About the Author: Cadance enjoys competitive sports and spending time with her friends.
A Moment's Time
Before I tell the story you have to understand the place I’m in, and who I am at the moment in time and in the moment of the past.
It was November, a chilly, brisk day. There are not a lot of people here in Detroit. No government, or even lakes. Many buildings have been left, no one knows why, yet every day more and more groups of people leave. Their souls stay with the town forever. The souls are kept in the central house, right in the middle of Detroit. It has a firm barrier around it to keep the souls from escaping. The barrier is made out of moss that has turned more and more gold every time someone tries to break into the central house. No one knows why the souls have to be kept, or what kind of parting they are doing. Except me.
My name is Leonardo I’m a small brilliant young man, or so I have been told. I’m ten years old. I have brown hair and bright blue eyes, and a slight British accent.
I’m like every other child ever born in Detroit. I used to think of it as a tradition, anyone born in Detroit is born with brown hair and blue eyes. For some reason my eyes glow in the dark; I would tell you the science behind that but you wouldn’t understand it. I am self-taught, I’m so brilliant I can teach myself. I have super powers because when I kick the soccer ball even lightly it goes so far, I could kick a soccer ball the length of three football fields.
I’ve been told I am a very plain kid. I think the only reason I have been told this is because my bedroom has a white bed, a white floor, my walls are white. Everything except my sheets, they’re are a creamy vanilla; I just like to spice it up sometimes. In my closet is the same version of my black jacket, I am a very aesthetic person. I love hanging out in old places, like the central house. I always wear a black jacket with a very detailed picture of the town on the back. I always wear white or grey, and I am always wearing bright red converse. I keep a bag with me but no one but me knows what’s inside. I like to keep that a secret. Well not that there is anyone to keep it from. I have a lot of secrets though. I was left after I was born. Only an exceptional person would still be alive if left alone with no food for 10 years.
I have one friend named Luna, her full name is Lunar. Her last name’s untold, and she uses her middle name, Bay, as her last name. She is a very pretty girl, even her name is pretty, Lunar Bay. I say I am ordinary but Luna says differently. Luna says I am mysterious, suspenseful, and unpredictable.
I like morning walks, as in morning in the dawn, or late a night 11:01 exactly. You may think that’s an odd thing to say but it’s better than me lying. I’m a very bad liar, not that I’ve ever had to lie, see like right there. How can I know if I am a bad liar if I have supposedly never lied? You know what? I’m not going to lie about the fact that I am unsure and scared about the day that I meet my family. Oh, by the way, there is one little thing you should know, I am not fully sure I’m still alive. I also hold the key to every abandoned building in Detroit.
Now it’s years later, and Luna and I went from our little baby bodies to wonderful young adults. We are best friends still and have had some interesting lives.
Are we almost done? I think to myself.
“Yes, well no. Maybe I can’t find the key to this building it’s like someone stole it from me.”
“Looking for these??” Luna whispers out of nowhere startling me.
She always does that, she can disappear and come back again like she’s teleporting. I don’t think she has superpowers but the spirits say different. It can get really annoying. I can hear the spirits talking but I can’t understand their words, it is like they are speaking another language.
“Haha, so funny watching Leonardo struggle to find his key.” Mika said.
“Oh, give the poor boy a break. He can’t do everything by himself, he is just a young boy trying to find himself.” Pepper explained.
“Yeah Mika don’t be so harsh, you haven’t gone through anything quite like this, get your head out of your ass, and learn not everybody can be as ‘perfect’ as you think you are.” Martha complained.
“Haven’t you noticed this boy is keeping us hostage in this building instead of letting us live with excitement!” Mika yelled.
“Yes!” everyone shrieked with annoyance.
“I wanna see where this goes over the next few years, we have come a long way. Now that Leonardo is getting older there will soon be big changes in his young mind. Besides, while our bodies are out having fun, our spirits are just right here.” Pepper uttered.
“She’s got a point…” All the other’s agreed.
I am still standing here in annoyance.
“You really need to stop doing that!” I yelled to Luna.
“Oh calm down you can deal with it, I didn’t scare you that bad, you know you love me.” Luna says sweetly trying to get me to cave in.
“Your right I do love you, but just stop doing that because one day you could get hurt by doing that to the wrong person.” I explained worried.
“What are you guys talking about?” Mika and Pepper say.
“Ahhhhh! WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING OUT HERE?!!!” I scream very loud!
The spirits aren’t supposed to be outside of the central building! I think to myself.
“Why did you slap us?! That hurt!”
“See Luna I told you if you sneak up on the wrong person bad things can happen!” I hinted loudly. “You guys need to get back to the central house the air in Detroit can kill you guys just go back and don’t breath!!!”
I always thought I had my life under control and that it was perfect, I now know that I was wrong about that, The next thing you know Luna or I will get hurt. More spirits will escape and maybe...I hope not...but maybe, my family will show up. I have seen pictures of them before in the news papers.
I knew it was them because one man came up to me one day when I was 5 and said, “You must be Leonardo, Lisa and Phil's son? I happen to know them very well, nice picture you got there, ayy? Lovely people that you just never got to meet.”
I am not sure what he meant, but I must have met them when I was born. They just left me. I am not sure why but they did. If one day I knew why they left me maybe I will understand and like them. For now I don’t like them, Luna is all I have and all I want. I don’t need a family I have her.
Soon enough I see this giant puff of smoke, it looked like a fire! The way it blazed, and the scent of wood being burned made my nose hairs stick up.
“What is that?!” Luna says wondering.
“Who are those people and why are they walking up to us? They look like they wanna talk to us, or kill us, or hurt us…” Luna reacts with a sense of anxiety.
She doesn’t understand that she can’t be killed she’s invincible, unlike me I’m just a kid who may or may not be alive. Besides it is probably just some of the spirits. As they get closer for some reason my stomach knots up and it’s like I’m not even there, Luna is half crying and saying all the things she did wrong in her lifetime, and like I said she is invincible, I should be worried. As they approach I can see that it is not the spirits, and they look familiar.
“Who are they? Do you recognize them? Leon? Leon!! Answer me!!” Luna screeches!
“Yes I think I know them, I...I think those might be my parents.” I explained confused.
“Hey you there! Young boy and girl! Have you seen or heard of a young man named Leonardo?” Before I let her finish her sentence I whisper “I’m Leonardo, Who are you?”
“I am Lisa, this is Phil...Leonardo you are our son, we are your parents.”
I stand there speechless. How did they even get into Detroit, only spirits can do that.
Lisa kept saying that she didn’t leave me, that she was forced to leave and couldn’t bring anything or anyone with her. She said she was an immigrant and couldn’t resist or she would have been killed. She was originally from France, then went to Poland then here to Detroit.
“I didn’t believe you Luna, if you loved me you would have tried to save me.” I cried to Luna.
“I know but you have to spend time with them, show them the buildings and the spirits.”
“Is that?” Mika says confused
“Yup, that’s them.” Pepper says
“I knew this day was going to come, but I didn’t think it would be this soon. I thought they would come later at his wedding or something.” Martha says.
“This is one hell of a way to meet.” Mika continues aggressively
“I have a question, how the hell did you guys just appear with smoke?!! Only spirits or Luna and I can do that.”
“You see Leon, your ancestors are very intelligent people. We have their genes and they all had powers. You got the brains and the ability to run fast. Luna has the same thing her family has superpowers. I have the power to read minds and appear out of nowhere. Luna has the ability to teleport and read minds as well, Usually the girls have those powers. Your dad on the other hand has the powers for super reading (he can read fast and read people's minds and if someone paints over text he can read it, no matter how much paint there is).” Lisa reminds me.
“You guys just need to get out and leave. You left me and don’t want me, I lived for 20 years on my own I don’t need you guys, I had to find my own food for 20 years! I had to do EVERYTHING by myself for 20 years!” I screamed at the top of my lungs so they would get the message and LEAVE.
After years and years went by, they were trying to buy my love and get me back. When they admit they left me and didn’t care about me that is when I will forgive them. I would rather the truth than their lies.
“My mom says that she gets what I am going through Luna, but she DOESN'T she does not get it Luna and you have no idea what it has been like and now that my parents are back. I just want to leave Detroit but I CAN’T.” I say to Luna
“Leon, if you think about all the bad things you could have experienced, maybe you would re-think about your parents.” Luna explains trying to help.
“What if those are not my real parents? What if my parents sent those people to play the role of my parents?” I respond worried and annoyed.
Luna said nothing she just walked away, in depression and unsureness. If only the spirits could help.
“I wish Leon could read minds like Luna so he could see what his mom is actually thinking when she is talking to Leon.” Mika suggested.
“Well he could get Luna to do it if they made up.” Pepper explained.
“Lets get them to make up, because we need to get Leon to understand that we sent his parents here, that we let them in.” Martha announced.
“Luna we need your help!” the spirits yell hopelessly.
“What what is it?! Why are you out of the central building again!?” Luna yells
“We let Leon's parents in and contacted them to come. You can read minds so we need you to apologize to him and while he is talking to his mom read her mind and write down what she is thinking in your notebook then show Leon!” Martha explained as hopelessly as possible.
“Okay I will apologize but only to help him because he’s my bestfriend, my boyfriend, and the only person I have ever met.” Luna says.
She keeps saying things like “Somedays I wish I could meet you guys in person. I wish you could physically help me that would be amazing.”
The next day Luna comes racing up to me, forgetting what is going on, I am talking to my mom when Luna pops out of nowhere and pulls me aside. For some reason she is very aggressive when she does it, and it didn’t scare me. It must be very urgent because she is carrying her secret notebook that she only write important things in it.
“I was trying to make conversation with my parents Luna! What was that?”
“The spirits let your parents in. The spirits found them and invited them.”
“What?! Okay wait...how did they find them?!” I say very fast, I am surprised she understood what I said.
“I am not sure. All I know is that I am sorry for yelling at you and I have good news. I have a way to prove that your parents are good people. I can read minds, I will read their minds and write it down and show you after.”
“Okay…” I say unsurely
1 hour later I finish my conversation, Luna has pages and pages filled but only 3 words that describe what my “parents” were thinking.
“The words are…” Luna whispers in my ear.
“WHAT? No!” I say in shock “I can’t believe they said…” and just like that they are gone, my parents have left. Bye mom. Bye dad.
The End