The address he gave me was pretty far outside of town which was something I wasn’t expecting. Noah and his family moved to the old homestead by dead man’s creek affectionally named that because years ago a few kids found a dead body there of an old man. Being out here kinda gave me the creeps. Noah opened the door shirtless and when he saw me he smiled that same smile. He welcomed me in with open arms and led me to his room, his room was even creepier then the outside it was dark and drenched in red light he had strange posters on the walls he even had a pet lizard, but not the friendly kind of lizard a mean looking one. After glancing around some more I got a really bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I looked at Noah and he smiled but this time in this light it didn’t look all warm and friendly it evil and menacing. I told him that I wanted to go I tried to leave but he blocked the door I tried to push past him but he stood his ground he threw me onto his bed. I screamed but he put his hand over my mouth I tried to bite him but it was no use his other hand closed around my throat that’s when everything went dark.
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I didn’t know who he was or where he was from all I know is that yesterday he wasn’t here and today he is. He walked into class with such swag immediately showing that this was his space and all of us were simply there because he allowed us to be there. He took a seat in the back and put his shoes up on the desk. Mr. Flowers was less than pleased by him throughout the course of his first week the mysterious boy caused heartbreak and turmoil. First, we heard through the grapevine that he made out with Sarah Michelson behind the bleachers at the last football game then Michelle Summers said that they did it at her house when her parents were off at work. I don’t believe any of this of course because you know who would they´re just rumors plus Michelle Summers is a known liar I wouldn’t trust anything that comes out of her mouth. By day 6 of the mysterious boy being here he and I got paired up to work on a project together, I gotta say being the teacher’s favorite does have its perks. When I sat next to this boy he smiled at me the kind of smile that could get me into trouble, but for him, man was I willing. Me and the boy started to talk about life about the project about everything he eventually told me his name was Noah Willingston and that he had moved here from New York about 2 weeks ago. He told me that he had never been so nervous then he was when he first walked into our classroom and everyone stared at him. I told him I thought it was funny he was so nervous because he didn’t act like it. After we had spent the whole period talking we ended up not having enough time to even work on the project. Noah offered his house up for me to come over so we could finish it there.
I slowly made my way to my house, when I walked in the door the smell of chocolate cake washed over me. It filled me with warmth and familiarness, I sat at the kitchen table and saw my Mama frosting the cake with her favorite yellow spatula.
“Rough day hunbun?” Mama asked with a warm smile on her face. It made me feel like all was right with the world when I saw Mamma smile. “Yeah some strange things happened, Gladys kinda frightened me today, I think the whole town played a mean trick on me.” I couldn’t help but feel better talking to Mama, but something felt off and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. “Oh you know Gladys, she’s always playing tricks on people. Did I ever tell you about the time in elementary school when Gladys put glue on my seat, I was picking it out of my jeans for weeks after that.” I frown. “Mama, Gladys wasn’t the one who did that to you, it was daddy, or at least it was how you always told it. You said you first met there and if it wasn’t for that damn glue you wouldn’t have gotten me.” “Oh right, I must have forgotten it happened that way, silly old me I swear if my head wasn’t attached to my body I would forget it too.” I look at Mama for a moment, never in my whole life had she forgotten anything, her nickname in high school was Ellie the Elephant. “Hunbun you look a little pale, maybe you should go lie down.” Mama grabbed my hand and guided me to my room. “I’ll be back with a glass of water and a big slice of cake you just lie down till I get back okay hun.” I layed in my bed for a moment before something dawned on me, Mama shouldn’t be here, she should be in lot 32 at Eagle’s Claw Cemetery, six feet under. I got out of my bed cautiously, I slowly walked to the kitchen. The lights were off, the smell of chocolate cake was gone and Mama's favorite yellow spatula was tucked in the old pickle jar like it had been for the last 3 months. “Mama, Mama!” I desperately called out, I knew I wouldn’t get a response, but I had to try. “Mama!” I called out again, tears building up in my eyes, threatening to spill out. “Mama!” I said for a final time before, collapsing on the ground crying. I was alone, Mama was gone and so was everyone in the town. The line between life and death is very thin, so thin in fact most don’t even realize they’ve crossed it until they have. Eagle’s Claw, Kentucky isn’t on most maps, there’s one road it’s the only way to get in and out. It’s a rather quiet town not much of anything ever going on here, we don’t even have a school, you would have to go two towns over for that. Ever since my Mama died it’s just been me here, me and the weirdos that live here too.
Lately, I’ve been noticing some strange things going on in my town, like just the other day I was walking down main street and I saw Old Man Silverstean. I’ve known Silverstean my whole life, I believe he’s the only milkman our town has ever had. I saw him walking I was about to call out to him when he vanished. Like one second he was there the next he wasn’t, I was so stunned I ran back to my house and hid under my bed for nearly half the day. I’ve seen Silverstean since, but I’ve been too scared to ask him about it. Yesterday I walked into Gladys’s, the town’s only diner. Now usually the place is packed especially on a Saturday morning, no one can resist Gladys’s supersize caramel rolls it fills the whole town with a sweet smell of caramel. This Saturday I strolled in and there was no one, not a soul in sight. “Gladys Gladys! ” I called out her name a few times. I went to the kitchen, all the dishes were neatly put away, all the pots were hanging and a layer of dust was covering the counters. It looked like no one had been back there in years. Which didn’t make any sense I worked at Gladys’s part-time and never had I seen it look like anything other than a beautiful disaster. I walked back out of the kitchen and into the diner, I took one last look just to make sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me. Just as I was turning to leave I heard Gladys call out my name. “Well now, I best hope that’s not my Regina about to walk out my diner before saying hello to me.” I froze, all the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, I slowly turned around. I felt myself go numb, the whole diner was packed with everyone from town. It was empty just a second ago, I’m sure of it, I could smell the caramel rolls, I could hear the chit chat of people around me and the clinking of plates. “Sugarplum, are you okay? You look like you just seen a ghost.” I could hear Gladys talking to me, but it felt as if she wasn’t there. “Yeah I’m fine,” I managed to choke out “I’m just gonna go home and lie down.” For a moment I saw Gladys’s eyes narrow with an evil glint in them. Before I realized what had happened a bright smile was plastered on her face. “Okay, hun you come and get me if you need anything, anything at all.” I gave a quick smile. I could feel myself walking out of the diner, I hadn’t even realized my legs had started moving until I was out the door and across the street. Without being able to stop myself I looked back at Gladys’s, It was completely empty like a single person hadn’t been there in years. My head was spinning, my legs might as well have been jello. Why was this happening? I kept asking myself. Was it all some big joke? Is everyone gonna pop out and say surprise? I waited for a moment hoping, praying, wishing that that’s what was going to happen. It didn’t, no one popped out and said surprise, no one came up to me and said haha gotcha, you fell for it. No one came, period. When she came in with a plate of cheese and a giant knife I wasn't really sure what to think I didn't think that anyone would need that big of a knife to cut kraft singles I mean they´re kraft singles they're already cut for you. I think I knew though when she had me go into her closet to grab a sweatshirt even though it was a million degrees. Maybe I shouldn't of listened maybe I should of ran cried for help or maybe even beg for my life. I didn't do any of that I just turned around as she stabbed me in the back…. Literally
She was there she sat on my bed she saw my rock collection, I can´t believe I actually got her here I thought I´d have more time I don´t want it to go down like this. When I offered my house for the project I didn't think she would cave so quickly I figured that she would put up more of a fight you know. I don't have any of the supplies ready let alone the room´s not ready for anything yet just not like this not like this.
Imagine a unicorn threw up steampunk, that was Bubblegum's bedroom I can't say that it exactly surprised me. She's a strange person when Ms. Green said that we had a group project that we had to complete outside of school I tried to get her to let me do it, but she insisted that she help and that it had to be at her house. So here I am sitting on a bed that is somehow bleached but looks like the work of picasso in a house that's too small to feel this empty. I must say though I thought this girl was going to be really dumb and not really know what she's doing but, she ended up contributing several things to the project maybe I judged her too fast.
The chemistry room smelled of BO and desperation it attacked my nose as I walked in. Naturally, all eyes turned to me, I was the new kid, after all, straightening myself up a bit I walked over to the teacher who looked like she hasn't smiled in years, that didn't stop me from sporting one though. I handed her the transfer slip pointing me in the direction of a girl in a black hoodie with brown hair tied back in a sagging ponytail. She intrigued me the way she was stared at me as I walked I found it peculiar, the way that she was there seeming like she didn’t care about anything that was going on around her but caring far too much at the same time it was beautiful. I sat down and faced her trying my best not to waver my smile as I introduced myself cringing at the way I was talking. When I meet new people I have to heighten my personality so they don’t question me or anything else. This girl, however, might just be worth opening up to.
My mom says I have an attitude problem and that’s why I don’t have any friends, that’s what she thinks anyway. I know why people don’t like me and it’s not because of my attitude, my classmates don’t like me because they think I’m the depressed girl, and I don’t blame them I am. At lunch I sit by myself, I´m always the first to arrive at my classes because I don't have anyone to stop and talk too anymore.
My parents think I should go back to therapy, that I haven't worked out my ¨trama¨. It's not my problem that my therapist doesn't understand me, she told me how I shouldn´t blame myself for what happened, but how could I not it was my fault. Most people find their sibling annoying, I didn't, not in the slightest. Braydon wasn't only my older brother but, my best friend him and I would do everything together. My favorite game to play was don't touch the ground, I guess you could say we would get a little competitive. Braydon loved climbing to the top of the jungle gym because he knew I was too scared of heights to follow him. I told him that he shouldn’t go up there that day it was too windy, but Braydon being him did it anyway. He fell fast within a blink of an eye, I think I screamed, I had to of. The blood came in buckets pouring out among the wood chips staining them a deep red. I cried for help till my throat went raw, it took the ambulance 5 minutes to get there, but at that point it didn't really matter. I haven’t really had friends since then my “friends” became sick of me after the accident in their words “You’ve been like really depressing lately and you’re kind of being a baby about it, like I get it he died but that doesn’t mean you have to be sad all the time.” Susan Coleman said that to me needless to say I punched her in the face. Landry Suberg, what an ugly name it sounds like the wrapping paper you throw out the day after Christmas something that once held an exciting secret waiting to be torn open and exposed is now thrown away and forgotten. Several people have asked me why I chose the name Bubble Gum. Some have said it’s because I never grew up desperately clinging to my childhood trying to force something that isn’t there. Others say it’s because I have a sweet tooth loving my favorite candy just a little too much. They’re all wrong of course it’s not nearly that complicated. I picked the name Bubble Gum because I like who I am when I’m her, I like the way it rolls off the tongue. It sounds like happiness and fun reminding you of the inner child we all have inside of us, but people can be cruel. My first day of 3rd grade I walked in and sat at my desk not looking forward to another year of people calling me smelly laundry landry. The nickname didn’t make any sense I knew I didn’t smell it was simply something an unclever student, Ryan McAdams came up with in kindergarten. So when Mrs. Crabapple said if there was something you’d prefer to be called to please let her know, so when she finally got to me she asked “Landry is there a nickname you’d prefer for me to use?” I straighten up a little looked her dead in the eyes and said “Yes I do.” I took a second to scan the room at the faces looking at me anxiously awaiting my response. Mrs. Crabapple glanced at me as if to say well what is it then, I put on my best smile excited to share the name that I had been thinking of all summer, I proudly said Bubble Gum. The room went so quiet you could hear a pin drop, then like a volcano the room erupted in laughter. While everyone stared and pointed at me I simply sat and smiled I knew no one could touch me not unless I wanted them to of course. After that I changed schools a lot, my parents said it was because I was “bullied” I say it was because my peers simply didn’t understand my complex nature. When I transferred to Blarney Heights High School I thought it was some kind of punishment, it was definitely a lower middle class school it wasn’t even private. The first thing I noticed when I walked in, was the god awful mascot, it sat proudly at the front of the main entrance a small stuffed parrot by the name of Poppy. What I didn’t understand was why someone would pick that to represent their school what was a parrot going to do? Annoy them to death? Walking by Poppy I tried my very best not to look at it, the main office was slightly better than the first impressions the school made on me, the secretary was rather kind she gave sympathetic eyes as she pulled up my file undoubtedly seeing how many schools I had been in. The sweet secretary handed me a bright pink transfer slip and pointed me in the direction of the chemistry room. I took my time walking to the room, not because I was scared what people might think, but because I wanted to remember all the people that have wronged me and how they have no power over me. Walking into the chemistry room I kept my head high, my expectations low and, my heart full.
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AuthorMy name's willow |