Nothing is Ever As It Seems

Life on Bythiam seems normal for 12 year old Decuros. She doesn't fit in, then she meets a woman who will change her entire world.

Nothing is Ever as it Seems

By: Aura Quartz

A book by the same author of From Enemies to Friends, and The Secret That Lies Within

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Nothing is ever as it seems, even to those who know everything

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Introduction

Our old home, Earth is dead. It now lays as a cold and destroyed planet, once it was full of life. But when some scientists ventured too far into unknown territory, they met them. We call them Shinglers. They earned that name because, when they are in battle they use energy to regain health and heal, their eyesight is normal but if their is an animal near and it's scared the shingler will sense it and kill it.

We live on a place that we can’t even call a home. We live on Bythiam, it is a ‘spaceship’ that we live on. Only 1 million of us made it, that's 14.286% of humans. We took two of every animal that was not dangerous, kind of like noah’s ark. We have been searching, 50 years for a new home but we have had no luck.

Start

My name is Decuros, I am 12 years old. My mother and father picked the name Decuros because in latin it means beautiful. The destruction of earth happened 50 years ago, which I’m glad I wasn’t there to witness all of that.

The oldest person on Bythiam is Madam Kine,she is 143 years old. She lives in a house on the edge of Bythiam, which NO ONE ever goes to. She used to tell stories about all of these wars on earth, like WWI, WWII, Spanish- American war, and many others. She talked about how the world was full of joy and love.

Like I said, no one ever goes to the edge of Bythiam, in fear that they might fall off and never come back. No one cares about earth, everyone thinks of it as a thing of the past. That it lived and it died so they moved on, but I don’t think that. How could you just leave your own home as if it was nothing?

I believe there's still life on earth, and even sometimes when I go to the edge and look at earth I see lights. Small lights, and when the sun rises I see green on earth. I tell my mama and papa that but they think I just have a big imagination.

I only have 1 friend, Amare. His parents named him that because it means love in latin. He sometimes goes to the edge with me. We’ve known each other since we were babies, we we're always the outcasts of kids. We just couldn’t fit in, something wasn’t right with us.

Everyone was mean too us because we weren't right, and they couldn’t accept it but we both did. The reason why me and Amare are different is because our government, takes our feelings away so we aren't violent to others. But me and Amare we have feelings we have curiosity, and wonder.

It is why we are different. People accept that earth was destroyed and moved on, but how could you do that when it's you're home!?! Everyone is just like copies, they do the same things. Even though me and Amare are a lot like Madam Kine, we’ve never thought of meeting her but that would soon change.

I was walking home with Amare after school, and we we're planning too go too the edge tonight.

“Hey Amare, what if we talked to Madam Kine?” I said, and Amare stopped instantly.

“Are you crazy Decuros, you're going too get us into so much trouble!” He said back.

“I-I know but I just want to meet here, I mean why does everyone hate her so much? She knows truth about what happened to home, and I want to figure out the truth!” I said back.

“Hey your stuttering is getting much better.” Amare said back.

“Amare don’t change the s-subject are you coming with me or n-not?” I asked.

“No.” He said briefly.

“Ok.” I said back.

We walked to the edge together then parted ways, he was going to our fort and I was going to Madam Kine. Nobody had went to Madam Kine’s house in 15 years and I would be the first in 15 years to.

I finally reached Madam Kine’s house, and knocked gently on the door. I heard footsteps inside. Then the door opened up and inch and I saw a face.

“What do you want child?” Their voice said sternly.

“I-I want t-to talk to M-Madam K-Kine please.” I said softly.

“For what reason?” The voice said.

“I-I want to k-know more about h-home.” I said.

“Don’t you know that could get you into a lot of trouble child?” It said softer.

“Y-yes but it's w-worth the t-truth.” I said.

The face just stared. “Extraordinary.” They mummered.

“What?” I asked.

“That someone still actually cares or even remembers it.” The voice said softly.

“Remember home?” I said,”Why w-would someone forget i-it?”

The voice shut the door and unlocked it and opened it up again but all the way. “Here child let me take care of that stutter.” She said. She moved her hands around and blue appeared and circled around me then disappeared.

“What, how did you do that?!?” I said without stuttering.

“Magic.” She whispered and smiled.

I smiled back.

“Child what is your name?” She asked.

“My name is Decuros.” I said.

“Well, Decuros come back tomorrow right after school and we can talk then okay?” She said.

I nodded and ran home.

I sat on my bed looking at a drawing of stars on my ceiling, and thought, I wonder what it's like on Earth, I wonder if their is another little girl like me down there, just trying to reach the stars. That was all I ever wanted, to reach a star, I would be able to run away from all of my problems. This place is just like Earth, we have alcohol and murderers to.

My mom and dad both split when I was 9 so it's been rough. I never go see my dad anymore because he always sees my faults, and everything that is wrong with me plus he is an alcoholic and my mom is to. So I never talk to them really I just hangout with Amare. He is like a true brother to me. It's like I don’t even have parents, and I did once have a little brother. His name was Genus which means kind in latin, he was 4 years younger than me. He died because of cancer at age 5 which was why my parents split when I was 9.

A tear rolled down my cheek.

“Good night Genus, sleep tight.” I whispered. I always whisper him good night and hold a stuffed elephant that was once his.

I buried Genus by me and Amares secret hideout, because once you die the government burns your body and I couldn’t let that happen to Genus. So I took him to our hideout, we knew there was no cure for him.

Right before he died I showed him the sunrise on the edge. Then he passed away, and I buried him. I told everyone that he had fell off the edge, and I had tried to save him and I almost fell off too. Everyone believed it and thought of me as a hero, even if I didn’t save him.

I put a grave marker where I buried him, and every time I walk passed it to get to our hideout I say ‘Good evening Genus.’ or ‘Good morning Genus.’

Amare does it too sometimes. But lately I haven’t seen Amare it's like he’s trying to avoid me, at school he won’t sit by me at lunch, he won’t talk to me ever, and he barely looks at me. Know I am not noticed at all, like I'm a shadow.

One day of school I saw Amare walking home and I said, “Hey Amare, wait up!” I ran to him and he still didn’t look at me and just stared at the ground.

“You want to hangout today?” I said.

“Decuros, I don’t think we should be friends anymore.” He said holding back emotions.

My face went white. “W-what, but Amare why?” I said softly.

“We just…” He trailed off, “can’t be.”

“Why can’t we! What is the real reason, is it because I'm different than everybody else! Are you ashamed of being friend's with an outcast!” I said yelling at him holding back tears.

He turned to look at me and on his face was a black eye. “No Decuros,  my parents just don’t want me hanging out with you.” He said.

“Amare what happened to you?” I said softly.

“Nothing.” He said bitterly back.

“Something did happen and you know it.” I said.

“Mind your own business!” He said and walked away.

“Fine, I guess we are not friends anymore yet you we're the only one I ever had. Goodbye forever.” I whispered and walked off.
A single tear went down my face.

Know it was just me and Genus, I guess. I ran to Madam Kine’s house almost forgetting about her.

Once I got there I knocked on the door, still crying. I heard footsteps and she opened the door, but all the way this time.

She knelt down. “Child why are you crying?” She said softly, and wiped a tear off of my face.

“My friend Amare, got in a fight with me for no reason and we can’t be friends anymore.” I said letting more tears out. “He was my only one, and know I have none.”

She hugged me, I hugged her back. “I am your friend aren’t I?” She said.

I nodded a yes, and she got up and let me inside. Her house was beautiful, so many colorful things old and new. I walked through a hallway and saw a picture of her holding four babies, two girls, and two boys. One girl and one boy in each arm.

“Who are they?” I asked pointing at the picture.

“My grandchildren, sadly there parents died so I had to take care of them. But I could not take care of four babies so I sent them away. But I sent two to Earth in hopes someday they will find each other and come home. I sent the other two to an orphanage here they we're both adopted and became best friend's but never knew they we're siblings. In hopes that all of my grandchildren will find there family.” She said.

“Wow.” I said. Then a memory went through my head, it was me as a baby, with three other babies the babies from the picture. A boy and a girl we're in a rocket of some sort, and a second later they we're gone.

“But alas none of them have came home yet.” She added.

My eyes went wide, and took the picture in my hands and stared at it closely. “Grandma?” I whispered softly.

She turned and looked. “What?” She said.

“You're my grandma. I was a baby in that picture! I saw the other two get launched into space in a memory! There is still one here!” I said quickly.

She walked over and grabbed something. “Give me your arm.” She said.

I gave her my arm and she scanned it with something and a green thing was inside of my arm.

“You are my grandchild, all of them have that.” She said, “But I never knew that you would grow up so pretty.”

“Your story would that mean…” I said and my eyes widened, “Amare is the other one. He is my brother.”

She smiled.

“But he will never believe any of this, the picture he will remember the rockets taking off.” I said quickly.

“Smart idea go my child run as fast as you can. Tell him when you are alone and as soon as you can.” She said.

I nodded and ran home. At around midnight I got up out of bed and put one black clothes and grabbed the picture. I was going to run to Amare’s house and sneak in through his window and wake him up.

His house was 8 blocks away, but I was a fast runner. I ran and when I finally got to his house. I saw his window was open, his head was sticking out.

“I'm so sorry Decuros, I do want to be friend's but my parents hate you. It kills me to see you alone. I'm so sorry…” He trails off talking to the stars.

I moved out of the bushes and pulled off my hat, he looked down and saw me.

“What are you doing!?!” He whispered.

“Showing you your real family.” I said back.

“What?” He replied back with quietly.

“Shh, just climb down here.” I said.

He nodded, and climbed down out of his  two story window to the ground.

“Why are your showing me my real family?” He asked confused.

I showed him and told him everything, and he believed me. I took him too our hideout later.

“Dec, shh I hear someone.” Amare said.

We both were quiet, then a voice spoke.

“We mean your no harm, we only need a place to sleep for the night.” It said.

I glanced at Amare. “First show yourselves, and drop any weapons you have.” I said.

“Decuros.” A voice said aloud.

I walked out, and saw a boy and girl my age. “How do you know my name?” I asked.

The girl stood behind the boy a little, she must’ve been scared. It was to dark to see any of there face’s.

Amare came out and stood next to me.

The boy looked up. “Decours, it's me Genus.” The boy said.

Her face went  white. “But I buried you.” I said.

“No, no you buried a clone of me, Lucli made me do it.” He said.

By now all four of us we're standing in a little group.

Amare glanced at him, and gave him a big bear hug. Genus gave him a hug back.

“Okay, okay so now we got that out of the way who is she Genus?” Amare said looking at Maya.

“Oh, this is Maya my friend.” He said.

“Hmm Maya, what a very unique name.” Amare said.

“It means love.” She mumbled.

“Maya no need to be shy here, nobody can find us here. It's just us and miles of land.” I said.

“Let's have it be, we are all brothers and sisters to each other.” Amare said.

Amare gave Genus another hug, and I gave Maya a hug. Maya smiled.

“I never had a sister before, thank you Decorus.” Maya said.

“Me neither, but I’ve always wanted one, and we already have so much in common.” I said, and we both laughed.

“Well, this is the mansion, let me show you around the huge place.” Amare said and everyone laughed.

Amare and Maya went in.
I hugged Genus and whispered, “It's good to have you back brother.”

“Yeah it is.” He said back.

“Never leave me again, got it.” I said to him and he nodded.

Then we went inside.

Author's Note

Ignore my bad grammar, You may understand some of this if you read From Enemy's to Friends. How was the story so far?