Letters
She thought the rumors would stop, but they didn’t, so she ran. Ran all the way to the end of town and out to a field of sunflowers. She stopped, looked at the flowers and decided she didn’t want to stay in that town anymore, so she walked. Time flew and so did the fireflies, blinking their red and orange lights. The next thing she knew, she ended up at a willow tree. She didn’t notice until now because she was too consumed of the feeling of soft petals brushing up against the side of her jean-clad legs.
She saw an old vintage bike resting up against the side of the long twigged willow tree. It was the kind of bike with a small flower covered basket in the front and two huge wheels. When she saw the bike, she thought there was something strange about the little envelopes slightly sticking out of the basket. From what she could see, they were withered away from storms and the wind beating down upon them like a sledgehammer beating against concrete.
The bike fascinated her so much that she went to step forward and investigate more of the intriguing objects. As she was reaching to touch an especially fragile-looking letter, she was stopped by a voice. It was a boy shouting for her. The boy sounded familiar to her, like she listens to him every day. She turned and watched as a dark haired teenager from her school run around the tree and stop right in front of her. He was looking her up and down, making sure she was all right. Then his wide blue eyes met hers and it was like she could see the relief flow right out of him as his body relaxed and he enclosed her in his arms.
She was stunned for a second, and in that second he realized what he did and quickly pulled back. He rubbed the back of his neck.
“I, uh…I just wanted to make sure you were alright after you ran off like that. Are you alright?” He asked while standing back slightly and observing her with concerned and questioning eyes.
“Yeah, I am.” She said weakly.
He saw straight through her. He has always been able to tell if she was hiding something.
“I can tell you’re lying, that you’re hurting. I just wish you would tell me when you’re feeling down. I want to help you, but I can’t if you don’t tell me what happened all those years ago.” He whispered the last part as he grabbed her freezing hands in his to try to tell her that there is someone that cares for her.
Of course she never picks up on his bread droppings and just keeps on walking. She turned away from him and faced the unique bike once again. She reached out and gripped a letter between her thumb and index finger.
“What are you doing?"
She spread her fingers over the yellowed paper, and then curling one finger under the flap she ripped open the letter with one movement. She pulled the one carefully written paper from the envelope and started reading out loud.
Dear Dom,
I haven’t heard from you in forever, but your last letter made up for it. I just have so much to tell you - it’s going to be hard to write it all in this little letter, but here goes nothing.
Ever since my husband, Jake, died I have been lost until I met you and then my life went back on track. I hate that Maya doesn’t like you, because if she did we would be together.
Maya, has just turned ten. I gave her your gift, and her little chubby face lit up like a Christmas tree. She absolutely loved the locket with her dog in it, and I just want to say thank you. We also went to the carnival for her birthday. I wish you could have been there because there was a Ride of Love that, I don’t know…that maybe we could have gone on. I just wish we could be together and I have an idea on how: we could maybe meet up somewhere after my girl goes to sleep. I want to see what you say first.
So here are my questions for you – (get ready because there are a whole bunch) How are you? I know, cliché. What have you been doing? How is your new job at the school doing? Is it what you were expecting, because I will always hope for you the best? What is your favorite food? Mine is spaghetti. Your favorite color is blue right? Do you like iced coffee or hot coffee? Have you ever seen The Princess Diaries? Have you seen the movie Finding Nemo? Which movie is your favorite?
This is the end of my letter to you, but I don’t want to go even though I’m just writing on a piece of paper. It’s like a way to connect to you even if I can't see you in person. But I have to go now. I’ll see you soon!
Loving you,
Amelia
She picks up another letter with trembling fingers and rips it open. She has tears streaming down her face, onto the frail paper.
Dear Lia,
I love reading your letters, especially the random questions that you ask out of the blue. You have so many questions it’s ridiculous.
I am doing great, because I have been talking to you on paper. I have just been going from home to school, then back home where I write my letters to you. My job is great; it is everything I had expected and more. I love how enthusiastic the kids are about art. My favorite food is Chinese with a side of pizza. Yes, my favorite color is blue. I love iced coffee but I also like hot coffee some days. No, I have never seen The Princess Diaries but I love Finding Nemo, it is the best movie in my opinion. Finding Nemo has to be my favorite because I haven’t seen The Princess Diaries. And before I forget, yes, I would love to meet up somewhere. Wherever you want to go, I’ll go.
Now, for a few of my questions. What is your favorite color? What is your least favorite food? What is your favorite movie? Do you enjoy going on a run, or a jog? Do you enjoy wearing bikinis? What is your least favorite thing to do? How is Maya doing?
Now I know you love listening to me go on and on but I must end my letter here or else I might stay here with you forever, writing about our favorites and our least favorites.
Always yours,
Dom
Another.
Dear Dom,
How I have missed your writing. I would love to meet up at that old Chinese restaurant on 4th Ave. The one by the store that sells pizzas at a low price. We could go there and then to the pizza place next door as a side. We could meet there at 9 on Tuesday, if that works for you.
My favorite color is green, and my least favorite food has got to be muffins. I just hate the way they feel on my teeth. My favorite movie is 13 Going on 30. Sometimes I jog around the block for fun with our dog. And yes I do enjoy wearing bikinis. My least favorite thing to do is just sit around doing nothing, because all I have to do is stare at the light fixtures on the ceiling. My baby girl is doing wonderfully with her new locket and all; I love how concerned you are.
I will always love hearing from you so hurry with your next letter. I would love to say bye in person but I would like it more if I could say hi in person. Bye.
Loving you forever,
Amelia
Another.
Dear, Dom
I haven’t heard from you in a while, and I was starting to get worried. I don’t know what has been going on in your life I just hope you’re safe and for you to write back soon. I don’t know if we are still on for Tuesday, but if we are, then can you please tell me.
I want to tell you how Maya is doing because she is the happiest little girl I have ever known. She has so much energy that I have to catch up with her most of the time we are playing.
I really wish you were here and that you would write me back soon.
Loving you,
Amelia
“You know, I think I always knew they were we right, that the rumors were true. It was my fault. It was my fault that I didn’t know then about love and hate and guilt and hope and freedom. I should’ve known about all the stuff that made her, her.” She rambled on and on until her voice was louder than the buzzing of the bees and the chirping of the crickets. The songs of the birds were no more. “I should have let them be. They wrote these letters to each other in secret because of me, because I wouldn’t let them be together because I was too selfish. If they were together they would have been fine. All I wanted was my dad to come back. I didn’t want a new dad. We were fine…we were fine…we were…” She started drifting off, as if in another world reviewing the past. “Do you know why these are here? These are here because I took them when…she…” She stopped again when she couldn’t go on anymore. Her knees were buckling and her bottom lip was quivering. She was gripping the letters so hard they were almost ripping.
He stood behind her, shocked by her outburst. “Hey, that was not your fault. You didn’t know that he was going to die. You didn’t know she was going to take those pills. You didn’t know that they were that much in love. It was not your fault.” He tried to convince her by turning her around and cupping her face in his warm hands.
She pushed him away and walked a few steps to the willow tree and put her hand on the rough bark, looking out to the road. She glanced right to the sign that reads “EDENDALE POPULATION 546.”
“Yes, it was. It was my fault. It was.” She said defiantly until she exploded. “I am Maya Bell and I killed my mom!”
They Were Coming
They were coming,
they were coming.
I had no way of stopping them.
We hid in our little toy truck,
our two and a half ton toy truck.
We waited,
we waited.
armed with our little toy guns.
Our little toy guns tearing flesh apart,
spilling blood until lifeless.
Hidden,
in the comfort of letters
we knew we would never
Respond to.
We fired,
they fired.
We are lost
in a mass
of tiny rubber bands
pelting our bodies.
Tiny rubber bands that cut up arteries
and leaves us to bleed out.
We knew,
We knew,
we were going to die.
They were coming.
Swim Team
The pool has always been cold, but in the mornings, at 8:00, it’s like taking a bath in ice cubes. Tara has always felt like that since she has been on the swim team for four years and absolutely loves it. She is ten years old and already the best in her age group. All of her friends joined the year after her, so at least she isn’t alone anymore.
Today Tara has just got to the pool and is jumping into the water. Her friend, Jackie, is treading beside her. Jackie is the definition of a twig. She could eat so much, but not gain anything. Since she is so skinny, it’s sometimes too much for her to keep on moving her arms and kicking her legs to keep above the water, but she does it.
Today was different; Jackie was very tired and so she was struggling to stay out of the water. Tara didn’t notice this; she kept on spinning in circles even though they weren’t supposed to. She just kept on spinning until she heard someone choke on water behind her. Of course she went to turn around and ask if they were alright or needed help, but before she could she felt two twig-like arms wrap themselves around her body.
She felt a weight being put on her and she tried to shake it off because she was starting to go down. As she went to open her mouth to call out for help, a gallon of water rushed into her mouth then her lungs as she was trying to take a breath. She started to thrash around with her arms and legs, trying to create as much a commotion as she can. Tara couldn’t hold them up anymore, her arms were getting tired and her kicking slowed down until it stopped. Her mouth was under the water as Jackie’s whole head was above, her arms pushing down upon Tara’s shoulders.
Once her eyes were the only things above the water, she could see someone that was walking along the concrete look over and was shocked to see a little girl drowning. The person started screaming for help, throwing their arms around, running to the edge of the pool. Finally, a lifeguard saw and immediately dived in and swam over. She grabbed Jackie off Tara and quickly scooped up Tara into her arms. Another lifeguard came and took Tara to the edge. He flipped her on her side so she could cough up all the water. It felt like she was dying when she finally coughed up all the rest of the water. Her throat was raw and she was breathing really hard. She felt like she was slowly dying inside while her breathing slowed.
Tara has always been in love with swimming, so when she told her parents she didn’t want to do swim team anymore, they were shocked, to say the least. Her parents always said that Tara looked like a fish under water. They thought she loved swimming. Of course, they agreed because of the dramatic event that happened the day before. Her parents were worried about her though. Ever since she quit, she has been cooped up in her room reading or watching TV. She would only come out of her room for meals. She has nothing to do because swim team was basically her whole life.
It has been ten years since Tara has last been in a pool, and she intends to stay away from water. Tara is now in college and lives a happy life while trying to get her Associate's in Photography.
I am a Tree
I am a seedling,
protected by the
wings that grew me.
I am a sapling,
protected by the
long furry tails,
and protecting the
beautiful flappers from the
wings that grew me.
I am a tree.
protecting all that
is around me,
protecting the
long furry tails,
and the beautiful flappers from
the wings that grew me,
who I now house as my own.
I am a log,
creating fun for the little ones
that catch the beautiful flappers,
I protect them from
the wings that grew me
who have now moved on.
I am this piece of paper.
helping you write about me.
watching over you,
as I did the long furry tails,
and the little ones who
catch the beautiful flappers,
that I protect from the wings
that grew me.
I am lost in a total darkness.
no longer able to help
the long furry tails and
the little ones who catch
the beautiful flappers
that I protected from
the wings that created me.