"Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete? Proving nature's laws wrong, it learned to walk without having feet. Funny, it seems to by keeping its dreams; it learned to breathe fresh air. Long live the rose that grew from concrete when no one else even cared."
―Tupac Shakur, The Rose That Grew from Concrete
~oOo~
Where do we belong, where did we go wrong
Of there's nothing here, why are we still here?
"Why am I so different?" A girl, no more an eight years old asked her father as he drew blood from her arm. They sat in his lab like they usually did, her baby sister with her mom in their apartment in the big city of New York. She's been born and raised here, keeping her strange gift a secret. Her father laughed, finishing up and putting her blood into a very strange machine.
"You're not so different from me sweetheart. You're special, you should feel proud of yourself. Never regret the gift you were given." He said and patted her head with a special fondness. The machine beeped and the man turned to the screen to see nothing but things he already knew. He sighed and turned towards his daughter with a sad smile.
"Nothing has changed has it?" The girl asked and her dad shook his head. She sighed and got up from her seat to go towards the living creatures in the glass cases. "Hi guys." She said and reached in to pet them like her and her sister would do when they come to their fathers work. It's the only time where she doesn't have to fear other people. "Look what I can do. It's my new trick." The girl folded her hands together like she was praying. When she opened her hands, a blue flame appeared, taking the shape of a beautiful flower.
"Always believe in yourself sweetie. Never let other people decide who you are."
It's another time, it's another day
Numbers they are new, but it's all the same
Running from yourself, it will never change
If you try you could die
The days kept going, as did the tests and the practice but in the end, the girl's mother was the first one to fall. She got sick and didn't get better. The little girl's watched as their father became more and more involved with his work, a project he and his partner wanted to finish. The girl continued to be the big sister, taking the two of them to school, cooking dinner or ordering their favorite pizza, or helping with homework.
"Come on guys, I brought you something tasty." The now, ten-year old's little sister whose seven said to the creatures in the glass cases. They laughed as the creatures ate the pizza, actually seeming to enjoy it with every bite.
"I can't believe they like pizza. That's your fault." The ten-year old pointed to her sister. Their father laughed and it seemed like everything was normal. A family bonding over the smallest of things, being together as a family as much as possible.
Give us a little love, give us a little love
We never had enough, we never had enough
Pour it in a cup, try to drink it up
Pour it in a well, you can go to hell
We'll get it on the way
Then the fire started. Everything went into chaos, people screaming and things were flying everywhere. The oldest sister took her younger sister's hand and lead her to where their father was work. When they entered all they could see was fire and the glass cases shattered on the ground.
"Hurry! Grab them!" She said and the two of them grabbed the creatures. They made their way with some of the workers outside of the building. They looked for their father as they made their way to the storm drain across the street. "Go talk to Amanda. See if she's seen dad." Her younger sister nodded and ran over to where the remaining workers where. "Don't worry guys, you'll be safe now." She smiled and patted their head, more so her favorite out of the bunch. She clasped her hands together and when she opened them a blue flower of blue flames appeared in her hands. "Don't forget about us." The flower disappeared and she took off towards her sister.
"Ava...dad...he's..." Ava's little sister looked down at the ground and started to cry. Ava brought her sister close and cried softly with her. They watched as firefighters put out the fire and start to pull bodies out.
One of which was their father, badly burned and almost unrecognizable.
Where do we belong, where did we go wrong
If there's nothing here, why are we still here?
Leave it by its pain, leave it all alone
If I never turn, I will never grow
Keep the door ajar when I coming home
I will try, can't you see I'm trying
"Why are you leaving?! Why can't you stay here?!" Ava's little sister April, now eighteen, asked as Ava packed her things up. After the fire they stayed with their Uncle. Ava never really belonged anywhere as her sister grew up, moving on from protecting her sister's strange nature. Ava became home school while April went to public school. Little by little the girls grew apart, still connected by the fire that ended the one man that kept them close together.
"I don't belong here April. I can't stay bottled up here, I need to go somewhere more open. Somewhere where I can breathe." Ava said, taking her bag into the living room, making sure she had gotten everything she'll need for her long long trip. April followed her, tears in her eyes.
"When will you be back?" April asked and Ava sighed.
"I don't know really. I have my phone so you can always call me if you need me." She said and embraced her younger sister. They hugged for a little while before breaking away, Ava grabbing her bags and heading for the door.
"Did I do something wrong?" April asked.
"No, you did nothing wrong. I need to do this April. Dad always wanted me to get out of there, to find somewhere where I can be myself. This place isn't ready for someone like me." Ava said with that she left, never looking back. She got in the taxi, watching her home disappear as they drove out of the city to the bus stop she needed to get to in order to get to the airport that would take her out of this place. Maybe she'll return, maybe she won't. But for now, unless she's really needed...
She'll never return...
Give us a little love, give us a little love
We never had enough, we never had enough
"April? Is that you? What's wrong?"
"The Foot Clan? What does this have to do with me?"
Give us a little love, give us a little love
We never had enough, we never had enough
"Why do I need to come back?"
"Alright, alright. I'll be on a plane as soon as possible. Text me your address and I'll leave."
"Love you too sis. Bye."
~oOo~