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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Teens
- Theme: Family & Friends
- Subject: Death / Heartbreak / Loss
- Published: 08/22/2022
When Light Becomes Smeared With Grey
Born 2003, F, from Alexandria, EgyptA piece of Earth seemed to had been torn out of its place as the wind roared loud-congested with soot,dust and even mud. It had already been 10 minutes since the last bombing,but it seemed that the Earth had not recovered yet-just like us-the ground seemed to be shaking a little…as unstable as the houses that are tumbling down.
Despite all of that,I got on my heels and was already rushing down the cobbled roads or what remained of it at least with all the tiles completely out of place.My feet were already soar-espicially with my torn moccasins-which grandma made last Christmas and I used it to walk round the house.Now it is the only single thing that remained with me from home…even my own old self seemed to have been locked in that house while it tumbled down during the second round of bombing.
I turned round the corner…25 minutes before the departure of the last evacuation boat. I have to make it…it is a matter of life or death…me reaching that boat. Faint screams echoed in the distance…they sounded desperate.
I have heard enough screams during the last few months to be able to distinguish between different screams and mournings…screams of pain…screams over lost homes and screams over lost ones…those are the most desperate and the ones I am currently hearing sounded the same.
My stomach dropped.I never got used to hearing those screams. The urge of rushing and just hugging and maybe reassuring them,and that whoever they lost is in a better place now,burnt inside me. But my urge of survival took over and I kept rushing forward. The sea breeze hit. I remember how its scent used to be salty and fresh and just felt warm as it meant that we are going on a family trip to the beach. But it now meant survival and long lost memories.
‘Mum….Dad’ I muttered to myself. ‘I wish you are resting in peace now and I hope that you keep watching over Penny and me.’
‘And Penny-beloved sister…I hope that we will be reunited again…I don’t want to leave you alone in this cruel world.’
Tears were stinging at the back of my eyes. But I couldn’t afford losing my focus or even blurring my vision.I could barely see in such a dimly lit day.
Despite my best efforts to watch under my feet and avoid any shards…I ended up tumbling over on a piece of wood and falling.But to my surprise I didn’t hit the hard ground.I fell on something much softer and much colder. I raised my head to find two still grey eyes looking straight ahead.I let out a yelp and fell backwards. It was a young girl…not older than 13-a year younger than me. I rushed forwards to check her pulse,but it was obvious she was long gone…her lips were blue and cracked, they were slightly open and stretched as if the last thing she said was ‘help’. I tried to pull her off the road,but her limbs were stiff and my once strong baseball player arms-can no longer do such strenuous movements as pulling a girl…they are barely now covered with skin…most of it scraped.
I heard a distant boat roar and I got back to my instincts and left the girl where she was and then immediately rushed.Only when I was round another corner,did it hit me how familiar that girl actually looked.She was Rosy Stowland. We used to attend the same art class during our elementary school years…and she happened to be the first girl I ever fell in love with,but never actually got the courage to talk to. All my elementary school memories flooded back in. When I searched for her in them,I forgave myself for not recognising her when I saw her body.In my memories,her cheeks were rosy…her golden locks were shining clean and her eyes were sparkling with warmth-despite their steel grey colour. She always seemed to be jumping or dancing around…with both grace and fun at the same time. Remembering her and seeing her now…lying still and cold-all alone on the ground…with her face and hair covered in mud…if everything inside me was already broken before seeing her-now they had been crushed down to dust.
I heard another boat roar…I urged myself,but I found myself slowing down instead. The picture of Rosy-her smile and sparkling eyes and colourful dress-chased me. I turned back...hesitating at the beginning and then sprinting down the road and round the corner again to find her just the way I left her.I didn’t dare to look at her face again for more than few seconds.I closed her eyes and prayed in silence. I prayed and prayed-all the while her glowing picture echoing in my mind. I then used all my might to drag her to the side of the road.I looked sideways.There was nowhere to bury her. I removed my coat and covered her face.I gave her once golden hair-one last brush.And as I did so,I saw something slightly shimmering.I pulled it out.It was a necklace which she kept hidden under her ragged scarf.I opened the pendant and saw a picture of her with her parents,brother and a poodle. Before I knew it,tears streamed down my face…in that picture she looked exactly the same way I remembered her…she looked Happy.
The boat roared one last time.I sprinted…I used every bit of anger,grief and fear to run…to run as fast as I could. And few minutes later,I found myself running on the sandy beach and into the water as the boat pulled away.
‘WAIT!!’ I screamed at the top of my lungs.
‘WAIT PLEASE,PLEASE.’ I was swimming now,but the boat didn’t stop.
I stopped fighting and let the water engulf me.
‘Mum…Dad,I might be joining you soon,so take care of Penny fro me.’ I let out my breath.
Another roar echoes through the water. I broke the water surface once more.
‘Come on Boy,Are you getting aboard or NOT!!’ I heard someone yell.
I swam and swam till I reached it.
It was a bit large for an excavation boat,but for me ,the larger the better,the more people it would fit. They pulled me out of the water and onto the wooden boards.I trembled and hugged myself like a wet mouse.
I spat so much water.
A crew member threw a somewhat ragged blanket on me and pulled me up.There was barely enough space to fit everyone-standing.I hoped this ship would stand the trip.
I went to the back of the boat where I could sit on the stairs.
But there was already a couple sitting there-cuddled up in each other’s arms-crying.
‘Can’t we turn back Philip…she is there…I know she is…we can’t leave her all alone waiting for us….please Philip.’ Her husband just kept holding her close…patting her back.
And that is when I recognised their familiar faces.
I got out the necklace from my trousers’ pocket and gave it to them.
‘I am sorry for your loss. I prayed for her.I prayed that she rests in peace.’
Rosy’s mother cries were enough to tear that ship apart...her cries were loud,but they were soon drowned by the sounds of another round of bombing…
When Light Becomes Smeared With Grey(Logy)
A piece of Earth seemed to had been torn out of its place as the wind roared loud-congested with soot,dust and even mud. It had already been 10 minutes since the last bombing,but it seemed that the Earth had not recovered yet-just like us-the ground seemed to be shaking a little…as unstable as the houses that are tumbling down.
Despite all of that,I got on my heels and was already rushing down the cobbled roads or what remained of it at least with all the tiles completely out of place.My feet were already soar-espicially with my torn moccasins-which grandma made last Christmas and I used it to walk round the house.Now it is the only single thing that remained with me from home…even my own old self seemed to have been locked in that house while it tumbled down during the second round of bombing.
I turned round the corner…25 minutes before the departure of the last evacuation boat. I have to make it…it is a matter of life or death…me reaching that boat. Faint screams echoed in the distance…they sounded desperate.
I have heard enough screams during the last few months to be able to distinguish between different screams and mournings…screams of pain…screams over lost homes and screams over lost ones…those are the most desperate and the ones I am currently hearing sounded the same.
My stomach dropped.I never got used to hearing those screams. The urge of rushing and just hugging and maybe reassuring them,and that whoever they lost is in a better place now,burnt inside me. But my urge of survival took over and I kept rushing forward. The sea breeze hit. I remember how its scent used to be salty and fresh and just felt warm as it meant that we are going on a family trip to the beach. But it now meant survival and long lost memories.
‘Mum….Dad’ I muttered to myself. ‘I wish you are resting in peace now and I hope that you keep watching over Penny and me.’
‘And Penny-beloved sister…I hope that we will be reunited again…I don’t want to leave you alone in this cruel world.’
Tears were stinging at the back of my eyes. But I couldn’t afford losing my focus or even blurring my vision.I could barely see in such a dimly lit day.
Despite my best efforts to watch under my feet and avoid any shards…I ended up tumbling over on a piece of wood and falling.But to my surprise I didn’t hit the hard ground.I fell on something much softer and much colder. I raised my head to find two still grey eyes looking straight ahead.I let out a yelp and fell backwards. It was a young girl…not older than 13-a year younger than me. I rushed forwards to check her pulse,but it was obvious she was long gone…her lips were blue and cracked, they were slightly open and stretched as if the last thing she said was ‘help’. I tried to pull her off the road,but her limbs were stiff and my once strong baseball player arms-can no longer do such strenuous movements as pulling a girl…they are barely now covered with skin…most of it scraped.
I heard a distant boat roar and I got back to my instincts and left the girl where she was and then immediately rushed.Only when I was round another corner,did it hit me how familiar that girl actually looked.She was Rosy Stowland. We used to attend the same art class during our elementary school years…and she happened to be the first girl I ever fell in love with,but never actually got the courage to talk to. All my elementary school memories flooded back in. When I searched for her in them,I forgave myself for not recognising her when I saw her body.In my memories,her cheeks were rosy…her golden locks were shining clean and her eyes were sparkling with warmth-despite their steel grey colour. She always seemed to be jumping or dancing around…with both grace and fun at the same time. Remembering her and seeing her now…lying still and cold-all alone on the ground…with her face and hair covered in mud…if everything inside me was already broken before seeing her-now they had been crushed down to dust.
I heard another boat roar…I urged myself,but I found myself slowing down instead. The picture of Rosy-her smile and sparkling eyes and colourful dress-chased me. I turned back...hesitating at the beginning and then sprinting down the road and round the corner again to find her just the way I left her.I didn’t dare to look at her face again for more than few seconds.I closed her eyes and prayed in silence. I prayed and prayed-all the while her glowing picture echoing in my mind. I then used all my might to drag her to the side of the road.I looked sideways.There was nowhere to bury her. I removed my coat and covered her face.I gave her once golden hair-one last brush.And as I did so,I saw something slightly shimmering.I pulled it out.It was a necklace which she kept hidden under her ragged scarf.I opened the pendant and saw a picture of her with her parents,brother and a poodle. Before I knew it,tears streamed down my face…in that picture she looked exactly the same way I remembered her…she looked Happy.
The boat roared one last time.I sprinted…I used every bit of anger,grief and fear to run…to run as fast as I could. And few minutes later,I found myself running on the sandy beach and into the water as the boat pulled away.
‘WAIT!!’ I screamed at the top of my lungs.
‘WAIT PLEASE,PLEASE.’ I was swimming now,but the boat didn’t stop.
I stopped fighting and let the water engulf me.
‘Mum…Dad,I might be joining you soon,so take care of Penny fro me.’ I let out my breath.
Another roar echoes through the water. I broke the water surface once more.
‘Come on Boy,Are you getting aboard or NOT!!’ I heard someone yell.
I swam and swam till I reached it.
It was a bit large for an excavation boat,but for me ,the larger the better,the more people it would fit. They pulled me out of the water and onto the wooden boards.I trembled and hugged myself like a wet mouse.
I spat so much water.
A crew member threw a somewhat ragged blanket on me and pulled me up.There was barely enough space to fit everyone-standing.I hoped this ship would stand the trip.
I went to the back of the boat where I could sit on the stairs.
But there was already a couple sitting there-cuddled up in each other’s arms-crying.
‘Can’t we turn back Philip…she is there…I know she is…we can’t leave her all alone waiting for us….please Philip.’ Her husband just kept holding her close…patting her back.
And that is when I recognised their familiar faces.
I got out the necklace from my trousers’ pocket and gave it to them.
‘I am sorry for your loss. I prayed for her.I prayed that she rests in peace.’
Rosy’s mother cries were enough to tear that ship apart...her cries were loud,but they were soon drowned by the sounds of another round of bombing…
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