Alexa Pennino

2022

This piece is to show you not to believe everything you see. No matter how real it feels.

Never There

Once upon a time there was a little boy, his name was Wilhelm. Wilhelm was such a quiet and angered boy. He had two pet snakes and no siblings. He had 7 dogs that were vicious and he loved them so dearly, but they were treated so badly by his father. One day... Wilhelm's mother threw a costume party in their big home for Halloween. He wasn't so happy about it, he wasn't happy about anything his mother did. Wilhelm hated his mother and father. Wilhelm didn't want to attend his mother's party so he didn't dress up. He was walking in his family garden out of boredom, until he saw a little girl. She was dressed in a tutu like a ballerina. She was sitting at the edge of the fountain. Wilhelm became angry, that's where he would sit when he had people over, where his mother would punish him, he sat there everyday. Who does she think she is? Wilhelm stomped toward the girl as he got closer he realized she was sad. She was cute, wilhelm thought. "Why are you here?" Wilhelm said. She looked over her shoulder startled at him. "Some boys made fun of my tutu" she said, looking down. "What is your name?" Wilhelm asked, he then questioned himself. He didn't care about this girl's name. He wanted her to leave.  "My name is Winter" she said quietly.  "Winter! What are you doing with this boy?" yelled a voice. Wilhelm looked over and saw a lady that looked just like winter stomped over to them both. The lady grabbed winter up from where she was sitting and pulled her to her feet. Wilhelm became mad, he didn't like that winter was being touched like that. "Ow, mom that hurts" Winter whined as her mom started dragging her to the door that led into Wilhelm's house. 

15 years later...

Wilhelm's POV

    I tried to look for her for 15 years. 15 years of looking for a girl at the fountain. I can still remember her though, what she wore and how she looked. The day of the costume party I found her again. We played all day in the garden, until it got darker and we played hide and seek I was young and dumb. I was hiding and I got nervous and pushed her. I pushed her hard too... It was an accident though, but nobody believed me. They took her away and sued, they said I was crazy. I don't think I was, but maybe... I heard she lost her memory so even if I did find her she wouldn't know it was me, but I don't care I am willing to fight. I'm with my father on a business trip and I cannot stand sitting in a hotel with him that long. It was quiet and beautiful, they had a local garden and a tiny food market. I continued to walk until something caught my eye. A beat down store and an old man sitting out front of it. He looked old and creepy, but he stared at me like he knew me. "The girlll" he slugged. "the girl?" I asked myself, the first girl I thought of was Winter. "The girl in the garden?" I looked at him and his eyes widen. "Yesss. The girl that hit her head," he said as he finished his sentence he got up and walked back in the store. I ran to the door, but it was locked shut.  What was wrong with me? I have completely lost it. The girl. The girl. The girl. The girl. The girl. That's all that was in my head. I've never felt like this. The only person I was thinking of was my dad. Maybe he knows just maybe. I walked back into the hotel room with so many questions. "Dad, I need your help please," I begged. Next thing I know my dad wasn't in the room, it was the girl. The girl I've been looking for 15 years. In my face? "I'm not real," she said, frowning. "Not real?" What is she talking about? "Your father made me to help you," she said looking down. This has to be some sick joke. I went on this journey for years looking for her. Thinking she was the one I needed to get through it. Just to find out she wasn't real the whole time. That my dad was playing with my head. "I am made up, but that doesn't mean I don't have feelings," she said. To his right he looked over and his dad was looking at him.  Wilhelm hated his dad since he was little and most definitely hates them now. “You were hurt, you didn't want to talk to me or your mother.” “I wanted you to have a friend.” Nothing is making sense. “How is that possible!!” Wilhelm screamed. His eyes started to burn up. “I'm sorry,” Wilhelm's father said trying to comfort his son. “Stay away from me!” Wilhelm screamed moving back. He thought everything was real. His father made everything feel so real. He remembers pushing her. He remembers his father telling him what happened. That she got sent away, that she lost her memory. This wasn't to help Wilhelm, it was to hurt him. He believed everything. Wilhelm looked back up and saw the girl that was never there was gone. He got up and stormed out the room. It was raining Wilhelm started running. He didn't know where he was going, he just couldn't be in the same room as his father. Nothing was real to him anymore.