The Dream That Will Never Come True
Life is a story, just waiting to be told. It must be shared amongst people who truly desire to love them for the ages to come.
An old beat-up red car rolled down a quiet street. Its battered condition clashed with the kept-up houses it passed by. Some of the homeowners noticed it and stuck their noises in the air because it. Not many grown-ups stayed outside to see it or soak in the beautiful scenery for their leisure time; however, the children did it for them. Five kids ran around the different yards playing an intense made-up game of ball in the windy afternoon. Some leaves of various colors interrupted their match and danced around in the invisible wind, blocking the blue sky.
A few parents kept an eye on their children as they did their daily chores in the sunlight. Even though, the sun shown the wind kept the civilians cold. Some managed to stay warm through their laboring work. A couple of fathers mowed their green lawns; all the while their wives either cleaned the inside of their comfy house or joined them in the outside, cutting the flowery hedges. Each house had a certain color. Not one was the same shade nor was it drastically different. They complemented each other well for standing next to one another. It was a nice suburban area to live in.
Just then, the shabby car immediately turned and passed four houses before stopping at its destination, which was a two-story home that held a not so-ordinary family inside. Thought, the family hid that very well from their strong walls.
The passenger car door swung open. Luckily no one stood or walked near it; otherwise, they would have been hurt and left with a lasting mark.
A slim girl got off the vehicle and gathered her belongings. Her brown hair swayed in the wind, making it very difficult for her to leave quickly. She let out a frustrated sigh as she searched for a rubber band to pull back her long hair.
"Need some help?" The driver who was a teenage boy finally spoke up. The wind continued to roar over his words, which made it hard for the girl to understand him.
However, she conveyed the statement. "Nah, I'm fine. I can tame my hair soon enough. You guys are so lucky! You never have to worry about your hair getting in your way. Unlike us girls, we must have a daily battle with it."
"It can't be that bad. I'm sure you're over exaggerating some if not most of it," he responded, mostly retorted.
"Nope, it's the whole truth, Jeremiah!" The rubber band made a snap noise and once again the girl collected her items. "By the way, thanks so much for the drive home. I owe you one," she thanked as she slung her favorite purple backpack on.
"By all means, it's fine. Driving alone gets pretty boring after awhile," said the boy named Jeremiah as he handed his longtime friend her schoolbooks.
"What can I say? I add spice to everyone's life!" She said in a dramatic tone, but couldn't help let out a laugh at the end.
"You are right. Well, see you whenever! Later Acelle!"
"Bye!" Grinning, Acelle slammed the car door rather hard and waved to her friend.
"Not so hard! This car can't handle your manly strength!" The boy yelled out his window.
"Not my fault you drive around in a piece of junk!" She snapped back with a smirk.
"Hey at least I have a car!"
"Touché…," she mumbled, waving back with less life than before. She continued to watch the car disappear further down the calm street. Even if that meant holding onto her heavy books for a few more moments, she wanted to see her friend leave safely.
After he faded away from her sight, Acelle made her way down to her well-kept up home. It was painted an off-white, but to her and everyone else but her mom defined it as just 'white' rater than 'eggshell'. The window trimmings were a nice green color that she fully approved of since she picked the color out herself. Once she scurried up the small stack of stairs, the young girl struggled to find her keys in the front pocket of her backpack. The books she held added much difficulty to her entering her own home.
"Son of a—" She finally gave up and placed her books on the white table on the porch. In an instant, Acelle recovered her lost keys and opened the door. She quickly gathered her belongings and walked through the doorway.
"Ma! Pop! Anyone home?" The young teenaged girl shouted in her warm house, only to not get a reply back. Typical. The clock barely stroked four when she dropped her heavy backpack to the floor, not really caring if she blocked the flow of traffic in the hallway. In her hands, she placed her large stack of books on a small wooden table, which made a loud thud that also boomed in some parts of the quiet house. The only thing that truly welcomed the girl in was the comforting, warm air that instantly surrounded her. It thawed out her slim, cold limbs. If one thing was for certain, she hated the cool, windy air. This season made her hate life to no end because it made her become fidgety in her room, forcing her to be productive. She looked like a complete idiot when her teeth chattered and created loud noises for everyone around her to hear.
My name is Acelle.
Then, she placed her dirty, white tennis shoes next to her backpack and other school items. Her socks failed to protect her cold feet from clashing with the warmth of the clean, tiled floor. It caused Acelle to jump back, but she ended up taking in the pain for a brief moment as her feet got used to it. On the wall, she glanced at herself in the rectangular mirror. Acelle stuck her tongue out and made various faces to her reflection. She never really cared for her looks. To her, Acelle felt her hair and eye color were pretty blah and boring. Most guys didn't care for her height. She towered over some, but that never made her consider herself a giant. Remembering her family's past, she gained her height from her dad's height, which he received from his own father.
The girl smiled faintly and soon sighed upward, causing her to mess up her bangs. She had to make do with what her genes gave her.
And this… isn't my story.
"GET OUT OF MY WAY! I'M BUSY!" A shrill voice sent chills to run down the teen's back. Her thirteen year old nemesis pushed Acelle's body to the wall, causing her to create a loud thud noise. No worries, she'll deeply regret it later on tonight.
"Someone home?" From another room down the hall, somebody just awoke. She heard blankets ruffling and footsteps becoming louder. Acelle identified it as her grandfather.
"Yeah!" She shouted back, making her way to the open kitchen, which was located straight down the hall. "The little mistake just ran into me." The two sisters glared as Acelle opened up the fridge door.
"RUDE!"
"Must you scream every second, Caroline? And why didn't you answer me when I got home?"
"Does it make you angry, Ace?"
"Duh," responded the eldest.
"Then yes. I must! Plus, I was busy for your information so I couldn't go all out of my way to answer your call." At the same exact moment, they stuck our tongues at each other. Yes, no doubt Acelle and Caroline were sisters.
"Girls, be nice." Their gray-haired grandpa passed the two girls and bumped into the older one. Caroline ran back to the living room, continuing whatever she stopped.
"Sorry about waking you up, Grandpa," Acelle apologized as she straightened him up as if nothing happened in the previous seconds.
"Acelle!" He yelled out her name in pure bliss, grabbing her slender arms. Even at his age, Acelle and Caroline's grandfather was still full of life. She couldn't help but feel happy in his presence. From all the years of him living, she must have lost some height, seeing as Acelle could clearly see the top of his balding head. "You're getting too thin! You have to eat!"
"Grandpa, you can rest assured that I'm in good health. I go to volleyball practice every other day. And you know my mom more than I do; she won't let an unhealthy thing pass that door. Besides, is that anyway to treat your eldest grandkid?"
"Favorite grandchild!" He busted out a loud laugh. "Still, you're a kid. You deserve to have some fun. I'll give you some candy!" He skedaddled towards his room. There was no stopping him from getting candy. Acelle's pleads never processed through his stubborn mind. Even when she was little, her grandfather would shove chocolate down her throat. The only one who took advantage of her grandfather's free candy sprees was her littlest sibling, Isaac.
"You know I don't like candy, Grandpa!" Acelle couldn't help but show a smile. If there as one person she could handle, it would be her perky grandfather. The girl carried on her journey to her stainless steel refrigerator, only remembering she made a trip there a few moments ago.
'No harm in double checking,' she thought. In it, she only confirmed her previous thoughts: nothing edible was in the useless contraption. Swiftly, she grabbed a red, juicy apple from the brown fruit bowl, located on the island in their gigantic kitchen, which she barely realized was there. The teen took a big bite and chomped on it while she wiped some remnants from her bottom lip. Her action left some evidence behind on her bare arm.
Acelle walked through her hallway with creaking floorboards back to her living room. She poked her head in the doorway, finally seeing her grandfather sitting on his comfy chair and her younger sister doing her homework on the wooden table. Then, she leaned her body on one of the beige walls as she took another bite from her yummy apple. After she swallowed, Acelle couldn't help but smirk. As much of a pain they were, she loved her family with all her heart.
Even though, her grandfather told them ridiculous stories and scenarios that couldn't be anything but fictional. Sometimes, Ace grew embarrassed if he shared them with others outside their small family. But she loved listening to them over and over. They never got old. If anything, they became more intriguing.
Years ago, she'd visit him in his small cottage in the countryside surrounded by beautiful plains of green grass. This took place before her younger siblings were even thought of. Her grandfather would take her out to the grassy fields to play for countless hours, morning to dusk or whenever her grandmother called to eat a delicious meal. Just the thought of her food made anyone's mouth water. Sadly, Acelle's grandmother was taken from the family. The elderly woman never met or welcomed Caroline into the vast world; she missed it by a single month.
No surprise that her spouse was devastated from the horrible news; however, he never showed his pain and stood by her side when she laid on her death bed. She fought with all her might to win over the disease. Unfortunately, it was too great for her. She died shortly after a few months of being bedridden.
During the funeral when Acelle started to cry for her great loss, her grandfather squeezed her tiny hand and simply stated, "she just got tired because you're grandmother was very strong and never lost to anything." She never doubted his sincere statement.
"Hey freak!" The shrill voice broke Acelle's concentration on her precious memory. Her thirteen year old sister looked at her from across the room with a smug face. "Don't go fantasizing about your boyfriend!"
"Shut up, nerd," Acelle shouted back as she walked toward the table where her sister worked feverishly, "at least I see guys on a daily basis!"
"Oh please! You seem proud of people mistaking Jeremiah as your boyfriend. Take advice from me, he's nothing but a pushover."
Acelle stretched her arms upward and chucked her apple core into the nearest trash can. "And why would I listen to you? You're seven."
"THIRTEEN!" First off, Caroline was very sensitive about her age. Whenever people met her, they'd always assume she was younger than what she actually was. She was very petite and fragile looking. These circumstances caused her to act 'mature' for her age and succeed in most of her classes. She had to prove herself to the world. And her definition for mature was act like a know-it-all or so Acelle determined.
The older sibling slumped over the wooden table and rested her head on the cool surface. She grew use to the cold now that most of her atmosphere was warm and comforting. Her mind soon faded to black and her muscles began to rest.
"Hey, you aren't gonna ace that English paper like that," Caroline stated in a dry tone, loving every second of it.
"Why are you on me today?!" Ace, finally sick of her sister's nonsense, raised her voice. Neither of them broke their stare from one another.
"Girls!" Their grandpa shouted from afar. "Set an example for your brother!"
"Speaking of which, where's the little runt?" Crossing her arms on the table, the irritated teen rested her chin on one of her arms.
"See it's that type of attitude that sparks tension around here," criticized Caroline.
"Hey you over there, can you please SHUT UP!" The two once again began to argue over some pointless things. Before they knew or sensed it, their grandpa and younger brother were at their side, each holding back one person.
The youngest of the three siblings held onto Acelle's wrist. She looked down to only see a curly bush of light brown hair. Isaac looked up at her with his big green, watery eyes. No, he wasn't crying; however, he was sick and they woke him up from his deep slumber. Acelle already knew what he was going to say just by looking at his eyes.
"Sorry bro, here I'll take you back to your room." As she said that, Ace lifted her half-awake brother in her arms and started her way to Isaac's room.
"No, don't do that," her grandfather said as he sat back down in his brown chair. "Not yet at least."
"What are you talking about grandpa? He needs rest or else he won't get better. And we won't see his smile anytime soon!" Acelle squeezed Isaac in a bone crushing hug. He let out a loud giggle. Yeah, they got along great unlike another pair.
"I'll let him go to sleep, but I think he would like a story first. Am I right?" Isaac wiggled his way out of his sister's arms and sat right in front of his grandfather. He waited anxiously for the beginning. Acelle sighed heavily. There was no way of changing her brother's mind. He loved their grandpa's stories as much as she did. Their grandfather waved his hand to let them come closer to him. "Come on! You all can hear my story. Hurry up Caroline; you will finish your homework later."
Caroline thought it over in her mind. She did as she was instructed and lounged on the couch near her grandpa. Though she wasn't like her brother or sister, Caroline liked the fictional tales just not as much as nonfiction ones.
"Acelle, are you going to join us?" Her grandpa asked.
She quickly nodded. "Of course I am! But you probably already told me all your stories. Just start without me. I have to get something real quick." She passed the table where her sister worked and darted down the hallway leading to the front door. Acelle rummaged through her backpack to get her English assignment her sister brought up minutes before. However, that wouldn't help her at all since she forgot her assignment.
'Hopefully I'll remember it later on tonight. It's due in a few days.' Anxiety filled her slim body, but she couldn't let her family notice it. She wouldn't hear the end of it from Caroline.
Just in case you didn't catch it already, my name is Acelle. And if you're doubting what I mentioned earlier about this story not being about me, I can assure you it isn't. It's a tale my grandpa told me when I was younger. However, before my grandmother died, she informed me on how exaggerated my grandpa's stories were. That never stopped me from listening. If anything, that information only deepened my interest. I wanted to figure out the message behind his words. So I hope you feel the same way I do. Sit back and enjoy his story.
"No grandpa that's not how stories start!" Acelle heard a muffle argument in the living room. She grabbed her belongings and made her way toward the unfolding scene. As she turned the corner, she noticed her brother correcting their grandpa. "Yeah! Stories are supposed to start like this," Isaac cleared his throat, "once upon a time... and yeah you go from there."
Isaac's adorable reasoning tore at Acelle's heartstrings. 'Oh why couldn't Caroline be like that?' She thought.
Their grandpa chuckled as Ace made her way to the dining room table. Sure she was away from the story circle, but she could hear all them loud and clear.
"Okay… okay let me start this over." He coughed and straightened up in his seat. Acelle noticed her grandfather rubbing his sore, tired eyes. After, He looked right at Isaac who sat near his feet with his blue blanket around his body. "Once upon a time… on a day like this, a train arrived at its destination. It was a large train station where people from all sorts of towns and countries came to get a glimpse of the city called Central. The conductor sounded the whistle, signaling the passengers on board to get off. Many people were on the train, but they were all quite different from one another. Especially two. Their names were Edward and Alphonse. And boy, were they different… boy were they different. Edward had an auto-mail arm as well as a leg. But the brother had it much worse. He lost his entire body and only his soul resided in a large suit of armor. They got off the train like they did with any other; however, that simple task turned into a journey they would never forget…
"Hey Alphonse! Hurry up will ya!" The older brother Edward yelled out as he took his last step off the black train. In the distance, another whistle sounded off according to its complicated schedule.
"I'm coming; hold your horses." The younger one followed his brother's path. "Even if we were to separate you could see me. I stick out like a sore thumb in crowds."
"That's true, but you weren't the one who I thought would get lost." As much as he hated people and especially himself to admit, Edward was in fact short. He would be the one Alphonse lost in the crowd because well… he would disappear between the bodies. "Hurry up Al! We got to get to Colonel Jerk face's office. Don't want him to wait on us again."
"Okay, but I'm surprised. Usually you dread going to him. Why the sudden change in heart?"
"See, here's what my older-bother's intuition is telling me: if I hurry to see Mustang, then I'll leave his office quicker. Simple as that." Edward showed off one of his famous grins.
"Um… you er—barely figured that out?" Alphonse sometimes doubted his brother's prodigy status society bestowed him.
"Don't doubt me--!" Before he knew it, Edward ran into an innocent bystander in the train station near the exit. The man he ran into just glared at him, which gave Ed some chills. "Oh sorry about that!"
Alphonse sighed as he saw the scene unfold from behind. Then, his sight switched to a crowd forming around a bulletin board. People from all different age groups surrounded the board that had a sign above it that read 'missing children'. Al's heart sank at the horrible thought. Who knew what horrible fate awaited them or is happening to them at this exact moment in time? As Edward apologized to the middle-aged man who kept silent as he glared at his new enemy, Alphonse decided to take a detour to the board.
Once he got there, Al got a spot behind a few people. He couldn't shove his armored body between the regular human bodies. He heard side comments about a few children who were posted on the wall. Most were 'oh dears' or actual prayers. None were negative, but some sighed in relief, knowing that none of their own relatives made the missing children list.
"Look here dearie, this one has been up for sometime." An older lady told her daughter as she pointed to a small boy with a huge smile on his face.
"Poor baby," the twenty year old replied in a distressed tone, "look here Mom, this one has been missing for over a month." Nothing much can be said other than a teenaged girl with light hair disappeared. "I think the worst can be assumed for young girls. So many more weirdoes go after them."
"Let's go home honey; I want to pray for these souls at home." And just like that, they all scattered in different directions. The older daughter led her mother by the arm. No one really acknowledged Al's presence. He stood their like a statue in the middle of the busy area. Alphonse took a few steps forward to the board now that no one blocked his way. Now he finally noticed at the bottom of the board read 'keep these souls in your prayers'.
Then the suit of armor saw the two missing people the others pointed out a few moments before. The longest one who had been missing was the teenaged girl. But even that wasn't that long ago. It was just a little over a month from today. Everyone else was either two or a week ago. That gave Alphonse an eerie feeling. "Who can take children away from their loving families?" He asked out loud.
"Monsters…" A white haired man said in a disgusted voice. Al didn't think he was talking to him, but he knew he was answering his own question in his mind. After that, Alphonse let the place with all those children on his mind. Meanwhile, Edward still tried to get the man's attention away from himself.
"Sir, please excuse my brother. He doesn't pay attention to his surroundings like he should," said Alphonse as he grabbed his brother by the arm away from the man. They didn't stay for a response from the odd man. Rather they just left the scene and confusion on the man's expression.
Yes, this story was originally titled The Girl Born In the Sky. Why did I change it? Because I wasn't happy with it. So After a course of a few months. I changed the beginning and added more to the story. I like this revamped chapter one much better than the last. But you tell me. You're the one reading it.