Stop Talking to Me

Crystina I

I'm at home, millions of thoughts and questions started to flood my head. I look around, questioning everything around me, where's my mom? Where's my dad? I try to talk some sense into myself until I realize; I'm wearing the Bumblebee costume. I have no idea why am I back in this position AGAIN. If this is the day of the accident, I need to know what happened to Ray. I can't tell if the voices in my head are lying to me. Was Ray really dead? I didn't even know where the voices were coming from, I was so confused. Do I hear real people? I can't trust anything or anyone to tell me the truth, but here I was back at the event of the crash, so I believe I am here to find out myself. I strongly believe that Raymond was still alive.

My head is spinning, I feel very confused. The wretched scent of gas and oil leaking, the taste of blood just arriving into my taste buds, the sight of fog and darkness, the hurtful pain of rocks and sediments entering the skin, hearing the tires screeching and halting, listening to my heart beat slowly and extremely loudly. Setting aside the terrible things that happened, I see Ray laying on the ground covered in a dark red liquid, gashes and cuts all over, body all scrunched up, voice raspy, silent and begging for help. The sight made me sick to my stomach, I wanted to help so badly. Ray looked extremely injured and there is nothing I could do about it no matter how hard I tried. Cars continued to pass and drive by without having a care in the world about the accident that just happened, young teens had just gotten into a car crash and no one cares. Why isn't anyone calling for help? Why isn't anyone coming?

Ray appears to me, comes out in the dark like the bad guy in the stories reveal themselves. It face and body looks clean, not a single scratch or cut on his body. Not even a scar, not even the smallest little paper cut. He was the one that was the most scarred, and it all went away so fast, my scars haven't even healed up yet. I try to reach out to him, and the only thing that happen is me experiencing the whole accident again and again. The pain of glass scraping into my skin, the feeling of the seat belt holding me back and trying to ensure my safety, inhaling the smoke and gas and then coughing it back up. All of the pain was too overwhelming for me, but suddenly I feel my body being shaken which was a new feeling that wasn't felt before.

"Hold on, don't wake up. Don't lose me Paris! Not yet!" Ray begs.

It was all too late, Ray was gone. Here I was back in the hospital, back to reality, still clueless on where Ray was. He wanted me to hold on, for just a moment and I failed. That moment was my only chance of seeing him. My idiotic mind had to let go so fast, and now I'll never know the truth. The doctors and nurses are probably spying on me, watching my every move, listening to every one of my conversations. They might not be visible, but someone is always listening to you, watching you, especially if you are being hospitalized.

Point Guard

by Nora G

Before it all. Before my sisters were born, before my mom started working two jobs. Before my dad died. Things were different, better. Don't get me wrong, I love my sisters. And it breaks my heart that they don't remember my dad. But I miss my dad, and my mom who never has time for, well for anything. He died in December, my grandmother wanted to wait until spring to have the funeral, but my mom didn't want to have to think about it for that long.

After the news came, everything was a blur. I remember my eyes getting blurry, and my mom crying out. I remember cups smashing, and I remember my three year old sister understanding absolutely none of what was happening, but being scared and upset anyway because she couldn't possibly understand. I remember grabbing my basketball and heading out the door. I remember pounding my basketball into the driveway so hard the neighbors came out to ask me to quiet down. I then felt the hot tears on my face as I started running. I run, and run. I don't stop until I am where I always go when I am upset. When I reach the basketball courts I finally stop and sit. I sit there for who knows how long. Then I get up and start walking slowly home.

When I reach my house the door is open so I push it open and walk through. Mom is laying on the couch. I grab a blanket off my dads favorite are chair and drape it over her. Her face still wet with tears. I stumble up the stairs and fall into bed, exhausted.

In the morning I wake up to sunlight. I don't change my clothes because I knew that mom would never make me go to school. She needs me and I need her. But when I go downstairs, all I see is a note.

Nate, I decided to go to work, those bills won't pay themselves. I already called the school and told the about our situation. Please watch Mia and Hannah. Love you, Mom.

Wow, I thought, so much for needing me. I head up to Mia and Hannah's room. They are still sound asleep. I head back into the kitchen and make myself a bowl of cereal. After I am done eating I change into an old shirt and sweatpants and head outside with my ball. Taking it easy now, I take two dribbles and pull up for a shot. Nothing but net. I stayed outside for hours until I figured that I should check on Mia and Hannah.

They were both, dressed, and in the kitchen eating cereal.

“Hi,” they both sang in chorus.

I give a half hearted wave and start to shuffle to my room. Their cheer was off putting to me, our dad just died. But they don't know any better. They didn't really know him.

“Wait!” Hannah called desperately.” Where is mom?”

“Where she always is, work.” I mumble. “You girls don't have to go to school today, but don't just lay around all day.” I was really tired all of a sudden and I decided that I was going to take a nap.

I woke to the sound of my sisters arguing. I jumped out of bed and walk down the stairs.Hannah was holding a doll. But it was broken, the one that dad gave to her. Hannah was close to tears.

“Mia broke my doll.” Hannah said, the tears in her throat now, begging to be released.

“I was just playing house. I needed a mom doll,” Mia said trying to defend herself.” When Hannah saw me playing with it, she got angry and tried to take it back. We were fighting and it ripped.”

The tears sprang out of Hannah now. Hot tears streamed down her face as she grabbed her broken doll and ran up to her room.

“I tried to apologize to her.” Mia said in a quiet voice.” She has so many more dolls than I do, why does that one matter so much?”

“Our daddy gave her that doll, she misses his a whole lot.” I said, trying to explain something that words can't. I try anyways.” She has a hole in her heart and that is why she is so upset, the feelings that she was feeling boiled over.”

“She called me stupid.” Mia said, she was close to tears now too.

Why don't you go lay down in my room and give Hannah some time to cool off.”

Mia said nothing now, she just picked up her scattered doll and headed up the stairs.