Fragments

S

omething is wrong; I can feel it in my bones. I stand in the middle of the trees, ankle deep in a puddle of water from the falling rain. A crisp wind slaps my back. My head hangs low as my ears listen to the forest around me. I’m hearing everything but what I’m searching for " a bird landing on a branch to get shield from the rain, two squirrels running up a tree to safety, a buck running as if something is after them.

   Suddenly, the buck runs out into the open and freezes in his tracks once he sees me. I slowly look up at him. I stare off into his fearful eyes, his nostrils flaring heavily. His ears face the direction he came from. He was already running from something.

   A high-pitch squeal bellows from the south, behind the buck. Instantly, I spring towards the source. The buck jolts back the way he came, trying to flee from me. I sprint next to him and he takes a sharp left into the darkness. My lungs fill with air and burst through my nose as I push myself faster towards the scream.

   I leap over a fallen tree and land a few meters away from a furry, black shadow hovering over a lifeless body. I can only see a hand lying in a pool of blood.  The shadow looks up at me; his glowing eyes watch me carefully. This must’ve scared the buck towards me.

   The good thing is that I found what I was looking for. I smirk. “I’m really tired of chasing you.” I state. The shadow turns to face me, standing up on his hind legs. The hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He peels his muzzle back over his teeth which are covered with blood and flesh.  He leaps for me…

****

I jolt awake, panting in fear as I scramble in my sheets to gather myself. It was just a dream. I finally relax enough to look at the time. 5:34 A.M. I heavily sigh; it’s another one of those nights where I wake up at the crack of dawn because of that stupid dream. I’ve had the same nightmare hundreds of times over the summer break. They’ve been reappearing to me ever since that catastrophe happened as if it’s trying to tell me something.

   I sit on the edge of my bed. Gracielyn; she was the love of my life. She and I made the impossible happen. She gave me the best love and now, she’s gone. A picture of her sits on my nightstand. Hot, silent tears slide down my face. She had the longest, waviest, blonde hair and the brightest, blue eyes that lit up my world.

            “I’ve tried, Gracielyn, to be happy. It was my first summer without you and I’m alone and scared.” I whisper. I sniffle. “Nothing is ever clear now. *Si tonare prega di tonare a me. School starts today; it’ll be my first year in high school without you. I promise not to let you down.”

   My summer hasn’t been normal at all. Besides losing her, other strange things have happened. I’ve gained forty pounds of lean, taut muscles without trying. I’ve grown five inches, the last three in the past two weeks. My reflexes and senses have heightened, exceeding normality. I can hear my mother’s heartbeat in my room from where she works on her garden. I can smell the dirty sportswear in my brother’s duffle bag in the trunk of his car. I can see clearly at night.

   I’ve told my father about it, but he doesn’t see anything wrong with it. He said that my older brother, Ashton, went through this when he was seventeen. But I don’t believe him. No one understands how fast this has hit me and I wasn’t prepared for it. It doesn’t matter though. I’m going to graduate from Churchill High and then I’m getting out of Eugene. I’ll go to any university that isn’t on the West Coast.

   I walk across the hallway to the bathroom to get ready for school. I shower and brush my teeth. I wrap a towel around my waist before leaving the bathroom. I rush out, accidently bumping into my mother in the process. “I’m sorry, mother.” I apologize. “I didn’t see you.”

   She chuckles. “It’s okay, Kieron. I know you’re nervous about starting school without…”

            “Don’t.” I cut her off.

   She nods. “Well, good luck fighting off those girls.” she compliments.

   I snicker. I walk into my room. She’s right; muscle and height aren’t the only desirable features I’ve acquired over the summer. I’m six-foot-three with fair, vanilla skin and lush, light-brown hair. I have thick eyebrows, clean-shaven. I’ve been blessed with a rare eye color that Gracielyn, as well as all other girls, fell in love with; sapphire.

   I find a pair of dark, denim jeans with a black, V-neck t-shirt. I place on a pair of black Vans and a black beanie Gracielyn bought for me last Fall. I grab my backpack and black, leather jacket. I walk down the stairs and into the kitchen, where my youngest brother, Orlando, is already raiding the fridge. I sit at the bar counter.

            “Nervous?” I ask.

   He closes the fridge and turns to me with a broad smile on his face. He throws an apple in the air and catches it. “Not at all.” Orlando had an eating disorder when he was younger. I’m glad he out grew that. He’s just as handsome as I am, but with a younger look.

   My younger sister, Robyn, skips to my side. “I want to see all three of my brothers on the field this year.” she announces. Soccer, my favorite sport. Tryouts are this Friday.

            “I’ll be there.” I promise. Gracielyn might not be there, but she was Robyn’s best friend and I’ll have Robyn there ti cheer me on this year. I smile.

   Ashton, the eldest of us three, walks into the kitchen. He goes into the fridge and grabs the carton of orange juice. He gulps it down and throws it away. “So,” he says, turning to us. He burps. “who’s riding with me?”

   For my birthday in April, my grandfather bought me a blue 2012 Ford Mustang. I remember the first day Gracielyn and I drove in it; it was still a little chilly that day…

***

I honk the horn and she rushes out of her house all excited. She screams as she jumps around my car. I laugh and she gets in. I notice the goose bumps on her arms. “Where’s your jacket?” I ask. “It’s fifty degrees outside.”

            “I have you for that.” she purrs. I chuckle.

            “Then come here and get warm.” She leans across the seat, her cold hands touching my warm face as our lips meet. I rub her arms without breaking the kiss. I pull away. “Mmm, feel better?”

   She bites her bottom lip. “Yes.” she snuggles in my arms as I start driving towards school. “as warm as a sapphire.”

***

I drive to school. As I arrive, I notice that the parking lot I favored the most under a tree wasn’t taken. I spot three friends across the lot: Lauren, Tylor, and Jarvis. Seeing their greeting smile uplifts my soul. I grab my backpack and lock my car. I walk over to Tylor’s truck. Lauren reaches out and hugs me; she’s also Robyn’s best friend.

            “How do you feel?” she asks.

   I bleakly look at the school, unsure about this. “Maybe I should be home-schooled.” I answer.

   Jarvis slaps my back. “Awww, come on, Kieron. I know it’s hard moving on and I’m not trying to say that the second you walk into the school, go hunting for girls.” he starts, throwing his arm across my shoulders. “but it’ll be healthy for you to at least mingle, break some hearts.”

            “I don’t know.” I scowl.

            “At least try, buddy.” Tylor pushes. “You might not want to mingle, but come hang with the team and get out with us.”

            “Yeah,” Lauren adds. “We’ve missed you this summer.”

   I scoff. “You guys sure didn’t come visit me, though.”

   Jarvis sighs. “We were trying to give you some space. Losing her was hard for all of us. But, now, you’ll see us every day and we are going to get you out.”

   I feel unsure about this, but I can’t mourn forever. I nod. “Thanks guys.”

Lunch rolls around. My friends and I sit by the window wall that faces an outside eating area with more tables. Robyn, Lauren, Jarvis, Tylor, Ashton, Orlando, and I all sit at the eight-chair table. This year, it’s only seven of us and no one dares to sit in Gracielyn’s seat to my right.

   Robyn and Lauren are a little late meeting us here. The guys and I sit discussing our new classes, teachers, and girls. Orlando met a young girl in his Geometry class and he’s excited to see her again today.

            “Anybody heard about the new girl?” Tylor announces. Everyone nods except for me. I might have seen her, but I was also absorbed in my own world.

          “I heard her eyes are jade jewels that hold a charming innocence.” Jarvis describes. “Rare…exotic…alluring…tender.”

   Ashton chuckles; Jarvis isn’t one to use such adjectives when it comes to girls. A lot of girls he’s messed around with were “child’s play” in his eyes. He’s not that serious about relationships, but respects them all the same. Plus, he really isn’t the brightest in English. “She’s a delicate Lotus flower.”

            “I’m going to make her bloom.” Tylor exclaims. We all laugh. He looks across the cafeteria and smirks. “Speaking of which, her she comes.” We all look across the cafeteria at Robyn, Lauren and the stranger walking towards us. They stop at our table.

            “Who’s uh,” Jarvis starts. “who’s your friend?”

            “Emery Stewart.” the stranger answers. Her beauty is alluring. She has fair, caramel skin with long, wavy, brunette hair. Her lips are full and her soft, pink lip gloss makes them even more luscious. She smiles at us, flashing perfect, white teeth. As her eyes flash over to me, I start to feel butterflies rocket around in my stomach. Her eyes are so mesmerizing; they do hold an exotic charm. I unconsciously smile at her. her pink cheeks flush red; she is delicate.

   The girls sit with us. We all watch as Emery fills Gracielyn’s seat next to me. I feel the awkward silence growing on me. I clear my throat. “Welcome to Churchill High.” I state. She gazes into my eyes and I stare back. I can feel everyone’s eyes watching us.

   Jarvis clears his throat and I look away, ashamed that I was so naïve. “So, tryouts Friday, boys.”

   I grow anxious. Besides my two brothers, I am one of the best players on the field. My only problem is Sam, our Varsity Goalie. Our opponents can barely score because he’s highly skilled at blocking the ball. I’m a Striker " I’m basically responsible for scoring " but how am I supposed to score if I can’t get the ball pass Sam?

            “Nervous, Kieron?” Ashton inquires. I nod. He sits back in his chair. “Sam’s game has improved over the summer.”

            “Thanks.” I growl. He chuckles. I feel my anxiety turn into anger. “I’ll get that ball pass him.”

Author's Note

I use Itlaian as his secondary language in this story and here are the translations:
*Please, come back to me

The red are the memories he's having of Gracielyn

Reviews

[Victoria]

This is really good.You had me entranced as soon as I read. I almost didn't want it to end.

[GeminiRa]

well, im putting more on here. Thank you so much for this. Please, tell your friends to read because this a book i am going to publish soon.