"Oliver" - Carnival Ride

This is a part of my story called "Oliver". It is still in outline form save a few pieces, and this is the most completed part. This scene takes place about a quarter of the way into the story. You don't need any background, you can figure out the important stuff through reading this. Its quite long, I couldn't decide on a place to cut it off and chose instead to share it all. The story, like the other two so far posted, are based on a dream I had. This scene is based on a second dream I had about the same story. The characters are real people, though personalities may be a little different based on what I needed for the sake of plot. So this is for Kelsey, Ashley, and Caitlyn! Enjoy!
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Oliver had been on my mind all day when Kelsey called me, inviting me to join the girls for a night out. There was a sort of carnival set up in the parking lot of the mall that they were going to that evening with some other kids from school. The carnival was small but it came every year in October, a little taste of fun and difference for the restless youth of Elyria. Seven o’clock rolled around when I heard the beep of a car horn in the driveway. I grabbed my purse and yelled goodbye to my mom, rushing outside and slipping into the backseat. Kelsey sat upfront with Caitlyn, who was driving, and Ashley sat with me in the back. They immediately started with stories and commentary on the day’s events and I let myself get wrapped up in the high school drama, laughing at the ridiculous stories they told about the students I had once shared a classroom with. I found myself missing high school during those moments, envious of the community they were a part of, how connected everyone was. I loved the college, but people were entirely on their own there, and I couldn’t help but resent that.

Fifteen minutes pass quickly when you are gossiping with friends. I felt as though I had just gotten in the car when Caitlyn put it in park and we unbuckled our seat belts. Stepping out of the car I smiled up at the all the lights. It was starting to get dark and the Ferris wheel glimmered against the cloudy backdrop. The four of us bought our tickets and passed through the little gate, excited to get started with our evening. Of course, we all had different ideas as to what would be fun and what we should do first. We decided on food, since none of us had ate anything in hours, though even that was a challenge for us to try and decide on one place. In the end we decided to divide and conquer, go where you wanted and meet back in five minutes. Sitting down for dinner was the most fun I’d had in weeks, I realized, as I found myself laughing and smiling with my friends, all other concerns far from memory.

We spent the evening riding small rides, eating fattening desserts that were only worth it at fairs and carnivals, and enjoying our time together, stopping to chat with other friends as we came across them. We finally made our way to the Ferris wheel, much to my happiness. It wasn’t huge or anything but it did allow us to look out over the rest of the carnival. It was like a tradition to me to ride the Ferris wheel last, a soothing end to a fast-paced day, but I didn’t mind going on it early. The cars only held two people each so we paired off, Caitlyn with Ashley, Kelsey with me, and clambered into the small seats. The breeze was a bit chilly but I didn’t mind. Kelsey called up to Caitlyn and Ashley, who were laughing at something down below. More like giggling, I noticed, and I followed their gaze down into the crowd with a grin on my face. The only thing that could have Caitlyn giggling so much was a cute boy. Caitlyn turned around and pointed, confirming my original guess, and Kelsey and I both leaned a bit to get a good view. The wheel had stopped spinning to let more people on, leaving us near the top and with a perfect view to pick him out.

“Down there, with the brown hair. I think he’s staring at us.” Caitlyn giggled. I was grinning as I looked down, but my smile fell from my lips quick enough to startle me. I blinked twice, my heart racing. “Isn’t he cute?” Caitlyn shouted excitedly as the wheel started to move. She was right. He had a beautiful smile on his face and he was staring at us.

“Wait, where is he? I don’t see him!” Kelsey frowned.

“Right there! Next to that girl in the pink hoodie.”

“Oh! I see him! Oh, he is cute, Cait! I think he’s staring at you, Stephi.” Kelsey giggled. I was glad she didn’t take enough time to really look at me, for my expressions would have worried her. She was right. He wasn’t staring at them. He was staring at me.

We came too low for me to see him again, going around once more. He wasn’t there this time, much to Caitlyn’s dismay. I searched the crowd desperately. Where was he? Was it really him?

Once we were off the ride, Caitlyn was immediately searching the crowd for his face again, which made Ashley and Kelsey laugh. I tried to laugh along, at least smiling enough when they looked at me to keep them from asking questions. I pushed the crazy thoughts in my head out of my mind, my heart beat slowing, insisting that there was no possible way it was him. It was only mid-October. I must have ate too much funnel cake.

As we started through the crowd I tried to let my mind fall away from the boy in the crowd. We had just bought some drinks when my attempts proved futile. Caitlyn let out a gasp and starting pointing ahead.

“Look! It’s that boy!” she exclaimed. We all turned to look, and much to my horror, there he was, smiling at us.

“O, he’s really cute.” Ashley laughed again. The three of them starting chatting while I stood back, staring at him through the crowd. He just stood there, that perfect smile of his painted on his face, his hands in his pockets as if he were patiently waiting for us. Caitlyn had the bold idea to go say hello, (“He looks like he’s alone! Let’s keep him company!”) and I followed silently.

“I’m Caitlyn.” she immediately introduced herself, holding out a hand to shake. He smiled down at her, taking her hand and shaking it gently.

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Oliver.”

Was this what drowning felt like? My lungs closed up on me, I couldn’t get any air into them and I felt my head begin to spin. I couldn’t hear anything around me, all my senses focused on his perfect face, until Kelsey finally snapped me back into the real world.

“Stephanie? Aren’t you going to introduce yourself?” she asked, staring at me with worry. I shook my head a little bit and looked up, forcing a smile to keep them at bay. His hands were back in his pocket, and I stared for a moment.

“Stephanie. It’s nice to make your acquaintance.” The smile on his face was one I had seen too often, like he was laughing at an inside joke, but this time I was actually in on it, too. The others didn’t seem to notice, much to my relief.

Caitlyn started chatting with him and they quickly accepted him into our little powwow. I lingered in the back while he spoke with her a couple yards ahead of us. He never looked back at me, never gave any hint that he knew me at all. I swear he looked at me the least of any of us as we continued to meander through the small carnival, going in circles as if there would be something new to try the next time around. I began to doubt myself, wondering if this was simply the universe's idea of a joke. Perhaps its was just a coincidence that they looked alike, had the same smile, same name. As much as I tried to convince myself of this, I knew it was useless. This really was Oliver. He really was here. And he really was ignoring me.

The evening was coming to a close. Caitlyn suggested going on the small rollercoaster at the far end, the one ride we had yet to go on. We all agreed and made our way back. Once we came to the end of the line, I claimed that I had ate too much and my stomach wasn’t up for the ride.

“Are you sure?” Kelsey asked with a frown.

“Yes. I shouldn’t have had that funnel cake.” I smiled.

“Ugh, fine. Well, if you‘re going to be a party pooper, you can hold our purses.” Caitlyn laughed. I nodded and took the bags into my arms.

“Mind if I sit this one out as well?” I looked up to see Oliver standing back, smiling at Caitlyn pleasantly. “I’ve never been a fan of roller coasters.” He explained as if admitting to an embarrassing secret. Caitlyn frowned but couldn’t really tell him he had to come on board.

“Sure. Wait for us, though?” she asked him.

“Of course. I’ll keep Stephanie company.” He never looked at me, his eyes hooked on Caitlyn and the other girls. They smiled and got into the line. I stood trying to relax away the goose bumps that covered my entire body after hearing him speak my name.

Before they were even out of sight, Oliver suddenly turned to me. He pulled his hand out of his pocket and revealed a piece of gum. “Walk with me.” he insisted. It wasn’t a question, but I nodded, dropping the gum into my bag.

He led me away from the bulk of the crowd, taking my hand. Had I been thinking straight I would have worried that Caitlyn, Ashley, and Kelsey were watching and could see us walking away, hand in hand, but I wasn’t thinking straight. I was only thinking about him.

We didn’t stop moving, he just kept walking, pulling me along. I was afraid that something was wrong. If he were here, now, and with me, taking me somewhere without telling me why, something had to be wrong. Didn’t it? He finally slowed down, coming to walk beside me instead of ahead of me, but he never dropped my hand.

“I’m sure you have many questions for me. I‘m early.” He finally said. I turned to him, my mind snapping back.

“Yes I do. And yes, I noticed. Why were you following me?” I felt a little self-centered to assume that he had indeed been following me, but the look on his face told me that I wasn’t wrong. He frowned, looking straight ahead. Still never looking at me.

“I wanted to see you.” he said simply.

“See me? One more week and you would have seen me. I mean, I know I don’t understand everything. But I have realized a pattern here. It’s always Halloween, always. When I saw you out there … it scared me. I was afraid something was wrong.”

“No. Nothing is wrong. I just couldn’t wait another week.” He finally looked at me and my breath caught in my throat when he smiled. “I’m going to be busy when I’m here, officially, and I wanted to have time with you.” Oliver went on to explain. He continued to smile, but it seemed strained. I couldn’t help but feel concerned, and I knew he could read that on my face. “Don’t worry, Stephanie. It’s just … work stuff.” He smiled so brightly that I couldn’t bring myself to doubt him.

“How is Ben doing?”

“He’s doing really well. That was a fluke, you know, nothing to worry about now.” I reminded him.

“I know. I still can’t help but worry.”

“Is that why you keep coming back? To make sure he’s not …”

Oliver shook his head. “I came back the second time to see you.”

One thing I still was not use to was how straight forward Oliver was. He didn’t hide things and when he answered my questions he didn’t hold anything back. It sometimes caught me off guard. I wasn’t use to such honesty in people.

We continued walking, though now is silence. My mind wandered to focus on our hands. I never realized how intimate and comforting hand holding could be, or maybe it was just him that made something so simple seem so fantastic. We stopped at a bench not far from the roller coaster and sat down. Our hands were still locked tightly, and I stared down at them. I then realized that he was staring, too, but not at our hands, but at my face. I looked up at him, my cheeks immediately turning red, and he smiled.

“We have something, don’t we?” His words were simple, but they still held so much meaning.

“Yes, we do.” I replied with a nod.

“What is it?”

“I’m not sure yet.”

“Every time I see you, you have aged. Its hard sometimes, to see you so little.”

“You never seem to age at all. Each year, you look precisely the same.”

He smiled that same secret smile again, and I longed to be in the know.

“Why is that?” I asked him. “I know so little about you, and everything I do know leads to more questions.”

“I promise I’ll explain this time. But not yet. Your friends are about to get off the ride.”

We rose to our feet and started towards the ride, still linked at the hands. As we rounded a corner and into sight, he automatically dropped my hands, and smiled at me. “I’d hate to appear as anything less than a gentleman.”

It was impossible not to laugh at this as we came up to the girls, which almost helped ease the moment. They seemed a little confused, but it wasn’t hard to convince them that things were okay.

“I needed a drink, Stephanie offered to come with me.” Oliver’s voice was like velvet and worked it’s magic on them. I handed back the purses to each of them and they started on about how bumpy the ride was and complaining of whiplash. I felt like I was going to get whiplash myself as Oliver immediately resumed the role of not knowing me and walked in front with Caitlyn instead.

The booths were beginning to close and we figured it was probably a good time to leave. The five of us exited the carnival and headed towards the parked cars. As we came closer to Caitlyn’s car I realized that he was parked next to us. It was a car I had never seen, but I knew it was his.

“That’s ironic.” He laughed as we came up to the cars. They laughed along at the obvious irony. I laughed at how ironic it was that they found it ironic.

“It was nice hanging out with you all tonight.” Oliver began.

Caitlyn was the first to reply.

“I had a lot of fun, Oliver. It was lucky we ran into you, huh?” I could have snorted, but held it back. The quick flash of a grin on Oliver’s face informed me that he had noticed, and I tried not to laugh even more.

“Yes, it was quite lucky. Thank you for allowing me to join your group for the evening.” I could tell that his proper language was winning them over, and so I stepped aside and opened the car door, dropping my bag onto the back seat.

One by one Kelsey and Ashley gave Oliver a small hug, the awkwardness of new friends apparent in their body language. Caitlyn stood to Oliver’s side, determined to have the last hug. Oliver turned to me and I tried to keep a straight face.

“It was nice meeting you, Stephanie. I liked our little chat.” He smiled. I forgot to breathe.

“No problem,” was all I could manage in response. His hands had returned to his pockets, and he didn’t reach to hug me. I made no gesture forward either. Kelsey, Ashley and I made our way into the car, leaving he and Caitlyn alone. I heard them laugh and he gave her a hug. “It was nice to meet you.” I heard him say as I shut the door. She got into the driver’s seat with a wide smile and Kelsey started poking fun at her. Oliver seated himself in his own car, and I stared over at him. He looked over at me as we started to pull out, and I couldn’t look away. He smiled sweetly at me, and my heart skipped a beat. I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was hiding something from me, but I tried not to worry about it for now.

The girls were staying the night at Caitlyn’s house and originally I had planned to go home. Caitlyn dropped me off and I sat outside on the porch, sending prayers into the wind. I sat there for nearly an hour before I finally gave up and realized that he wasn‘t coming. I came inside and said hi to my mother before proceeding upstairs and packing a bag.

“I’m going over to Caitlyn’s for the night, okay?” I called as I came down the stairs.

“Sure. Have fun.”

I went out and dropped my stuff into the car. Standing outside my door for a moment, I felt the warm breeze on my face, and realize that he wasn’t there.

When I got to Caitlyn’s they were surprised but didn’t mind my intrusion. We stayed up for hours watching movies and talking about Oliver. I didn’t participate much in the conversation. I didn’t have anything to add, really. It seemed strange to talk about how cute he was or how his eyes were “the perfect shade of blue”. Oliver was beyond all of that and it felt silly to try and lower him to such a level.

“I wonder where he’s from. I didn’t ask what school he goes to.” Caitlyn suddenly said. I was sure she had been talking about other things concerning him before, I just hadn’t noticed until this question.

“He’s from out of town.” I didn’t realized that I’d said anything until after the words were out of my mouth and they were all looking at me curiously.

“Did he tell you that while we were on the roller coast?” Caitlyn asked, sitting up from her pile of pillows. Part of me wanted to tell them the truth, to let them know that I knew him. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it, it would only lead to more questions, and I hated questions.

“Yeah. I made a comment about how your purses were heavier than my text books and he asked where I went to school.” I lied, but it seemed to work. They continued on and I simply rolled over, staring out the window. They finally assumed that I was just tired and let me be. They turned on another movie, but I didn’t pay any attention. For a moment I glanced out the window and I could have sworn I saw Oliver staring back at me. For the next two hours, I just stared back, not knowing if it was him or not, but not caring. It was almost 4am when they finally turned off the lights and went to bed. I realized that I wasn’t going to sleep that night no matter how much I tried. So, I got up and tip toed downstairs to get a glass of water. The kitchen was stuffy so I pushed open the small window above the sink. The breeze rushed into the room and gave me chills. I could have sworn I heard my name in the wind. I looked up. Standing there as if it were perfectly normal to be out in some stranger’s yard at an ungodly hour of the morning, Oliver stared back at me, a frown on his lips. I wish I was small and nimble enough to climb through the window. I wanted to cry as I watched him stand there. I knew now that something was wrong, and I was terrified to find out the details. I started to open the window even higher as to try and speak to him, but it closed on me instead. I looked up in shock, knowing it was his doing. His body was turned away, but he looked up at me with pain in his expression. He began to walk away and I felt my knees weakening beneath me. I blinked, and he was gone as quickly as the breeze.

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I drove robotically the entire way home the next morning, not even realizing that I was at my house until I was parked in the driveway. I continued this way for two days, laying in my bed most of the evening on the thirtieth, counting down to midnight. Counting down to Halloween.

The next morning I got up early and poured myself some cereal only to realize that we are out of milk. I put on my jacket and some jeans and headed out to the store, too impatient to wait for my dad to go out shopping. When I came home I pulled in just as robotically as the day before. As I came up the walk to our front door, I turned, the glimmer of a car parked on the street catching my eye. Leaning on the door stood Oliver. I looked away and went inside.

My mom was in the kitchen making oatmeal when I walked in and put the milk away.

“I was wondering where you went so early.” she smiled. I didn’t say anything, moving around as if confused before finally standing still and leaning back on the counter.

“He’s here.”

“Who’s here?”

“Oliver.”

My mom smiles. “It is Halloween, Steph. I’m not surprised.”

I pause a moment. “He’s been here, mom. We ran into him at the carnival two days ago.”

She looked up at me, looking nearly as confused as I was. “We? The girls met him?”

“Yes. They don’t know that we know each other.”

She frowned but shrugged it off. “He’s early. So what? I’d think you’d be happy to see more of your friend.” she winked before heading downstairs, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I sighed, looking over at my cereal. I was no longer hungry.

I rush after my mom, hanging on the corner of the wall and staring downstairs at her desperately.

“What do you think he is?” I asked her. She took a moment to think, sighing as she contemplated the question, but ultimately smiled at me.

“I don’t know, babe. Does it matter?” she asked. I don’t know how to answer. “I think we should just feel lucky to have a little magic and mystery in our lives.”

I frown at her, though I knew she was right. Still, I couldn't help but feel that there was so much more to Oliver that I didn't know, that I needed to know. He was right, there was something there, but how were we suppose to know what it was if I didn't really know him? Magic and mystery. They were the perfect words to use. I loved the magic, but the mystery I could do without. "I only like mystery in TV shows and books, not real life." I said to myself, frowning as I carefully walked towards the front window. He was still standing there against the car, waiting. I stared at him, trying to will my feet to move.

Atlantis

This is part of my first real story called "Atlantis". It is just the opening 'chapter' or what have you. I started this piece when I was twelve and what you are reading is the most recent [recent being two years ago] edit of what I wrote back then. It is much the same, I just changed grammar and the order of some things to pull it to a higher standard than that of my twelve year old self! Enjoy!
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It was early afternoon. I could tell by the fact that from where I was standing, the sun was just left of the second tower. I didn’t have any kind of sun dial near me, but managed to use the towers at the front gates as my little trick to telling time. While the rest of the students my age were smart in most ways, including languages, math, sciences, and whatever else they felt like teaching us throughout our young lives, I was still the street smart kid who knew tricks to keeping things in perspective, without freaking out over specifics. I still wasn’t considered to be ‘smart’, at least not as smart as my brother, Andrew. He’s a few years older than I am and has always been seen as a brilliant mind with unlimited potential. At the moment, he is an apprentice to one of our city’s philosophers, Cimotis. Being an apprentice to a philosopher is the highest state of honor a young person can be granted around here.

Andrew was the apple of my parents’ eye, at least that’s what everyone else said. He was the perfect son in every way. I always felt like he and I were competing. What we were competing for, who knew. Our parents’ attention? The approval of the rest of the city? Both? When you really took a moment to think about it, neither could be possible. My parents never judged us or saw either one as inferior to the other; one thing I love about them.

The Square was buzzing with conversations by the time I got there. There were plenty of early birds who woke before dawn to be the first to try and snag a deal from the foreign merchants, many staying well into the afternoon before returning to their homes with their bags full of newly discovered treasures. There were merchants from all along the Atlantic coasts, some having traveled many months to reach our own continent. The things they brought with them from their own nations were fantastical. They had items of various colors, sizes, textures…all unique in some way but all the same in that they were usually amazing and worth taking a peak at.

The cart that caught my eye a few days before was one from a man whom had traveled many months to get here, having stopped at various posts on the eastern coast before making his way to the western coasts and eventually into Gentue. He was from a land called China. The name itself was beautiful and from the things I saw in his cart, not to mention his own physical appearance, I longed to learn more. He was of darker skin and charcoal hair with thin eyes that squinted in the sun. He had high cheeks bones and a slender build. He looked very serious, though when you came closer you could hear his cheery laughter as he spoke with customers and other merchants nearby.

Coming up to the cart for the first time, I wasn’t sure what all to expect. The things I had vaguely seen from a distance were stupendous and gleaming. When I came closer, I realized my eyes had deceived me; I had greatly understated the items’ beauty. The one item that caught my eye more than the others was that of a small doll made of glass. Further investigation on the matter taught me that the glass was called ‘porcelain’. The doll was pure white with bright features and colorful clothes made of smooth, shiny cloth with patterns so simple yet so divine, I couldn’t help but long for a larger piece to perhaps fix a similar dress for myself. If you’d have seen the fabric, you would have been caught in a selfish desire as well.
One doll in particular drew me in like a fish on a line. Its eyes were a vibrant blue and seeming to sparkle as the sun hit the painted glass. Her lips were pale and natural, one of the few who’s makeup wasn’t over done in a dramatic style –though I do admit that dramatization of colors was fascinating- which appealed to me for whatever reason. The hair made of thin yawn was a soft brown, much like that of my mother’s. Ah, that was why I loved this doll so! The eyes, the hair, the facts of simplicity still causing a shocking discovery of beauty; I might as well have named the doll Marina straight away. There was no doubt that it reminded me very much so of my mother, whom I have always adored. While I had originally loved the dolls for reasons any young girl would –beauty, color, perhaps the excitement of being from such an exotic and distant land- I came to realize that it was my mother that inspired me to love it. At this point, I couldn’t possibly walk away without purchasing it.

Purchase. Purchasing involved money, which I had very little of. My hopes suddenly failed, my fear of the price being far too much for me to afford and still keep a few spare coins in my pocket startled me to a point where I nearly cried, even before finding out what I would need to pay for such a doll! After realizing my foolishness I managed to pull myself together and grasp at what little nerve I suddenly had and walk up to the foreign man with the fascinating eyes and at least get the pain of asking over with.

Let me just say, this was not an easy task. With my bag tied around my waist, holding the coins that could be my saving grace or traitorous ex-ally, I managed to get a few words out, hardly audible. “How much for this doll?” I chirped. More like croaked. My voice nearly cracked, my shyness around strangers coming into effect, a strange quality in an outgoing soul such as myself.

“Three silvers,” replied the merchant in a tone much softer than anticipated. I worried he sensed my slight panic and awkwardness. If this was the case, I was grateful he at least felt complied to be respectful. I pulled the bag from my hip, crossing my fingers I would have enough without spending everything I had.

I pulled out two silver coins, known to my people as ‘jinkoz’. To foreigners, the term was not usually well known. All the nations used around the same form of currency, so the color or metal of which the coins were made of was usually what one used to communicate the appropriate price.

To my relief and thrill, the man cast me a kind smile and plucked the jinkoz from my palm, shaking his head and spare hand as to indicate that the rest of the coins were not needed. He pocketed the money and went back to work without a word. I nearly leapt for joy at the moment, carefully dropping the rest of the change into the sack and tying it around my waist once more. With the doll safely in my hands, feeling cool to my skin, I began walking towards the path that led down towards my own house.

I turned to look at The Square again, various noises catching my attention. The Square was beautiful during the spring. The Square itself was a large, circular area near the front of the village. Large stones with pieces of sparkling glass carefully and smoothly set into them lined the perimeter as well as a three foot wall that was more often used as a form of a bench. The main gates, including the two towers I mentioned before, were just off of The Square over the road that led one into Gentue before it turned at a sharp angle into The Square. Surrounding The Square on the opposite side of the short wall were the main five facilities in Gentue. The infirmary was the first building on one’s right once inside The Square. Gentue was always proud to announce how its infirmary was one of the top on the western coast and known for the doctors and herbologists whom have created numerous remedies and cures for various ailments that have stricken the nations.

The school was the next building; a large, two floored facility that was perfect for all the children in every age group. The younger kids remained on the first floor while the older ones got to climb the stairs each day to the second floor. When I was little, I use to imagine how cool the second floor must be, all the amazing and interesting things I could possibly find there. The mystery of not knowing, and the ever growing curiosity, made me wish I was old enough to go up there for my own classes. However, when I reached the age at which I was permitted to use the second floor, I came to realize it was more boring than the first. No bright colors or fun chairs, just books and scrolls everywhere. I was disappointed to say the least. But I came to appreciate it, even if I wish I would have enjoyed the perks of being younger while I had the chance. I sometimes feel cheated, as do many of my peers, seeing as they have recently installed a play area behind the school in a small clearing just before the woods begin, fenced off to keep the young ones from wandering. There were boxes full of sand and swings and slides. If I had had those things as a little girl, I probably would have enjoyed myself a bit more.

The first building on the left of The Square entrance is the storage building, a large, boring place that is used by the village to store food, supplies, weapons, and whatever else you could think of to store. It’s not very interesting inside –though of course I wouldn’t know…- and even duller to look out. The building next to it is much more entertaining: the Housing Center. Here, all the merchants who are currently stationed in Gentue, like the exotic man from China, stay in this center. All students are required to put in so many volunteer hours a week, something about building responsibility and character. Many of my hours have been at the Housing Center. It’s actually very nice with a few basic, large rooms on two floors. There is a main room where food is served and chairs and tables are provided so the merchants can relax and perhaps converse if they wish to. The entire upstairs is a room filled with beds for the merchants and wardrobes beside each bed for him to store his personal belonging. There was talk a few years before about adding a smaller room behind the building for women merchants, but the idea is unheard of and was quickly dismissed by the all-male council. The large back room is where the merchants keep their carts during the night. A large door on the side of the building allows them to bring their carts in and lock them up away from the public. While many merchants have complained about the possibility that another merchant could come in and steal some of their goods, that particular situation has never occurred in Gentue and is laughable among my people. My father is a merchant and his comment on the subject was to point out that merchants are working class and what helps to keep their nation or their village’s economy up and steady. There is too much honor and pride among the men whom are allowed to sell in Gentue for such crimes to ever occur. There are a few scattered nations throughout the Atlantic Islands, such as Belligan and Atlantis, that would commit such an offense if given the chance, but our council and elders are wise enough to not allow their kind to trade here.

The last building is positioned directly across The Square from the main entrance. It is extravagant with beautiful architecture and beams. Our Chief Elder, Kiamin, says he received the inspiration for the design when on the Eastern Coast in a nation called Rome. It is by far the grandest structure in all of Gentue, and for good reason. This particular building is the Council Hall. Our elders, whom make up half of the Council, reside in this hall in luxurious dorms. All Council meetings are held here in a large, grand room in the back of the building. The steps up to the building are many and often when Gentue hosts some form of entertainment or have speeches made, those steps are where it is done and The Square becomes a form of auditorium for everyone.

Between each building was a small road that led down into a different area of the homes, all situated along a long, wide road that stretched at an angle around The Square, though hidden from view to those in The Square by the thick forest. The road closest to my own house was that between the school and the Council Hall. I headed around the low wall and onto that road, following it for a few minutes as it wound it way through the woods, beams of sun slipping through the trees and lighting the road like the spotlights on the towers used to watch the road into Gentue at night.

Behind me, I suddenly heard the rustle of something moving through the dead leaves from last autumn and of twigs being broken. Before I could turn around, I was startled by a loud shout.

“PEN!” cried the voice, coming quickly in my direction. “Wait up, will you?” the voice called as the person came around the trees and into view. I quickly jumped off the track as my best friend, Christopher, came hurtling towards me, sliding a bit on his heals as he attempted to stop. He ended up slipping right through the very spot where I had just stood and allowed himself skid to a halt.

“You could have run me over!” I yelled at him with a laugh, coming out of hiding at this point. Chris was bent over, his hands on his knees and his breathing quick. He managed a small laugh back, though it was faint as he was still catching his breath.

“If you would have stopped the first time I called, I wouldn’t have had to race after you,” he snapped back, sticking out his tongue childishly. “I called three times and you kept going.” He explained, pulling himself up and walking towards me.

“Sorry, I must not have heard you,” I said in my defense, plopping down on a tree stump beside him. “Yell louder next time.” I teased. Chris came over and sat down on the ground beside me, bringing his knees up and resting his arms on them. He sighed and shut his eyes, taking in the soft sun that was hitting him. I’ve always admired Chris’ looks. We are often called siblings, being we are joined at the hip most of the time. On a personality basis, perhaps siblings is an alright term.

When it came to physical appearances, we couldn’t be any more different. I was thin and petite with fair skin and a few light freckles across my cheeks and nose that only appeared in summer. My hair was a dark and boring shade of brown, same as my eyes. There was nothing that stood out about my looks.

Chris was my opposite. He was tall and average sized with muscles, but not over-toned like some of the men in the village. His skin was a perfect shade of bronze gold that darkened in the summer and lasted most of the year. With brown-blonde hair, like my brother’s, and a well structured, handsome face, I couldn’t even begin to see any sort of comparison.

When he reopened his eyes and looked at me, his gaze drifted down to the doll in my hand. I suddenly snapped back from my own thoughts and became a bit more aware. He gave me a coy grin.

“I didn’t realize fifteen year olds still played with dolls,” he laughed.

“I’m sixteen you dud,” I replied quickly. “And it’s not to play with, it’s for show. Reminds you of my mom, doesn’t it?” Once again, I looked down and admired the porcelain doll that I now owned.

“Sixteen? Since when? And yeah, I suppose it does look a little like your mom,” he commented, reaching out his hand in hopes of examining it. Reluctantly, I handed over the doll and allowed him to look it over.

“It’s from China,” I said confidently with a large grin. “Beautiful isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it’s different, that’s for sure.” Chris replied, handing it back with a smirk. “China you say? Never heard of it.” He concluded matter-of-factly.

“Sixteen huh? When did that happen?” Chris was suddenly back on the age thing again. He was obsessed with it at times, and I knew exactly where this was going.

“Since my birthday at the beginning of the season you dimwit,” I replied with a laugh.

“Well, I’m still seventeen and therefore older than you,” he said cockily, “which means you need to respect me, you know, respecting your elders and all.” Chris attempted to sound serious about this at first, but couldn’t keep it up and started laughing in less than five seconds. I picked up a twig on the ground and threw it at him teasingly.

“Ha! Respect you? Well, maybe respect –that’ll come with time though- but I could certainly never take you seriously.” I decided to play his game and attempt to be serious as well, and unlike Chris, I was pretty good at it. I closed my eyes and turned up my nose. Without any sort of a warning, I suddenly felt the brush of a twig against my arm. My eyes flew open, staring at him with a look of disbelief, a grin forming over my lips naturally. I grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground next to me and tossed it at him and he raised his arm to block it from getting to much in his face.

The little fight, full of throwing whatever was around and lots of laughter, didn’t last long. He had just gotten to his feet and began tickling me where I sat when we were both so startled that we fell over together onto the ground, I landing on top of him. With a blush and a whispered apology, I quickly jumped away and pulled myself to my feet, offering a hand to help him up. There it was again; The Horn. We dusted ourselves off, both red in the cheeks and avoiding the other’s eyes. I put the doll into my pouch and we both took off running.

Hip Hip Hooray ... for Fanfics!

Alright, so I'm working on a short story fanfiction. Ha. Its for the soap opera "As The World Turns", around the story line of Luke and Noah. I'm introducing a character that I would LOVE to play on the show, because I love Noah, and Luke, too. <3 I'll share when I have a draft done.

New Works

I'll be updating soon with pieces from "Atlantis" and "Oliver", and perhaps some other misc. works. Keep an eye out for it =]
<3

Once Upon A Dream

Alright, this is from a dream I had when I was about five or six years old... In the writing class I am TAing at camp right now, we had to write about a dream we had and this is what I ended up with. It is a sort of "parallel novel". Enjoy!:

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We watched her drifting away, reaching over the shoulder of the dirty man holding her back, fighting to escape. The ship was edging closer and closer to the horizon and the struggle was hardly noticed by the greasy pirate. Our situation was no better. We were helpless, stranded on this unknown island, useless to her and to ourselves. The boys sat in the sand, crying for their sister and friend. Peter and I stood on the shore, just watching. There was nothing else we could do. I wanted to scream, to call for her, but I had no voice.

The air tasted like salt and there was something sharp about the way it hit my face. I turned to Peter, immediately frightened by what I saw. He was standing there, just standing there, with his eyes fixed on the girl in the blue dress fading into the distance. His face was blank but I could see the sorrow in his eyes. I could also see the rage, and that is what terrified me most. I wondered if he was really there, if he noticed the water soaking his canvas shoes, or his Lost Boys crying into the breeze. The air tasted like salt and there was something sharp about the way it hit my face. Two storms were brewing, and one of them with in Peter.

"Peter…" I was cautious, afraid to touch him. It was pointless, I realized, to try and speak to him, so I left him on the shore, returning to the boys hidden under the palm leaves. I could feel their fear and did my best to give them hope. I still couldn't find the right words to say and I knew that my half-hearted hugs and empty smiles would not be enough. I dared a glance at Peter, still standing there like stone, unmoving at the waters edge. His silence and detachment only scared the other children more. He was their leader, they were use to leadership, not abandonment. I wanted to be enough for them, but I knew that I was too pathetic myself to be of any real help to anyone else.

The chill of invisible knives grazed my arms, the trees dancing violently. I urged the boys deeper into the forest, hiding them within the brush. Turning back to the shore, I felt my heart break to see the ship was beyond our sight, yet Peter was still staring at the sea. His hat flew away in the wind, dancing across the sand. His hair twirled violently like flames against the darkened sky, and it only built upon the change I was seeing in him, the change from the carefree, silly boy I had met only a few days ago, to a figure so strange and foreign that I was afraid of him.

I was frozen, feet planted firmly in the uneven, pale sand. The sounds of cries lingered in the wind and I knew I couldn't let them down. A final glance back and a deep breath later, and I was racing out of the trees, the sand shifting unsteadily beneath me.

"Peter!" I shouted desperately, falling upon him and gripping at his arms. "Peter, please! You will be no good to her if you stay here." I was beginning to cry but my tears were suddenly invisible as the sky opened up upon us. I tugged at him frantically, even though I knew I was far too weak to move him. The frustration was building within me and I knew we were running out of time.

"Listen to me! You will be no good to Wendy if you are lost to this storm! The boys need you, Peter! I need you!"

He didn't move. I could feel the distortion in my face as I pleaded with him to join us. The water lapped onto the shore, nearly to our knees. I was shivering and frightened, caught up in a story I could have only dreamed about and was now living. I was determined, though. I was not leaving without him.

"Sammy!" I turned towards the trees to see Michael wandering along the sand with his teddy bear clutched to his chest.

"Peter, we have to go!" I shouted again, pulling his arm with all my strength. Perhaps it was my own adrenaline, or maybe it was just because of the unstable sand, but he finally moved. It wasn't much more than a slight jerk to the side, but it was enough to claim his attention.

I was so relieved that for a moment I forgot why I wanted his attention in the first place. As a rather powerful gust of wind slammed against my bare arms and legs, I was quickly reminded. "Peter, oh please, Peter!"

He blinked a couple of times and shook his head, looking through me with hazy eyes. "We need to go." I repeated at calmly as I could manage. He simply nodded and followed suit as I began to sprint back towards the shelter and the child wandering alone. I didn't let go of his hand as we crossed the sand, only releasing him once Michael was within my reach.

Pulling the small boy into my arms it was instantly clear that I was not the best candidate to carry him across uneven ground in such forceful winds. Peter realized this as well and without hesitation he stole Michael from me and held him to his shoulder, moving towards the other boys. I was impressed by his strength, for he was still just a boy himself. The boys were calling for us and Peter and I dashed between the trees as quickly as possible. The forest was howling at us maliciously and we knew that would couldn't afford to be cautious.

I kept tripping on roots and twigs, nearly falling to my knees several times, but I kept running, using my momentum to keep me off the ground. We finally came upon the boys and dropped down beneath the brush alongside them just as the sky lit up and a crack more violent than a whip filled our ears. Peter was the only one who did not jump or scream. Michael quickly crawled into my lap, curling against my chest and hiding his face in his teddy bear. We all sat close to each other, pressed against the roots in a sad attempt to stay dry.

Looking around my heart broke yet again to see so many crying, worn faces, their bodies shaking from the wind and rain. Everything looked hopeless, but I couldn't let the boys know that I thought such a thing, not with Wendy separated from us and Peter lost to his own mind. As crazy as it seemed I longed to be back on Hook's ship. I would willingly endure the filthy men, their awful stench and their broken smiles, if it meant that we could have a roof over our heads and food in our bellies, but more importantly, if we could be together again. Without Wendy and Peter, I didn't know what we were going to do.

I looked to him again as he stared into the rain as if reading something between the drops. He seemed so distant and alone. Longingly I placed a hand on his shoulder, my other arm wrapped tightly around Michael. He looked to me with sad eyes, saying nothing, but I couldn't help but see a lightness in his face that hadn't been there before. I smiled as best I could, hoping it would help. We were all exhausted and I did my best to hush the boys and urge them to try and sleep. The storm continued to crash all around us, but finally we all managed to drift into dreams.

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<3