Apologies

Hello, my wonderful readers. You may have noticed that some of my entries and stories are now missing from my blog. This is because they have been entered in a writing contest. So they should all be back up in November; maybe sooner, depending on how quickly Santa Cruz choosing their winners. Until then, have fun reading my other entries and shifting through other enticing blogs!

Soul-less: Short Story

No bikes, no cars, no skates, just walking. Bikes are dangers; make you vulnerable. Cars, cars are murderous. Bikes, cars, skates. Skates. Never skate, never ever skate.

          My brother was five when he started skating. He got his first pair of roller blades on his birthday and for about a month, that's all he did. Then school started and he didn't take them out for a week and soon they got lost in sea that was our garage.

         When I was fourteen and just entering high school my parents decided to move. I was hysterical but Jacob took it pretty well. After all, while we were packing up our garage, we found his skates again. To little surprise, they no longer fit his now nine year old feet. So after some constant begging, my parents got him a new pair. He was so excited he couldn't wait until we got to our new house to try them out. So right before leaving as we were saying goodbye to our house and neighbors, he took his little wheels out for a ride.

          I'm not really sure how it happened but as we were talking to our next door neighbor, Jacob had rolled off to the next street over. Now this street was, in simpler terms, not quite as suburban and rather busy. Finally we finished bidding our farewells and it was time to go. I trudged over to the moving truck, preparing myself for the long drive to our new home when my mom came up to me.

"Is your brother with you?" she asked.

"Uh, no." I said, motioning around myself as if to say, 'duh'.

"Hmm...We can't find him anywhere." she said.

"Maybe he's hiding." I offered.

She smirked. "The only person I'd expect to hide from this move is you." She looked around. "Maybe he's with one of the neighbors". She said finally. She turned around and left, walking down the street towards Mike's house, one of Jacob's friends.  

      I opened the door to the truck and sat in the car, pulling out my book to read patiently as I waited. I sat in an almost trance until it was broken by the sound of a car screeching on the asphalt down the road. I wasn't really phased. That kind of thing happened all the time. Probably due to the stop sign you couldn't see until five seconds before you had to stop. I went back to my reading. It seemed like only a few seconds later that an ambulance started blaring. I assumed it was thanks to the previously screaming car breaks, so I decided to hop out and take a look. Sometimes I wish I hadn't.

     About mid way down the street I heard a very distinct and high pitched scream of horror. At that, I started to run, knowing exactly where the scene of tragedy must be, due to the fact that the screaming had ceased to stop. The sound was still ringing clearly through my ears as I rounded the corner and saw in the distance, the ambulance and a car perfectly in tact. I wondered what all the commotion was about. With caution I moved forward and watched in horror as the scene revealed itself to me.   

     I saw red pavement and a person laying on the ground, motionless. I saw my mother. Screaming. Even as tears ran down her face, threatening to choke her. I saw dirty blond hair, matted in blood. I saw that same blood on the bumper of the car, dripping. I saw roller skates. And I knew, with undeniable certainty, what I did not see. I did not see my brother. For what I saw was not him, but his body. My brother was not there because my brother, was dead.

Shiver Shatter Freedom

I am sick

Stomach twisting

Lungs are locked, eyes are misting

I am drowned, walls are caving

I am scared, someone save me

Rain is dropping, eyes are pouring

Out the sorrows, of the morning

Mind is reeling in the ashes

Skin is burned down to the lashes

Send a boat out, send a river

Paint the night sky

Make me shiver

Shiver, shatter

Out of this place

To my homeland, where I am safe

Fight my illness, kill the devil

I am holy, like a feather

Take me up high, where I can sing

Of your praises, see me dancing

Only here now, God please help me

Kill the beasts that try to belt me

Wrap me up Lord, to your kingdom

Lend me wings and show me freedom