The Begginning of an End

introduction-not finished

The night was glowing, somehow it still managed to be starless…completely still yet moving, constantly moving. The city consisted of perfect concrete floors with the long aisles of simple equally spaced out trees. This is a city that does not sleep, a city haunted by a thousand ghostly souls that roamed the streets in misery perhaps in search for what they had left behind in a much more innocent time.
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    The lights flickered illuminating a minimal amount of light sufficiency for the naked eye to make out objects in the dark then completely shutting off and coming back to life. Scar could only happen to bounce out of her very skin, for she was cold, scared, and felt so alone. She sat up and saw the other four children around her however, all complete strangers for which she had just come in contact that very same day. Her eyes roamed around the room and she struggled to remain warm, she felt the cold concrete floor against her skin and wondered how it had gotten this bad.
    A movement in the absolute still caught her eye, “Why are you still up?”
    A small boy happened to sit up in his sleeping bag, “Are you okay?” He stared at her with his big brown eyes that seemed to synchronize to her every emotion.
    “It’s okay, the first day I got here, I was very nervous…,” he whispered across the shack, “it’s okay though.”
    Scar looked at him in utter silence not knowing what to say, “Um, what’s your name again?” He cocked his head to his side not remembering whether or not she had ever shared that information.
    “My name…my name is Scarlet…,” she murmured under her breath, “What’s your name?”
    “My name is Jonny,  and I just turned seven two months ago!” He exclaimed. Scar quickly put a finger to her mouth motioning for him to quite down because everyone else was asleep somehow avoiding the consciousness of the cold.
    Jonny giggled and stopped. “Well Cloud should be home soon…I’m kind of surprised he isn’t back already.” His squeaky voice seemed to flow through the air and freeze by the icy breeze that spun in the shack. “I don’t think he’ll like the idea of us being awake.” He smiled politely.
    The silence was interrupted by a creek, Jonny quickly covered himself with his blanket and pretended to be asleep. The small cracked door swept the floor swirling the icy air more. A boy of about the age of 19 stepped through the door then closing the door behind him softly. He was not heavily coated, it is surprising he could possibly escape the bitter cold from eating at the bones, but he was completely still and calm. He wore a leather jacket with a hoodie and a faded charcoal t-shirt underneath, black old jeans, and torn converse. He started walking toward the counter where he sighed and blinked as if avoiding falling into deep slumber. Scar stared at him in wonder for the first time questioning her current situation and exactly how she had come across him earlier that day. He rubbed his eyes hard and put his fingers through his hair adjusting his thoughts then turning to see the conditions of the other children. As his eyes swept through the motionless bodies that appeared to be fast asleep he saw Scar awake.
    “Having trouble sleeping?” he took his backpack and placed it on the table.
    “Yes,” she answered very softly.
    “I’m sorry…,” he looked at her, “I couldn’t get a hold of a blanket or sleeping bag…,” he said turning back to his backpack.
    “It’s okay, at least I’m not on the street,” she stood up now feeling pins and needles running amongst her legs but not feeling the slightest pain due to the cold.
    He looked at her, “You can have my sleeping bag…until I get one for you.”
    “Thanks,” she responded almost instantly.
    “So…did you get to meeting everyone else?” He asked looking around and smiling.
    “No, when I got here it was pretty late…everyone was already asleep. But I met Jonny.” She looked over to the small bump on the floor.
    He murmured a laugh, “Jonny, he’s a good and sweet kid. Now if only he was better at pretending.” He looked over at Jonny and smiled. Jonny’s head peeped up from under his blanket.
    “How did you know? I didn’t even move this time.” Jonny smiled and sat up rubbing his eyes hard and yawning. “What did you get this time?” He asked desperately awaiting for an answer.
    Cloud unzipped his backpack and motioned him to come over. Jonny smiled and headed towards their location. They started unpacking a couple cans of canned food and storing them in the only cabinet in the shack.
    “Ah, ah, ah,” Cloud closed his backpack quickly, “hold on,” he smiled.
    Scar stared at both of them in such confusion. Cloud turned quickly to where everyone was sleeping, “C’mon everyone I know you’re awake,” he smiled once again. Heads starting popping up from under their blankets and smiling.
    “How did you know they were all up?” Scar whispered to him.
    “Let’s just say, I’ve known them all for a while now.” Cloud turned back to his backpack and smiled.
    “So, what’d you get us!?” All the children eagerly awaited for the response.
    Cloud looked at them, “Well…first is first,” he was now looking at the circle of the four children that had formed around him and Scar. “Let’s introduce ourselves, shall we?” He smiled again.
    Jonny stepped up, “How I said before, my name is Jonny…and I’m seven.” He picked up his both hands showing seven fingers then stepping back. His eyes roamed to everyone else’s eyes and he quickly smiled.
    A little girl of about the age of six stepped up twirling one of her pig-tails, “My name is Lucy,” afterwards jumping back to the circle covering herself with her small grayish blanket.
    The next child was all to timid, embracing one arm by his other, now feeling the pressure of being next to introduce himself he slightly moved forward. “Hi…my name is…Oli.” Cloud looked over at him then giving him a supporting smile.
    Cloud looked over at him remembering the one special day Oli had  and the one day every one seemed to forget.
    “Oh and it is his birthday today.” Cloud smiled. Everyone looked at Oli then spontaneously jumped on him and hugging him, “Happy Birthday,” everyone exclaimed.
    Cloud looked at him again, “Yes this is what the surprise leads to, but… we aren’t finished yet.” Cloud looked over at the other boy then at Scar.
    Sam made a face at Scar and turned quickly after he caught Scar glimpse towards him.
    “My name,” the very serious still boy uttered, “is Sam.” He looked at Scar hard with his deep dark eyes setting a very awkward, silent, and serious moment upon them all.
    Cloud shattered the silence and moved on, “Anyway…my name as most of you know…is Cloud.” He smiled and all the children ran towards him.
    “What’s the surprise?” Everyone screamed clinging to the last bit of the syllable.
    “Hold on-” he was cut off.
    Scar looked at the children, “My name is Scarlet…but you can call me Scar.” She stepped back feeling completely awkward and out of place. Cloud looked at her quickly understanding how she felt then ignoring the feeling all together redirecting his attention to the surprise.
    Cloud then turned opening the backpack, “Oli you’re turning ten today,” he pulled out a small two layered cake.
    “So I got you this.” He looked at Oli then scanning everyone else’s reaction. All the children seemed to be filled with joy, however Oli did not know how to react. He stepped up to the counter where the cake sat so perfectly still calling out and tempting every starving stomach to engulf and dive in.
    Oli’s eyes looked over at it and only a couple words seemed to escape his mouth, “thanks…but you shouldn’t have.” His eyes began welding up with tears but he managed to swallow hard and calm himself.
    Cloud whispered to Scar quickly, “This is the first time I get him cake…might be his first birthday cake.” He looked down then taking out an appropriate amount of candles and lighting them.
    Oli looked at the small green and blue frosted cake with delight and enthusiasm, breathed in, closed his eyes thinking of his long desired wish, and blew out the candles ever so softly. The other children cheered and gathered closer. The night seem to sweep by as all the children gathered by one another in celebration of Oli’s birthday for they were all they had.

   

Author's Note

thoughts welcome.

Reviews

[Noofwise]

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Stunning and intriguing and kept my attention at the fullest extent. There's nothing here I can point out and say I'd like to see done better. Visualization is spot on. Every word painted a vivid picture in my mind. Every character had unique introduction and their own quirky qualities. Amazing write. I'm looking forward to the rest.