but if I had anyone else I would give you a break.”

As much as I did hate being the barrier for her, and also having to listen to the cringe worthy confessions, I wasn’t about to leave her alone with someone she already felt uncomfortable with. “No problem Jenny. I’ve got your back. I’ll head over right after practice. Is that good?”

“That would be perfect,” relief washed over her face. “Thanks George. I can always count on dependable you.”

“No problem Jenny, but let’s head in or we will be marked tardy,” I say while opening the door and ushering her inside. Just as we sat the third bell rang.

“Good call George.” Jenny said as she gave me the warm smile that turns me into a cheesy human.

“No problem,” I smoothly get out.

Then class begins.

Another full day of meaningless classes and a buttload of homework. Don’t get me wrong I don’t mind the homework; it’s just after three hours of brutal swim practice, homework is the last thing you want to be doing. Finally, however, the best part of the day has come: Swim practice! I was heading towards the gym just as Jerry and Ken came into view. They were waiting at the door for me like always. Matthews came rushing up behind me; he did a small bunny hop and wrapped his arm around my neck and gave me a noogie. I did deserve it; I had done this exact thing to him yesterday.

“Seriously dude,” I said as I broke away from his death hold. I forgot to mention, Matthews is tall. Not like Jerry tall, but his own category of tall. He was close to being six foot.

“You know you deserve this. Just be happy I’m taller, because when you did this to me I thought my neck was going to break because of all the force from your jump,” Matthew ended with a chuckle and a punch on my shoulder.

He of course said this knowing that my height wasn’t my strong suit, “Whatever dude. Let’s go,” I said rushing up to Jerry and Ken, who were laughing their butts off.

“Mister sensitive is here. Mister sensitive says its time to practice,” Matthews said laughing as he caught up to us.

Entering the Locker rooms, our teammates were frantically changing. They saw us and gave a collective, ‘Hello,’ and added a ‘Hurry up, Coach is pissed today.’ Understood. We quickly changed and rushed out to the deck. Coach was indeed pissed; he was standing dead center of the pool deck facing the water. If he was in a somewhat pleasant mood he would be sitting in his camping chair drinking his coffee. Not sitting and no coffee meant pissed. We all lined up and Jerry and I started the stretching warm-up. Coach still just stood. Once done with the warm-up, everyone began to fix their suits or messing with their goggles; not wanting to be the one for the deadly deed. Everyone on the team feared Coach, especially when he was pissed. So it fell on the co team captains, Jerry or myself, to ask Coach what we should start with.

Jerry patted me on the shoulder and said, “Thanks buddy,” shoving me forward and skirting away.

This is the norm. Knowing I’ll be on the receiving end of that the ‘chewing out process’, I headed over to Coach. As I walked I tried to be confident and strong as I came to Coach’s side, “Coach what should I start them on?” Silence. “Coach?”

“What!?!” turning to me, ” Oh yeah. Sorry George. What did you say?” Coach said quite startled.

Did Coach just apologize? Coach had mentioned at the start of the year that sorry was not in his vocabulary. “What should I start them on?”

Coach pulled me aside, “George, could you run practice today. I’ve already called a life guard. I need to leave today. Right now.”

WHAT!?! Okay something must be wrong. Coach’s life is this pool, this team. I didn’t hesitate, “Sure. No problem. Is it my choice or do you want some input?”

“Do long distance. I want them and you tired. Write out a workout, one you know I would approve. You may stop occasionally to see if they
are not wimping out; but I want you, especially, to finish the set,” he said with a stern grim face. “Here are the keys. Lock up and just give me the keys tomorrow morning. I’ll give you a pass,” Coach said stepping away. However he stopped suddenly, “Thanks George. It’s a great feeling as a coach to know I can depend on my captain. If the teammates ask just say I said, ‘none of your business,’ they will know I said it. Again Thanks George,” after that he walked past his swimmers and out the door.

I didn’t hesitate, I went towards the whiteboard. I began writing down a set that I knew the team was going to hate my guts. Slowly everyone gathered around me as I finished writing. It was about a three thousand yard set; yeah, they were going to hate me. I turned around to them, meeting gaping mouths. “Well as you can see I’m in charge today. This is today’s set. I will be keeping tabs on people. If people are slacking I will mention it to Coach. Any questions?”

“What’s up with Coach?” Jerry asked but a majority of the team echoed him as well.

“His words, ‘none of your business,'” I said as I waited for arguments, There were none. Coach was right. “Okay well split into your normal lanes. We will begin with the warm up. For the main set follow this rule: lanes in groups of two, intervals will increase by fifteen seconds. Your lane can decide your difficulty but you will
stay and finish. I will have the lifeguard casually watching, and if he sees people stopping he will let me know, and I will relay the info to Coach. I will be staying until everyone is done. Everyone is expected to give it their all. Okay enough with the chit-chat. Let’s get going.” I jumped into the pool and it began.

Man, I was right this workout was going to kill us. Believe me, I was dreading showing Coach my workout, because knowing him, we would probably be doing this again in the future. Occasionally I would stop, and the team would be doing the workout! They looked like they were dying, but they were still moving. I would look to the life guard and he would shake his head and then give me thumbs up. Sweet. Everyone was giving it their all. I continued.

Stopping for the short break, I look at my teammates, and they were still swimming. I looked at the clock and we only had thirty minuets left of practice time, but we probably had about forty minuets of the set left. I was going to finish! However let’s be honest, they would probably opt to stop. As everyone came into the wall they all plopped out of the pool breathing deeply and choking on water.

I only had two minutes to ask them, “Okay everyone we are almost done, but we are running out of time. I’ll give the option. Do you want to finish or do you want to stop on time? I can’t make you stay late, but I will be finishing the set.” Most of them looked up at me like I was an insane person.

“Let’s continue!” a swimmer down in the lower lanes said. “We’ve come this far. And whatever is happening with coach we should do something for him. We should finish.” He said choppy because he was still catching his breath. “If Coach was the one here, he wouldn’t give us the option. Let’s do this!” he ended as he threw his fist into the air.

I looked around and even though they were exhausted, everyone nodded in agreement. The mark to leave was coming up, “okay then let’s do this.” I jumped back into the pool to finish this impossible, a Coach worthy set.

Creativity, My Story

Life of Two Best Friends: High School CHPT 2

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Life of Two Best Friends Chpt 1

CHAPTER 2

Getting ready for school is a minor thing. You would think that if your dad was not a famous artist. Mine is, so I have a “certain persona to uphold,” words said by mom constantly. Dad doesn’t care one way or another. If it was just his opinion I needed to care about I would probably rock a pair of jeans and a hoodie. Why dress to impress. It’s high school. Nobody is going to remember anyways. Unless you are that depressing wannabe jock turned gym instructor; who constantly talks about his glory days, while rocking a beer belly and balding head. Our gym instructor is my inspiration for that statement. Sad poor Mr. Hanly.

Anyways back on topic, dressing for school. Usually I dress casually; jeans, hoodie, vans, maybe a hat. Just the run of the mill chill clothes. However today, I know mom will becoming home at some point and I don’t want a lecture; especially if the guys are around. Mom usually picks the greatest time to lecture me. So I guess today is dark jeans, button up, and my nicer shoes; unknown to the brand. Let’s be honest, I dress for comfort. I’m boring. Also as a swimmer you wear jammers, so what’s the point on spending an immense amount of money on clothes you won’t be wearing when it truly matters.
The only perk I did take was a car. I hate the bus. Not because of the general idea that the bus is lame, but because I live on the edge of town; I would have to walk several blocks to the nearest bus stop. Why would I waste my time walking when my dad offered me a car. I’m a teenager with a permit and a sick ride. A tricked out jeep wrangler. Imagine all the bells and whistles, and times it by ten then that would be my jeep. Remember teenager guy, all guys like their stuff to be over the top.

Leaving the house is a hit or a miss. Either I say goodbye or I grab some cash and lock the door behind me. Today like most days, it was a grab and dash day. Usually I pick up Ken and Matthews on the way because they live in the close neighborhoods. However, Ken had an early practice with coach and Matthews had to get there super early since his parents had to leave on a quick trip. So just being me, I ran through McDonalds and then headed to school.

I decided to skip the part where I describe to you what my drive looks like, because let’s be honest, you wouldn’t really care about the neighbors, scenery, or buildings.

Slowly I pull into the parking lot at Charleston High School. The only good part about this place is the swim team. And Jenny. But nothing else is really worth my time. Well let’s go look for the guys. Ken will probably be at the pool still. Our coach usually will push us until the last possible minute; Coach Brown might be a strict, uptight, and my way or the highway type of guy, but he is also a genius coach. You’ll meet him later today at practice. So my best bet was to look for Matthews. He would probably be in the homeroom or in the yard; either dead asleep or doing all the homework for the rest of the year. Jerry would sprint in at the last possible moment; Jerry always gets as much sleep as possible so that he has enough energy for practice.

Maybe I should describe this place to you. Well its a typical high school. Tall brick building at the front. No fences; probably the understanding that if students skip the principal will just flunk them and take pleasure in ruining their lives. The halls are as generic as you can imagine. Lockers lining the walls; white walls, white lockers, white tiled floor. As I mentioned before, boring and not worth much. After the many halls of lockers you walk into the yard area. Imagine all concrete ground, lunch tables surrounding, various seating nooks, and the occasional pep talk poster shoving positive thinking down your throat. I’ll be stoping the tour here because I see Ken and Matthews chillin at a table across yard. But beyond this area is the classrooms; the place where teachers talk more about their opinions or what they disagree with in the world, and then reward us with hours of homework.

“Ken. Matthews. You seen Jerry yet?” I said walking up to the guys.

“Nah George, he won’t be here for,” looking at his watch before answering, “about another ten-ish minutes,” Ken said as he leaned his lower back against the table top.

Matthews was, of course, laying on top of the table; he really didn’t care about the rules. Give him a break, we had a gruling three hour practice last night and then he had to wake up at six o’clock. You would not care either if you were in his shoes.

“Yeah I guess so. How was practice Ken?” I asked as Ken was stabbing Matthews with a pen in various places.

“The norm. Coach had me doing speed intervals with repetitive sets. I did about two thousands yards worth of twenty-fives. It was tiresome but I can’t complain. Twenty-fives are the best!” he said ending his statment as he jabbed the pen into Matthews side.

Causing Matthews to yelp and throw his body into an upright position atop the table. “Dude! What’s your deal? Man…” Matthews complained as he rested back on his hands. Smartly not falling asleep again because he knew the awaited fate.

“Come on Matthews. I am saving you from being left like last time,” Ken said chuckling. Probably remebering the last time Matthews fell asleep on a table and we decided to leave him there. He slept through most of the day; it was a great prank. He got so busted when his parents found out, but he made up for it when he aced all the tests without being in the classroom.

The first bell went off and we slowly gathered ourselves up and started towards our homeroom. Luckily we were all in the same first class. It made coming to school on time worth it. Hanging with the guys for a bit before the boring classes begin made up for it. Our homeroom teacher is pretty legit. She never assinged seats; she just told us that if she caught us cheating or disrupting the class once we would be moved permenatly. So Ken, Matthews, Jerry, and myself took up the second row. We were all nerds, why sit in the back with the possibility of being behind a brainless idiot or behind a chatty girl. We all wanted to get through high school as clean and as smooth as possible. So we got in our seats waiting for the panicked Jerry to rush in the door almost being late. There went the second bell. I don’t know about your school but we have three bells. One is: ‘get to your class’, two is: ‘warning’, and three is: ‘you are tardy’. Jerry usually came in before the third bell. Just as I finished thinking it there came Jerry.

Panting like Jerry just ran a marathon, “Hey guys, am I late?”

“Nah dude, you are right at your norm,” Ken answered.

“Sweet,” Jerry sat himself down in his seat next to mine just as the third bell rang. He gave us a thumbs up; congratulating himself once again for beating the system.

“Congratulations Jerry once again,” Mrs. Chaplen, our homeroom teacher said as she entered the class, “for not being marked tardy again. Will this be your goal for the rest of the semester?”

“Of course Ms. Chaplen, I have to keep you on your toes,” Jerry said confidently and quite bravely added a wink.

If you remember I mentioned previously that Jerry didn’t like to talk to others, but when it came to official positioned adults he was a charmer. Girls our age, yeah only mumbling would come out of his mouth, but with Ms. Chaplen or any other teacher he would be daring. I asked him once why he was like that and he said, “Because the teachers probably hate their jobs occasionally. If one student makes their days interesting, maybe they will continue to teach the lazy teenagers of today.”

Its true what he said, but I wouldn’t be able to wink at my teacher. He is just crazy.

“Okay class, normal run of the mill announcements,” Ms. Chaplen said ignoring Jerry’s wink.

It was just the normal announcements: lunch specials, sporting events, new clubs, report cards, etc. Homeroom is just a class to keep the students informed of extra activities that students can do if they want to fill up their days. Our huge swim meet was mentioned. It’s the one that is at the end of the semester. It’s called Qualifying Champs. Pretty much all scouts or the people of the monatana school come and see what our team is capable of doing. It’s what me and the guys are mainly training towards.

Well after fifteen minutes of announcements and various students annoucing events within their groups; it was free time to talk amoung ourselves at a resonable volume. The room erupted behind us; Mrs. Chaplen gave them a look and it quieted quickly, but still their was a constant noise. The guys and I turned towards each other and just crabbed about the practice last night. Ten minutes goes by quickly when we don’t want it to; like all things good in the world. The bell chimed and there was a mad exodus. We said thanks to Ms. Chaplen and exited the class into the moving mass of students. Jerry and Ken left going to their next class, while Matthews went off to math class. I stood waiting for…Jenny.

“Hey George!”

Creativity, My Story

Life of Two Best Friends: High School CHPT 1

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Introduction: You might have heard a similar story like this before; however, this story came from a dream. I have no recollection of how or why I dreamed this dream, but it was interesting enough for me to write down.

Hopefully you will enjoy, or even more so I hope I can complete a story for once. Completely fiction! Not based on people or real places.


Chapter 1

I’ve been best friends with Jenny since preschool; she has always been there. I guess I should just tell you right off the back, I am totally into her. I think I fell for her the first day she offered me the play dough; of course the big part of that story was the other kids were being mean and she ignored them and gave it to me anyways. That was the first time someone other than my dad cared; after that day I was hooked.

Back to Jenny, Her full name is Jennifer Bailey. Jenny is beautiful. She has steel green eyes, freckles over her nose, a shiny red-tint hair, and the softest looking lips. She is currently the same height as me; even though I do attempt to stand in ways so that I can seem taller. She is probably the nicest person; but that also means she is super popular. “Popular with the guys” is what I really mean, which means I get to listen to stupid confessions day in and day out. She keeps me around just in case the guys get ruff or creepy, which in turn makes me their next punching bag. Whatever, if she needs me there I’m there.

Maybe I should have started with myself, but Jenny is always one of the first things in my mind. My name is George. George Matthews. Yes, my dad is the famous country singer Adam Matthews. My mom’s name is Christine Matthews. She is some kind of manager, I only see her once or twice a month. I love my mom, but she seems more like a visitor than a mom.

Back to me, I am roughly five foot eight, blond hair, tanned skin, a nerd in school, a swimmer, and other than those to hobbies I am Jenny’s friend. You are probably thinking I am lame, and you would be correct, but its only the middle of sophmore year. I can grow and expand my horizons; I can be more than just a swimmer nerd, who loves a girl. Anything is possible.

Back to Jenny. Jenny has a widowed mom; her dad died when she was little. Car accident. Even with those circumstances, Jenny has been loved by her mom, Mrs. Bailey, enough to cover the loss of love from a father. Also my dad has taken over the title of replacement dad, which I’m happy for Jenny, but it makes me more and more like a brother and less like possible boyfriend material. Jenny is an only child, which is probably why she is super popular. Some kids make up not having siblings by having lots of friends.

Unlike me, I have no siblings but I am content with Jenny and my three swimmer friends: Jerry Roberts, Ken Peters, Matthew Wu. The guys are great company. Jerry Roberts is the typical swimmer: long, lean, built, short brown hair. You would think approcable, but not so much. Other than me or the guys he doesn’t like to talk or interact. He is a lot like me, nerd, swimmer, only child, hopeful olympic swimmer, his specialty is backstroke though, etc. Ken Peters is a swimmer not by choice. His parents found out that I swam so he also was roped into swimming. He is probably five foot six. This might come off mean, but pretty much average; other than his height. However he is a dynimte breaststroker in the pool. Back to Ken, he is pale skinned, red hair, pretty much normal. Matthew Wu. Another quiet friend. Other than swimming he does school and then goes home. He is just focusing on graduating and moving on to bigger better things; however, keeping freesytle swimming front and center. There is no reason to mention the guys’ parents. They are just average parents, and the gang have pretty much unoffically been adopted into my family.

So, that is the gang. I am the butterflier of the gang. Which if you don’t know swim lingo I’ll tell you the gist. Four strokes: Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Freestyle. We can all swim all the strokes but like all swimmers you have a specialty. It worked out prefectly that we all each had one of the four. We create a medly relay, but we also compete in the all freestyle relays, also various solo races. Again if you don’t speak swimming no problem. I won’t be going into details too much, but I wanted non swimmers to know the basics. Moving on.


Our plan is to all go to college together and keep our dream team going, all the way to the olymipics. However, it all depends on their parents. My dad says, “Follow your dreams. “My mom says, “Sure whatever you say, honey.” Again I love my mom but wow. So yeah for me I’ll be continuing swimming until i’m old and unable, then maybe I’ll coach. There is a two year highschool in Montana that is fully swimming structured; however, you have to be invited personally. That would be awesome, but I have to wait until juinor year; they only want somewhat mature students. By that year of school you know if you want to continue swimming or not. The school load plus swimming load is unbelieviablly huge.


See I can talk about things other than Jenny; believe me if I didn’t know her my vocabulary would consist of only schooling and swimming jargon. The guys hate it when I go all mush when talking about her. They tell me to grow a pair and just tell her, or shut up about her when I’m in their presence. Which I opted for the latter. The first option will only happen if I needed to. So, when I talk to you about Jenny you can assume that my buds are not around.

I’ve pretty much summed up my life story; I’ll tell you more about my dad when you meet him later. If you meet my mom I’ll tell you what I know. I’ll introduce other people that are vital to this story when I need to, but for now you know the important ones in my life. This year is half way over, let’s head out to school so that we can see what a day in the life of two best friends is like.

Creativity, My Story, Reflections

Oh Baby…

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Having a baby has been very interesting. I love her deeply, the sweet little giggles she does are priceless. I love her kisses when she gives me them on my cheek. I love it when she smiles so much that it takes up half of her face. She such a sweet sweet.❤️

But I do miss my sleep. Which makes me think of this topic…There of been many ways to lose weight…

Some people of use the machines that shake you until all your chub is confined into your stomach. There are now things that can freeze your chub so that it shrinks your stomach. I think that getting your tummy kicked 100 times throughout the night by tiny baby feet should also help get rid of your tummy chub. I think it’s only fair…

Even still I love her. She makes my night interesting. Like right now we are wide-awake at 10:46 PM and I don’t tthink we’ll be going to sleep for probably a couple more hours. But again she is my sweet sweet. ❤️

Oh no she spitting up…

Creativity, Daily Prompts, My Story

Hugs…Part 6 (long again)

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Hugs…Part 5

“Mama won’t you tell me what’s the matter?” Annie said as she tugged repeatedly on her mother’s sleeve that was now covered in snot and tears. “Mama, please stop crying.”

It had been two days since the man came to the house; two days of continuous tears. ‘She had a heart attack. She might be gone already. I might never get to say goodbye,’ Lizzy continued to pour over the news. How could she tell Annie, Annie who loved Miss Ann so much, and had been asking about her constantly? ‘How can I tell my baby girl that her friend has died or is dying?’ I wasn’t permitted to come to the hospital because I wasn’t family but I had been put as Miss Ann’s emergency contact.

“Mama…”

The phone rang interrupting Annie. “Yes, hello,” I answer hoping the news was from the hospital. “I understand, thank you.” Searching for the words, “Annie,” I yelled but forgot she hadn’t left my side, “we have to go see Miss Ann. She is asking for us.”

“Yipee!! I gets to see my friend,” Annie’s little body trembled with excitement and scurried away to get ready.

“Annie, please come back. I need to tell you something about Miss Ann,” I said as Annie came to my side. ‘How do I tell her this?’ “Annie, Miss Ann is…”

Annie excitedly was staring up at her mama anticipating the good news, “Yes, mama!”

I began, but was not able to finish. Annie ran from me, up the stairs, into her room, and slammed the door behind her.

I tried to reason with her but she said, ‘NO!’

…

“Hello, we are her to see a Miss Ann,” I had convinced Annie to come with me. I told her it might be the last time.

“One moment please,” the nurse at the front desk said as she stepped away to an older man, the doctor, cross the room. They looked at me and started towards us.

“Miss or Mrs…?”

“Miss Elizabeth and my daughter Annie,” I replied back to the doctor who seemed confused.

“Can I talk to you privately, could my nurse take your daughter to the play area and get her a snack?” he said pointing to the area across from the room where a bunch of little kids were.

“Sure,” I said to the doctor, then squatting down to Annie’s level. “You are going to go with this young lady. She is going to take you to the area where the little kids get to play. It’s the special area where you can imagine you are anywhere but here. Please go with her,” pleading with Annie to not make a scene.

“Yes, Mama,” she said without any responsive emotion or warmth. She just followed the woman to the play area, sat in a chair, and started reading a book.

“What’s wrong doctor? Is Ann alright. Can I see her now?”

“I’m sorry mam but someone was supposed to call you again. Miss Ann died about twenty minutes ago. She had another heart attack and she was gone. Mam…”

I must have been fading away; his quizzical expression slowly blurred and was gone.

…

My eyes fluttered open and I was on a hospital bed with little Annie next to me reading. I hate hospital beds; it reminds me of the scandal.

“Mam, are you back with us?” the same doctor was beside me taking my pulse. “You gave me quite a scare when you began to topple over. Your little girl though jumped the playpen barricade, and was by your side rubbing your head trying to revive you. You’ve got quite a helper there.”

Little Annie’s eyes sparkled a quick second but she did not look up from her book.

“I am sorry I did not brace you for the bad news. And I am sorry I told your daughter as well. After you fell and she was holding you she began yelling at me, and demanding the reason. I am sorry but I don’t like to lie to little kids.”

I looked over at my baby and the sparkle of happiness was gone, only to leave a tear streaming down her face and dripping onto the binding of the book. She still did not look up. I scooped her up into my arms and placed her on the bed with me; she stopped reading and buried her head into my chest and wept. “What now doctor? What happens now?”

“Well since she does not have any other family contacts we wanted to leave her effects with you both. She brought everything with her when the hotel staff called it in.”

As he produced her luggage, the same luggage I made her gather up and take with her when I kicked her out. “Did she say anything when she was conscious?”

“She only kept mumbling, ‘I am sorry…I wish I hadn’t been a coward…I wanted you to be mine…I had hoped to call you both mine.’ “She kept saying those things when she would come back to us. She also said this before she left us,” he was going to start but indicated Annie’s presence.

“It’s fine. She deserves to know what her friend said before she went home to His house.”

He retrieved a note pad, “She was saying too much stuff to me not to write it down so I could tell you everything word for word. She said to me,” ‘Please promise me something. If a young woman and child come to see me and I am already gone, please tell them I am sorry for leaving a second time. I should have stayed and fought to keep the family I wanted. Tell the little girl she is the most beautiful and charming little girl that I am happy to call my best friend.”

Annie’s sobbing silenced as she was listening to the doctor’s words. She squeezed me a little tighter when he had said what Miss Ann said.

He continued, ‘and please tell Lizzy that I never wanted to leave in the beginning. I just was cowardly and didn’t think I would be able to see you in a different family that was not with me. Please give her the folder in my luggage after you tell her these things. Hopefully she will understand.” As he said this he handed me an accordion folder. “Please tell her I still love her just as I did the first day I had to counsel her. I enjoyed the time is spent with them both and I felt a part of a family. A make sure to emphasize to her, I do not blame her for kicking me out. I am just happy I got to explain myself once more to her before I was gone.” He chuckled after the last part.

“What’s so funny,” I asked confused why he would laugh at her words.

“Oh no mam, she also told me that if I did not do as she said and tell you these things that she would haunt me the rest of my life and ruin all encounters of love. She also said that if I did tell you everything exactly as she wanted she would be the cause of my next love encounter. She was a stubborn woman, but I do hope you understood everything I said,” he said making sure I did in fact get everything he had told me; he probably believed that Ann would haunt him.

“You did, but I would still beware. She has a funny way of coming back into your life one way or another,” I said to be funny but it was true.

He chuckled as well, glance at us again and left the room.

The folder sat in my lap. I could quite put my finger on why I knew this folder, like I had seen it once before. ‘Why?’

“What’s wrong mama, aren’t you going to open it? I wonder what it is.”

I wonder too; I just didn’t know if I wanted to know. But it was Miss Ann’s dying wish I opened this folder. So… I opened the flap and found…“Wait really!?!”

“What’s wrong mama?”

“Are you okay mam,” the doctor must have been outside the room.

“I don’t believe it. She wanted me. She wanted me that day I told her I was being adopted. She had come that day to adopt me.” I kept rambling off different phrases trying to understand it all.

“”Yippee Mama, you were always wanted by someone who you loved.”

“Congratulations mam, being adopted is one of the greatest feelings, believe me.”

“Wait there is a second page in here. She updated the papers. She officially adopted me the day after I invited her to stay. I had a mama, for those few short days. Annie, that means you had a grandma for those few days too.”

“Awesome sauce! My best friend and my grandma were the same people.” Annie looked all excited for a moment, but then remembering. “I am sad she is gone though.”

“She isn’t truly gone. She is always with us and if God allows her she might just haunt us through our days. You too doctor sir,” I said with a small chuckle trying to uplift the mood.

“Well since today should be a happy day, for you being adopted and you finding out you had a grandma, I am going to take you too beautiful ladies out for dinner,” the doctor said as he also tried to also lift the mood. “Let me get cleaned up and you,” pointing at Annie, “will decide where we go.” He left the room probably to clock out and finish the last minute things.

I sat there excited for the food, excited for the company, excited for Annie; but also, I felt excited and warmed for me. I had a mama. A mama who fought to keep me. A mama who loved me until the end. A mama who I will remember for forever.

…Epilogue to Continue…

Sleeve

Creativity, Daily Prompts, My Story

Hugs…Part 5

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Hugs…Part 4

‘I don’t think she heard me,’ I said to myself because she hadn’t moved or responded to the great news. “Did you hear me Lizzy, it’s Miss…”

“I heard. I…”

Anticipation rising, I was having trouble controlling my emotions.

“I need you to leave. Leave this house without a word again, and actually keep your promise and never come back,” said without emotion or movements.

I was shocked she would say that; I thought she would be at least willing to understand my side of things. “Lizzy, aren’t you being a little unfair, I just want…”

“You have had forty years to explain. I will call you a cab. You will leave without saying goodbye to my daughter. Gather your stuff up and go.”

Lizzy exited the room towards her daughter, without so much of a tear; she just ended our conversation and began another with Annie.

I sat there a moment longer on the couch that I had thought I might get to stay on through the years. Being here with them gave me something to live for; I was going to attempt to make it to Annie’s adult life, if they would have had me. I stood and gathered my few belongings as a cab pulled up in front of the house. I didn’t want to just leave without saying goodbye; I didn’t want to relive my mistakes again. But I must respect her wishes and just leave. I walked up to the door, I thought I would never have to walk through again, and a second time stepped away from a family I wish I could have been a part of.

My body felt so heavy and my heart was slowly breaking. ‘What’s the point anymore, God? Is it time for me to come home, yet?’ as I plopped my body into the back of the cab as the cabby loaded my belongings.

“Where to Mam?” he said as routinely and generic as possible.

As I looked back towards the house, looking back at me through the living room window was little Annie’s tearful eyes. “Anywhere so crowded that I can’t be bothered by my feelings.”

He started the engine, and started to pull away from now just a memory.

Annie was no longer in the house she was running down the steps towards my leaving car. Stirring up the hard but bearable memory of leaving Lizzy the first time, ‘I don’t think I will live through this time,’ hearing Annie’s pleading cries and seeing her sobbing face. She will haunt me until my dying day.

…-…

We got back to the city back where I started outside the hotel, I had to weave through the bodies without being completely trampled. “Easier said than done, I must say,” I croaked out when I finally entered the flashy, cramped lobby. Booking my room, getting settled, and finally sitting in the slightly comfiest chair in the corner, I wept until I had no tears left. I sat in that chair for hours because I had no more energy for anything.

..-..

“Mam…? Mam,” the cleaning lady outside the door had been knocking for a while. “Mam? I’m coming in, excuse my entrance,” she said as she entered the door.

..-..

“Mama, what happened to the old lady with us? I miss her, and she didn’t even say goodbye. Mama?”

“She had to leave, Annie. Please don’t ask again.” Lizzy said as she stared out the window watching a man walk his grungy, cur-like dog down the street. “What an awful dog.”

“Mama, you okay? You always say what a poor dog and what a poor old man.”

‘How does she know these things,’ Lizzy thought to herself, ‘yes, when did I become so cynical?’ “I’m sorry my darling in just confused. What are you up to today?”

There was a knock at the door, just as Annie began to list off her long To-Do-List, “One minute Annie, let me get the door,” but she continued to ramble off. “Yes, hello,” as she said as she opened the door.

“Are you Elizabeth Kiddman, Mam?” a tall, crisp man standing on the porch said.

“Yes, that’s my legal name. May I ask what this is about? Annie, please stop rambling! Sorry I’m distracted, she is a handful,” Lizzy said as she gave the man her undying attention just as Lizzy latched onto her leg beside her.

“Mam, do you know a Ms. Ann…”

“Yep we do! She is the old lady that had to leave us suddenly,” Annie blurted out before he could finish.

“Annie darling, please go wait for me in the living room,” Lizzy could feel the indescribable tension building inside the man.

“But why…? Okay fine, whatever,” she begrudgingly went as she was told.

“Again, my apologies. Yes, we know of her. What about her?”

Annie was straining to hear her mother, but she only caught her mother whispering out, ‘what…when…how?’ So against all orders she ran back to the front door to protect her mother, but instead she entered just as her mother collapsed to the floor.

…To Be Continued…

Cur

Creativity, Daily Prompts, My Story

Hugs…Part 4 (a bit longer…)

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Hugs…Part 3

“What, Who, How?” I couldn’t seem to get a clear sentence out. “Where…did you get…that?” Finally giving up and gesturing to the laurel.

She quizzically looked down at the wreath of flowers and leaves, “I forgot who told me that’s what it’s called it; I’ve been calling it a wreath for all these years.”

She turned her eyes back to mine and I saw it; the same hidden sadness veiled under a smile, “Lizzy?” Unsure if this was indeed the long remembered child from my past.

Startled, she backed off, “How do you know me? I’ve never met you before.” She had moved to the edge of the sofa and little Annie’s head popped in around the door molding.

“You okay mama?” Annie said for her mother but was looking straight at me. Probably concerned that I had caused her mother to stiffen.

“I’m fine Annie, go back into the room and continue playing; you will have to tell me the whole story later,” her voice was a little settled.

Excited by the idea of explaining the lives of the dolls to her mother, “I’ll go start over and remember everything.” She was gone as quickly as she was there.

Turning my gaze back at the mother, I could see her mind running through perhaps all her memories trying to remember me, or trying to recall me. My greatest hope is that she will remember me and offer another hug; the glorious hug that I have always remembered. Her eyes stopped rummaging and stared at me intently, ‘here it comes’ I thought to myself.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t remember you.”

My heart shattered.

“Did we meet recently? Did you just read about me back a while ago in the scandal? Did you…”

“What scandal?” Trying to rack my brain, but remembering I was living in the middle of nowhere.

She looked at me, “You’re not a reporter right? Here to get an inside scooped some forty odd years later. You don’t look like the typical reporter, but I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Confused by her remark, but answered accordingly, “No, I’m not a reporter; I’ve been living in the country these forty some odd years and I haven’t had access to the modern gossip.”

“Well thank goodness someone who doesn’t know the lies to begin with. Now I wish you were a reporter so I could give you the very elaborate string of events and situations that happened.”

Again checking her surroundings making sure Annie was nowhere in sight. “I was adopted by a very nice and charming family right around the age of twelve. They are the ones that gave me this,” paused a moment, “laurel. Their youngest son was such a sweet heart, he was just under my age, but he seemed to act younger. He was my very best friend. I was with the family for a marvelous three years before it happened.” Tears were coming.

“Since you know nothing you should know, that everyone in the world believe I wish it to happen that I was just trying to have a better life. But if they actually had listen to me they would have known my life was perfect and I didn’t want it to change,” she said as she brushed the tears away.

“We had a family gathering, my family thought it was about time the rest of the family met me. They thought I should meet and intertwine with my many aunts and uncles. I was so excited I didn’t even think to keep my guard up.”

Listening to her talk I am at war with my feelings. I know the story must end badly, but I am so happy for her to have experienced the family lifestyle.

“I was such a naïve child. I had four years of love and kindness that I didn’t even suspect for their extension of the family to be any different. I just went wandering through the crowds of people. I was almost seventeen so I was old enough to introduce myself. But my little brother followed me everywhere. He had some disability that made him believe he was still young; he functioned perfectly but his mind was still innocent. So as I wandered he followed,” she paused only to brush another tear away.

“Any other day, I would have been glad he was always with me, but since that day I have wished every day that he hadn’t been there; because, after that day he became aware. They had one uncle that was not invited but had shown up anyways. I never thought that anything would happen. He kicked out my little brother and took me away.”

I could see the pain and shame; she didn’t have to explain it any farther. I rested my hand on hers and made her look into my eyes. I didn’t want her to relive it again.

She began to sob, trying to collect herself and continue, but she excused herself for a moment and went to the bathroom.

Annie popped her head in and got terrified that he mama wasn’t there. She walked straight up to me with her pointing finger right at my nose, “What happened to my mama!?!”

She had the cutest concerned face ever, if I hadn’t known I would have thought this was Lizzy’s little girl. “She is just using the restroom. How’s the story for the dolls going? Anything exciting happening?” Annie started telling me some of the story and wow she had so many details already thought out and planned. It was amazing. I could sense that someone was watching so I said, “Annie don’t look now, but your mam is spying; she is trying to hear the story now! You better run away and continue working on it so you don’t spoil the ending.”

Annie looked over at her mama in the doorway, scampered off the coach, and ran into the other room. She popped her head in one last time, “no peeking until I say its time,” and she was gone again.

Lizzy was a bit more controlled. She had cleaned her face and her eyes weren’t was teary.

“Sorry about that…I just…”

Thinking the tears might come back, “Your daughter is so adorable. You have quite the story waiting for you when she gets done.”

“Yeah, she makes every day interesting.” She was better now. “My little brother saved my life probably. The moment he got shoved out of the room he wailed and screamed. My family came to his rescue but didn’t know they would be rescuing me too. After the whole ordeal, I had to go to court and have it all reconciled. The uncle kept trying to blame me, and continued to feed the reporters fake news. My family though, stood up for me and defended me; they knew what he was and what his consequences should have been. He ended up going to jail.”

That brought a smile to her face, and I was happy for that too. Even though I thought, if his face had collided with shovel I would have been even happier.

“He also had to pay me 1.2 million dollars.”

My face probably said everything she expected; it felt like my mouth fell off my face.

“Yeah, even though my family wanted it to be closer to two-billion dollars. After the trial, I thought everything would go back to normal, but the courts deemed me unhealthy to be with my family. Because I now had a taste for money that I would continue to repeat what happened to me. My family of course was against the thought and prepared to go to battle with the courts, but they would lose everything. So instead of them losing everything I decided I should. I told them a lie; I told them to leave me and never come back. As heartbroken as I was, they were even more so.

I went back to the orphanage and bought it. I wanted to run it; I wanted to be in charge; I wanted the children to actually have a chance. It slowly dwindle down to no more children. I had made sure they all got into respectable loving homes.”

‘Great now I seem like more of a failure,’ I said to myself. She didn’t just lose her home, she made sure everyone got one except her. Now my failures and fears sound even worse. Because she didn’t get what she wanted, but she continued to fight to give others their dreams.

“I never married. I don’t know if it was because of what happened, but it was probably due to the repercussion of the reporters. They twisted and manipulated my story to make me out to an awful person. Making any respectable man out there stay away, and causing only the bad ones or greedy ones to come; so I gave up on trying. When I found Annie under the bench, she was perfect for my empty heart. She didn’t have a name when I adopted her, so I named her after one woman that seemed to love me…Miss Ann.”

I must have gasped, but I covered it up by just being an old lady having a hard time breathing. Annie is name after me? That is the sweetest thing I have ever been told, and that she saw me as someone who loved her. Still, I didn’t really want her to find out that Miss Ann had been sitting across from her; not only because she knew my failures, but mostly because she would know that I left her.

“She was the one person in my life I loved talking to about my adventures, my sorrows, or my questions. After I left to live with my family, I never saw her again. I understood I had a family to talk to but she was the person I wanted to see as well. After the scandal and being alone, it would have been wonderful to of had her with me. However, no one could tell me anything; even when I bought the place the woman who was in charge before said she didn’t have a way to contact her, and that she hadn’t been back.  I kept searching for a while, but she just dropped off the face of the planet. I thought I had meant something to her, but I guess I was just another child she had to counsel.” She looked off in the direction of Annie.

‘I didn’t want to. I didn’t!’ I was yelling in my brain. It wouldn’t come out into words, subconsciously I didn’t want her to hate me. Not now. Not when my life would soon end. But I didn’t want her to go another day wondering about me. So… “It’s me Lizzy, its Miss Ann.”

…To be continued…

Elaborate

Creativity, Daily Prompts, My Story

Hugs…Part 3

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Hugs…Part 2

Waking in and out of consciousness is a stressful thing, and it only makes me more stressed so I know I kept falling in and out…I woke to some bread and milk then my body said no and I was asleep again. I woke to a small tickle on my face and a quick larger hand swatting the tickle away, and then I slept…

“Mama, when is she going to wake up? She has been asleep too long. I don’t want her to die on my favorite couch,” tiniest squeak of a voice said in a whisper.

“Hush Annie, she can still hear you. She will be fine; one day soon, when it is finally time, she will come back to us.”

…Unknown number of days…

I have been consistently awake for a few days; I don’t know how many other days I was out of it. The mother is quite sweet; her daughter is too, but I think she still sees me as someone scary or someone who might just drop dead.

The house looks different in the inside. It truly looks like a child took to the walls and colored them however they wanted. With the personality of this little girl, this does not surprise me. The mom did a nice job of hiding away the shadows and blandness of the house. “Have you lived here long?”

The little girl’s mouth gaped open, probably because she thought I lost my voice, due to me being so ancient.

“We have been here since she was three, so almost five years now. You seem to know this house, can I ask you about your past?”

Embarrassed by the question trying to hide my feelings it said, “Oh, I just know about the history of the house. About forty years ago I knew this house very well.” After finishing my sentence I know I must have dazed off because I thought back to the child, the little child that would have changed my… ‘Nope,’ thinking to myself, ‘I won’t live through it again.’

Little Annie must have gotten bored because she skipped away into the kitchen. Probably looking for some mischief she could get muddled in.

“Yes the orphanage; I too knew that place well,” the mother sighed.

The sigh from the mother showed her true stress lines and wrinkles. “If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you?”

She chuckled, “I’m a ripe olé fifty-two almost fifty-three. I know sometimes I don’t look it, but that’s for Annie’s sake.”

She paused for a minute, checking the surroundings, “Annie isn’t mine; she is mine, but I adopted her. It seemed fitting, I grew up in an orphanage and never married, because I was here up until they foreclosed. I bought the place with the money from a horrible lawsuit; so that no one could use this home for an orphanage again. Annie was three when I found her living in a cardboard box down the street. I did all the legal things to find her a home and they kept saying she would be put in the foster system. So instead I took her home with me and she is officially mine. It’s a wonderful feeling being able to give someone the feeling of love that you have been longing for your whole life.”

This is a strong woman sitting before me; she did what I dreamed of, she claimed the little one as her own and she seems stronger for it. Even though I was going to guess she was only thirty-five, not the large amount of fifty-something. Thinking about this woman’s accomplishments stirred up my failures; they just seem to keep coming back. “You have done a marvelous job with this little girl; you have given her, what I wished I had been able to have done way back when. I’m going to bestow my little bit of personal failure on you, because it’s not going away and I feel like I need to talk it out before my time comes.” Looking at the woman hoping I have her full attention.

She was already staring at me intently, but she paused a moment, “Annie, what are you up to? Are you getting into trouble?”

“No mama, I’m just playing with my dolls in the living room!” Her small voice bellowed through the halls to us. “Sorry,” she said as she gave my attention again, “I get paranoid when she is silent.”

When I knew I had her attention, I told her my story and my failures…

I knew my story would hit close to her heart, because an orphan just wants a home. To hear a story from someone who chickened out on giving the child their dream is earthshattering for anyone but especially to an orphan. I couldn’t really read the mother’s expression; she seemed to have heard me but she seemed to be off in a distance.

Abruptly, the mom got up and said, “Excuse me a moment,” and she left the room.

‘I insulted her,’ I thought to myself. I wish I could just croak now so I wouldn’t have to indulge in criticism.

She abruptly came back into the room holding something…the laurel…

Bestow

My Story

A Story: Part 11

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A Story: Part 10

Warmth…always warmth comes when I drift into my dreamland. This time however, my body lays upon a heated, hard stoned surface; the large stones dig into my spine sending currents of pain through my body.

“This is new. It’s not the normal beach.” mumbling to myself, more curious if my voice would work.

Opening my eyes, cobbles tones arch above me, under me, and behind me. I lay in a window, overlooking the stunning beach. The vast ocean stretches as far as my eyes can see. The wind echoes through the stronghold building attached to the window, tosses up my hair, and travels towards the sea. It intertwines with the palms, stirring up a rustling song in their branches. The sun is still high enough to catch my skin. I am leagues away from the coast. The sea looks like a giant puddle, stilled but vibrant. This time I am wearing a boat-necked dress. It hangs perfectly off my shoulders, the bodice fitted snugly, and the skirt flowing down to the dark hard ground. The gown is orange, like Liam’s eyes.

“Liam?” a squeak leaves my throat. I look around hoping I am alone and no one heard my embarrassing outburst. But yes, my dress begins at vibrant red and trickles downwards into oranges and yellows; I am walking sunset.

A slight chill surges through me; the smallest hairs on my legs spring to life causing static with the fabric. I need more warmth. Looking down there lies Danny’s blanket. The worn comforting brown material folded perfectly next to the window. As I lift the fabric and open it for a welcoming embrace, the wind swiftly takes it up and sends it soaring out the window towards the sea.

“No! Danny…” the next moments were a blur, but I find myself dashing through the palm trees after the blanket. The wind stops suddenly and the blanket drops to the sand inches from being completely submerged in the ocean break. Bending over I see the dress. It is no longer beautiful, it looks to be an old, moldy rag. The lovely sunset colors are no longer there. The reminisce of Liam is no longer evident. I stand disheveled and small. My hands shaking in fear, but grasping the half wet blanket.

The sun has set and the wind is bitter. The blanket, I desperately wished to protect, can do nothing for me now. I am alone again on this beach…

“David? Are you there?” I whisper into the void.

Even if he kills me, I can’t be alone anymore. My dreams are depressing and heartbreaking. At least with David I can have a chance to see someone.

“DAVID!! I know you are out there. You never would leave me. David!” I scream into the void. I don’t care anymore; I can’t be alone. “David!?!”

Only silence. Bitter awful silence. I fall to the freezing sand and sob into the drenched brown blanket. I’m alone…I’m alone…alone…

…

My Story

A Story: Part 10

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A Story: Part 9

Sun…the brightest sun yet pierces my eyelids. The beach again; I had wished I might dream about the forest. Strange…I know that day was reality and not a dream; I can feel the stabbing splinters in my knees from the mulch. Also, I have had many dreams of the sky and I have never imagined it so blue. There were small hints pink, purple, and yellow hues hinted through the sky. The soft white clouds seemed to float aimlessly through the breeze without a care. It was peaceful; it was adventure. Instead, I know I am back on that stupid nightmare beach; again, probably to be tortured by my mind, David, or both.

Blaring heat surges through my body, and I press my body deeper into the cloth beneath me; it must be Danny’s.  “Danny…” tears whirl up inside me as I think about that little boy who didn’t know there was a reality beyond that evil red door. He never experienced the sky, birds, or sounds of peace. He lives inside me, but never free…just like me.

Far off steps come towards me; slow and softly, trying to sneak towards me. “David…” my body tightens and I grip the material beneath me and my palms begin sweating. They said my neck was from someone powerful; could David be this powerful? “Is that why he lives in my brain, but still lingers in the foreground never surrendering?” The pain and worry stir my head into chaos.

The steps keep coming, and I can no longer take the suspense. My eye open and I lunge up and prepare…

“David…” his mangled but strong body comes towards me. He looks to be alive but dead in all senses. He looks strong though in this ugly state. And he continues towards me not faltering or stumbling this time, but slow and steady towards his prey.

“David? What do you want?” my body is wavering, so I dig my feet deeper into the sand. That will hold me for a while. “David!?!”

He is about ten feet away and he stops. His dead eyes travel up to mine and they stare deep inside me. His arms tense and he bring his hands up level with my neck and his hands tense into talons. Then he continues towards me.

My mind is blurring and my limbs are wavering, but I hold my ground. “David! Stop. Talk to me.”

He stops. His eyes flicker a moment before continuing his march…

“David?” this human who has tried to kill me several times, and been the cause of other’s deaths…I step towards him.

He stops suddenly and his face contorts to an expression of…fear. He steps back once too, to regain his balance. His eyes spark life and they search my face. His body is tense and looks to be in a state of fight or flight.

“David?” I keep moving towards him. Small enough steps to keep a distance just in case, but I continue to close the gap. “David…” what was that…The smallest of tears ran down his face before he whisked it away from my sight.  “David?” and I extend my palm towards him.

He stands stilled in his tensed perch; he looks to be at war with himself. I am only a few steps away and I can hear the raspy whisper of his breath. I can see the blood and mud smeared skin. I can smell the many smells he has been covered with. “How long has he been like this? Is this what it is like in my dreams for the many essences in my mind…? Danny…?” my mind beginning to fog.

My palm touches David’s jawline, and he face is cold and rough. He looks old and worn this close, and his eyes show a hint of sadness. There is a track in the mud upon his face where the tear scurried down. My face inches from his…his body begins to shake…either fear or…

“David? Speak to me…” I say in the softest voice, not wanting to scare or change his mood.

“J…J…Jan…”

“JANE!” an invisible hand grasps my shoulder and pulls me back into reality.

My eyes open instantly and I am back in that dampened tree trunk room. A pair of hands still shaking my shoulders to awaken me.

“Stop it!” and I shove the hands away without thinking.

The body falls of the bed, and onto the floor.

A thud is all I hear. “David?” I think before anything else…why did I have to come back now…

“Are you all right?” the voice, from the body still sitting on the floor asks.

The voice brings me back into reality, the voice…Liam.

I swing my body towards his form and produce my chest over the ledge of the bed, just above him. He sits there collapsed on the floor, head down with his long locks cascading around his face.

Liam… “Umm…uh…”

His head jolts up and his eyes look directly into mine, like he can see through me. His hair falls down around his neck and he sits there without noise looking at me.

Without know why I fling my body back away from him, his eyes seemed to pierce my soul. No one has ever look as intently and focused at me before. It made my chest well up inside, but also with a mixed in feeling of fear.  I sit holding my knees frantically in the middle of the bed, trying to calm myself.

Liam’s body moves, and he stands before me. His body towers next to me, and it seems like if he were to extend a little more he would hit his head on the ceiling. He stands there awkwardly a moment before sitting on the edge of the bed next to me.

Every movement he makes I notice…the way his hand places itself within inches of my foot to brace his body. How as he releases a long breath his back slumps and relaxes ever so slightly. How when he breaths his hair flutters from his breath. How his eyes search my face then the room, before focusing again on me.

“Liam…” I say and his eyes jump to mine, his eyes alive and excited. But more like and excited fear.

“I didn’t know if you would remember or not,” his voice is different from before, deeper but more like a whisper.

Silence fills this little room. Even with another person to gain so much more info I feel like I can and cannot trust him. I want to know more, but I do not want to be lied to by him. “Liam? Why did you pull me out of my dreams?” The only thing I can think of to ask…

His face changes slightly, “Sorry for the harsh awakening. I tried to wake you but you didn’t respond and I was worried you were gone. The only way I could think of was to wake you was with force. Are you alright?”

So he didn’t wake me because of my dream, but because I did not wake. Strange it seemed like he was pulling me out of my dream by force to end it. Realizing I hadn’t answered him, “I am fine, I just wanted to finish my dream…” never knew I would ever say that about my nightmare beach…

“Was it a good dream? I am sorry to take you out of your peace.” His eyes clouded with sadness.

“It was an interesting one. Just an experience I wanted to know how it would end…but it’s fine, really.” Trying to end this conversation, because I don’t want to have to lie to him about anymore dreams.

Silence again creeps into the room. I feel content with the silence, because I don’t want to start another conversation and Liam seems to be a war with his mind. Instead, I watch his eyes change. They go from a sadness, to excitement, to fear, to determination, to nothing in seconds. His eyes are still the beautiful orange color. With every different emotion the ablaze in his eyes liquefies and switches to another. They seem to dance and spark with his emotions. His body lets out another breath and his eyes focus again on mine.

However, my eyes were already staring into his so when his eyes meet mine they show excitement and a hint of fear at once, making the flames sparkle. We sit there in silence pouring into each other’s eyes. Trying to discern anything without speaking.

“Jane…” he says…

“Liam…what are you doing?” a voice enters the atmosphere and our bodies tense. Liam turns to face to voice, as he does his body reveals the small girl from before standing in the door frame. She is holding a bowl of water and a towel over her arm. A small whiff of honey and peaches seeps into the room.

“Penny…” Liam says without thought…and he sharply turns towards me. The small girl of honey and peaches, drops the bowl, sloshing the water all over the ground, and the bowl clatters unbroken. Liam’s body is over me. His eyes dance with fear. “Jane…you must not say you know her name. Please, don’t call her by name!”

The voice of the old man comes into the room as Liam pulls his body away from mine. The old man is just that an old man. But his body suggest much pain and war, but it also shows his strong nature and stubbornness. His arms and legs are scarred and beaten. But he still looks strong enough to kill if need be. “Child are you alright?” he asks the small fragile girl, as she stand carelessly stilled and frozen with fear.

She cannot or will not answer him. The man’s eyes travel from hers, to Liam’s, to mine. His eyes are dark blue, with a hint of brown. But mostly darkness produces from his eyes, and they tear into mine in search of a reason.  I look away, because I don’t want him to know anything about me, I don’t trust his eyes.

Liam is the first to speak, “I am sorry for the commotion. She,” gesturing to Penny, “did not expect me to be in here. She was startled by my presence and so she dropped the bowl.”

Liam said that quite effectively and without wavering. He is an excellent liar…The old man seemed to buy the story and his body relaxed a small amount. His eyes still lingered over my body and I could feel his glare barring down into me. However, he turned back to Penny.

She was not a good liar, her body was still shaking with fear and she seemed to be about to burst into tears…

“So, who are you?” my voice breaks before her sobs do. Liam’s body stiffens and Penny’s face contorts to fear, but it silences her sobs.

The old man turns back to me, and I prepare my eyes for his intensive gaze. His eyes drill into me; his expression telling me I will not know this answer. He steps towards me and the room seems to shrink in size. He is larger than he looked and as he came forward his body straighten to almost match Liam’s height. Liam still stands beside my bed, but his body tries to stay firm in this man’s way; however, as the old man nears Liam moves to give way to the man’s destination.

I feel so small on this bed, as the old man towers over me. Liam is no longer able to be seen around this massive body, and Penny is silent. The man hesitates slightly before racing out a hand to clasp my shoulder.

All my strength is gone, but I can feel everything. A whirling fire soars through my body. It’s like a current of pain reaching ever crevasse of my figure. It feels like a snake is slithering through my veins in search of something. I lose all sense of sight and I fall into darkness, but I am still conscious. My essence falls into my subconscious and, “What…?”

There in my mind stands an apparition of the old man. He is wandering into my thoughts searching for something. “How is this possible?” I think to myself hoping he is not able to hear my thoughts. Every step the man takes I can feel. I can feel his eyes drill into my memories. However, I close off the tunnel to my dreams. Those are mine. I stand from afar watching him. He aimlessly wanders, but he is determined…

“This must be strange for you?”

“That voice… David,” and David’s body metalizes beside me. I feel fear, anger, and sadness towards him. “How…why…?”

He just looks at me, and I know he won’t answer. “How do you like someone else wandering inside your brain who is alive still?”

True. All the lives inside my brain are there because I put them there, this man is here because he put himself here. “David,”

He doesn’t acknowledge me, but he does smile a wicked smile in the old man’s direction. Without moving David vanishes and appears behind the old man.

“DON’T!” My voice cuts across to the old man and he vanishes before David’s hands clasp his throat. All around me is fading and all I see is David’s body bowing towards me like, he is commending his action for me in some way. Again darkness fills my mind and I lay alone in blackness.

…

“What happened?” Liam’s voice enters the void. “Are you alright?”

A scuffle and noises come too as my eyesight returns. There in the chair next to bed is the old man. But he looks smaller and fragile; he looks to be fifty years older. Liam is next to him trying to revive him. Penny is across the room getting more water. She returns to place a wet cloth on his forehead and she mumbles something and the old man surrenders to the cold water. His body relaxes and sinks into the chair.

I am flat on my back laying on the bed. I lift my head to see better, and Liam sees my movement. He quickly moves to my side and whispers in my ear, his breath warm, “lay quietly, do not stir until we move him…I will come back.” He lifts his head and his eyes find mine; he is telling the truth. I close my eyes and lay stilled upon the bed. But my eyes stay sharp listening to my surroundings.

“Come quickly!” Liam calls out and feet shuffle down the stairs and many new bodies enter the room. “Take him to his own room,” Liam says, as his body slowly moves out of the room.

I feel alone again. Grunts and winces sound next to me as I can sense many men lift the old man to carry him from the room. I lay as perfectly still as possible.  But before the forms move away one says, “She is beautiful.” I wonder to whom he was speaking…

The bodies carefully leave the room and climb the stairs; I hear them until they are too far and I am again left in silence. I am unsure if I am alone so I stay laying, eyes closed, and alone in this room until Liam returns.

I hear a shuffle of steps across the room, but without knowing who I lay stilled and frozen.  I am terrified, because I don’t want to die. Steps continue towards me and a hand places itself caringly over my mouth. My eyes open and there is Liam, suppressing my mouth to tell me to be quiet. His eyes are glazed over; I cannot read his feelings. He removes the hand and he collapses onto the bed again beside me. This time, however, his body hunches over and he rests his head between his knees to slow his breathing. I resituate myself into a more upright position so I can witness everything. My head swirls slightly. Penny comes through the doorway with another bowl and she carries it to table beside me. She places one wet towel on Liam’s neck, and then she sponges way my sweat from my brow and chest. She sits there in silence eyes cast downward wiping away. Liam’s breathing slows and his backs cracks releasing tension, but stays hunched over.

Penny drapes a new wet cloth over his neck and he sighs deeply. She seems better than before but her baby blue eyes seem sad and vacant. No one says anything, and it seems like they will not. I try to sit content that they came back but I cannot. My emotions will not let me, and my boil begins to boil. “What happened just now?”

My question cuts through the moment of peace and stillness. I feel like I just poked the belly of the beast. Liam’s back lifts and sits up straight; holding a breathing, stretching his muscles, and then releasing it his body slumps once again before turning to me. Penny seems to bow out and she leaves the room. Liam’s eyes are vibrant once again, but filled with fear and anger.

I cannot discern if the emotions are directed for me of at me. He looks straight into my eyes and his flame seems to ooze into my soul. He stares down into me, and I feel my body pulling away, but before I can his hands clasp my shoulders and pull me towards him. I am inches from his face and his breath soaks into my flesh…

“What did you just do?” Liam says point blank at me, furiously.

“What!?!…” I about to speak…

Liam’s hands grip tighter and he shoves me against the bed frame, and my back digs into the metal bars. He is strong, stronger than I imagined. I cannot move. His face inches from mine. His lips move, but I hear nothing. Penny is next to us and she is mouthing something. Liam falls away from me, and my mind fogs. Penny handles my body back onto the bed. I drift away into darkness with a lingering smell of honey and peaches.

…