The Boy In The Shed

by angeldemonpinkpup

Sheldon has a dream that won't stop plaguing him. Kind of long One-shot

I hate Junior! I hate his friends! I stamp across the field, my physics textbook in hand. It's rudimentary but this is Texas. I don't expect any better. My hair is sopping wet as are my clothes. The Texan sun warms my back and promises that I will soon be dry. The long grass grabs at my soaked legs and I grit my teeth, trying to wipe the stalks off would be pointless. I start to climb a ridge and notice my destination nearly ten feet from me. Fifteen, I tell myself. I scold myself, this is precisely why I am soaking wet right now. I always have to be right. I correct Junior and his stupid friends and they dump a bucket of ice water over my head.

I bite my lower lip in anger and hiss in pain. My sides heave as I reach the top. I could collapse but I won't. I refuse to give the neighborhood bullies the satisfaction...even though they are nowhere in sight. I can hear their snide voices echoing in my head. Today was dodge ball day in P.E. I can still feel the place beneath my ribs where Wallace Noites hit me with a particularly fast ball. It will be bruised tonight. I cringe at the thought of my mother fussing over me.

I can hear her now, "Oh my poor Shelly! Who did this? I'll call that boy's parents!" I cringe even more. I can already see myself standing awkwardly behind my furious mother as she lays into Wallace's mother while he stands and stares at me accusingly, like it's my fault. I won't tell her, she doesn't have to know.

Before I can think more on the subject I glance up and notice my feet have automatically brought me to a dilapidated shed in the middle of a ring of trees. I have never gone inside. The thought scares me a bit but the place is intriguing in its own worn-down kind of way. I prepare to sit in my normal spot between two of the trees to my right when I hear snickering. It comes from behind me and I recognize one of the tones. Junior. I take a level breath, recalling my Vulcan vows of non-violence. Just relax and turn around. I turn around and smile softly, "Junior."

My brother is surrounded by a group of other boys. All of them appear to be about his age. They come around me and form a semi-circle. I feel trapped but I won't allow myself to become afraid.

"Damn Georgie, you weren't kiddin' when you said he has freaky hearin!" One of the boys says. He has red hair and so many freckles his face is mostly brown. His smile is crooked and he crosses his arms. His brown eyes smirk at me and I recognize him immediately. He is Junior's best friend, Timothy though most people call him "Red."

"I told you," Junior smirks. "What's up 'Shelly?'" His tone is condescending and his friends laugh.

They are just trying to rile me up, I tell myself. My smile drops but I reply in a calm manner, "I asked you not to call me that...please."

The laughter gets louder and another boy, Jake, calls out, "Please?! Haha what a wuss!"

My brow furrows, "What does saying 'please' have to do with being a wuss?"

Instead of answering, Jake turns to Junior who nods and steps toward me. "Mom ain't here Shelly, neither are the teachers..." he looks around, "I can see why you like this place. Nice, cool...quiet...secluded...the kinda' place where no one can bother you..." he smiles cruelly and my heart sinks. I can tell what's going to come next and I don't think I'll like it.

I look around. There's no one around. I can't outrun them. There is nowhere to hide...except- I throw my book at Red. It hits his stomach and with a grunt he goes down. The other boys race to his side and in the confusion I rush toward the shed. My fear of getting beaten to a pulp outweighs my fear of the dark interior of the run-down shed. I just have to hope they fear a big scary shed too and leave. I hear angry shouts something about ripping my head off and beating my head in and then I hear Junior yell, "hold it!"

All yelling ceases and I hear angry murmurs but the walls of the shed are too thick to make anything out, despite my Vulcan hearing. I step away from the door when I hear footsteps coming closer. They are clumsy and loud about it so I doubt they are planning a sneak attack of some sort. That knowledge somehow makes it worse.

The footsteps reach the door and my heart stops. Then a large bang resonates through the shed, making the structure rumble. One of the boys is pounding the doors with his fist. Another pounds the wall to my left and two more on my right. The wall behind me is smacked by someone as well. The smacks become periodic. The one in front pound three times then the one on my right, the two on my left, the one behind me all hit the shed three times.

BANG, BANG, BANG in front of me.

BANG, BANG, BANG to my right.

B-BANG, B-BANG, B-BANG to my left.

BANG, BANG, BANG behind me.

Over and over again. The shed wobbles dangerously. I let out an involuntary whimper. The place is pitch black, only a tiny patch of light to my right shines through and even that does not really help me see. All I can tell is that the shed may very well come down around me. With each resounding BANG, the place rocks dangerously. Something wooden shifts above me and creaks. I let out a scream and the laughter and bangs stop. Hurried footsteps scurry away and I swear I hear someone mumble "shit!" before they disappear completely. My brother left me. Not that I expect him to stay and help. He hates me and I hate him. Still...

The roof creaks and though the building isn't coming down around me, my heart is still racing like a horse. My breaths become shallow and I clutch my chest. Calm down, I tell myself, would Spock freak out if the planet was imploding around him?

I force myself to breathe deeply. One, two, three, I am ok. I am fine. The building is not going to crush me. The trembling comes to a stop and the world around me stops to spin. I take wobbly steps forward. I trip over something small and wave my arms frantically. I manage to stop myself from hitting the floor of the shed. As I readjust, I keep my arms held out. I balance myself out and keep walking back toward the door. I reach it a few moments later and brush my hands over them until I can find the handles. I grasp them in my hands and yank.

The doors don't budge. My breath hitches and I yank harder to no avail. I can feel water stinging at the back of my eyes. I grimace, I will not cry. I will not cry. I will NOT-

"Hello!" A small voice shouts from above me. The sound comes from my left and I glance up. The small hole that is near the roof is occupied by a shadowed figure. I can't make out any features but perhaps this-person can help me.

"Hello?!" I yell back, my voice squeaking in fear. I berate myself quickly and shout again in a calmer voice, "who are you?"

"My name is -ny!" the voice replies. Clearly female and young but I still can't make anything out.

"How did you get up there?"

"There's a pile of hay and I climbed up." She says, pride in her tiny voice.

I must say I am impressed. Not that it's hard to figure out how to get to a hole in the side of a shed, but her bravery is commendable.

"Can you see me?" She asks.

I shake my head, "No! I can see your shadow but I can't see anything else."

The girl takes her time to reply, "You're gonna have to climb up here somehow, the door is locked."

Is she serious? "How am I supposed to do that? I can't see anything, I don't know if there's a ladder or any building materials-"

"I know where a flashlight is! Hold on, stay right there!" -ny yells.

As if I have anywhere else to go, I think smarmily but before I can say as much, the girl's shadow disappears. I take a look around me. The shed is no longer scary but it is still dark and dusty. I take a deep breath and sit down on the smooth floor near the door. I may as well get comfortable. The floor is cool beneath my bare legs. It is dusty too but I push the impulse to scrub myself free of germs aside. I lean back against the door. I wasn't able to look at my physics book before I flung it at Red. I may not get it back now. The thought makes my stomach ache. I look up and imagine a quantum mechanics problem floating above my head. I pull my finger up and trace the equation. The multi-colored numbers, letters and strings fall away at my fingertips and I place them where they belong and form new ones.

...

It takes an hour and five minutes for the girl to come back. When she does, she yells down at me. "Hello again! I found a flashlight!" As if to prove her point, the girl shines a light down on me. I squint and hiss, covering my eyes with my arms. "Oops, sorry!" The girl yelps, quickly pointing the light away from me. The light lands on a wooden beam laying diagonally across the shed. It is covered in dust, clearly it's been in that position or a position similar for years. It may have accounted for the creak I heard earlier. The light swings back and forth as the girl and I search for either a ladder or building materials.

My eyes spot another bit of wood to my right and I ask the girl to hold the light still. She does and when I get closer I see that it is a wooden ladder. It is too small to reach the top and even if it could most of the rungs are worn down or missing. I tell the girl as much and she lets out a breath. The light continues to move about. I try to catch glimpses of something that will help.

The light stops near the back of the shed and the girl shouts, "I found something!" I strain my eyes to see where she is shining the light. They appear to be wooden crates stacked by the back wall.

I smile, "this is perfect! I can move these over and climb up!"

"I'll hold the light for you so you can see!" The girl yells back, excitement clear in her voice.

Pushing the crates over takes longer than I thought it would. It shouldn't have though, I have no measurable upper body strength. It seems to have taken me hours but I have finally built up a path to the hole where the girl is. It is wobbly and seems a bit unstable but I suppose it will have to do. I take a few breaths and race up the crates. Near the middle, they start to creak and I pick up my pace in panic. I near the top and another box cracks. My feet fall beneath me as the box gives way. I let out a yell as I start to fall. Something small grips my wrist and my other hand automatically clutches it.

A small grunt above me causes me look up. The girl is staring down at me with a look of panic. Her eyes wide and her mouth set in a strained line. Her hands hold onto mine. I can't imagine that this tiny girl can hold me very long let alone lift me out of the hole. The girl squeezes her eyes shut and groans, straining her arms to pull me up. I prepare myself for death. Breathing deeply I remember the Buddhist philosophy on death. If one dies with peaceful thoughts, one will have a peaceful death and afterlife. I have never been one to believe in Heaven like my overly religious mother but I figure it can't hurt to calm myself down before I die.

I find myself being lifted up and I gasp. Looking up, I see in amazement, the girl is actually lifting me up! I find my mouth gaping open in disbelief. How is she doing this?!

Before I can say anything she cries out, "I could use a little help here!"

I nod and put my foot against the wall. I take little steps against the wall until I reach the edge of the hole. I place my hands on the roof and feel the girl take her tiny hands off of mine and wrap them around my waist. With her help, I manage to lift myself onto the hay stack next to her. The girl smiles at me though she looks as breathless as I am. Our sides heave as we catch our breath.

"My name is Sheldon...by the way," I say once my breath is caught.

The girl smiles again and my breath catches. In the sunlight I can see her properly for the first time. Her hair is a dull brown color, her skin is lightly tanned and her eyes...her eyes are a shimmering shade of light emerald green. Her smile is brighter than any sun, even the ones that surrounds Kripton. I have never seen someone so beautiful and I look away before she can see the admiration in my eyes.

She asks me a question but I can't hear her. I look at her and again I am struck by her beauty. I may be twelve and judging by her looks, she's about seven but I can notice these things. She notices my expression and giggles. Dear God! Her laughter is better than her smile!

She stops laughing, "I said, do you want me to walk with you to your home? I saw those boys..." her brows furrow.

I notice for the first time the sun sinking over the horizon. When did it get this late? The sky is streaked with orange and pink and purple but I don't want to go home, not yet. Junior will be home and I don't want to face him and his smug look. I shake my head. The girl looks away a strange look on her face and then she smiles, "that's ok. You can come with me."

I frown at her for a moment, trying to recall if I've seen her before. Not in school of course, I started college last year. Maybe I have seen her around town sometime but I can't place her. "Do you live around here?" I finally ask.

She shakes her head, "Well, I don't."

I look at her, silently asking for an explanation. She looks away before answering, "Well...my family doesn't live here but my aunt does."

Again I look at her for answers, she frowns and then stutters out, "w-well ya see...my mom, dad, sister, brother and I live in Nebraska but...my auntie's sick so we're visiting."

Ah, that makes sense. I think I remember it being Spring Break for some kids. Before I can say anything to the girl, I see her hopping down the stacks of hay and decide to race after her. She reaches the bottom of the hay barrel a few seconds before I do.

As soon as I hit the ground, the girl grabs my wrist and breaks into a sprint. My normal abhorrence to touching others is pushed aside as we run. I have spent much of the day trapped in a dusty shed, I doubt this girl could give me more germs than I already have. At least, that's what I tell myself to make this action rational. The girl leads us to an old cabin. It is pink with white accents. One loan tree stands on the side of the lawn opposite us. A light blue truck and a black Camry sit in the dirt path near the porch. Both vehicles look a bit run down. In Texas, that seems normal so I don't bother to mention anything.

The girl pulls me behind her up the steps and straight into the house. We stand in a lavishly decorated living room. Everything is pink, red, white and gold. It looks like a hotel lobby. There are several people in the room. A man with grey hair and brown eyes stands with a boy who looks about fourteen. He has equally brown eyes and dark hair and looks ashamed about something. Two women sit on the red and gold couch near the right wall beneath a window. One has light brown hair and pale green eyes. I notice they don't shine quite as bright as the girl's eyes though. She must be -ny's mother, I decide. The other woman is much older and wheezes when she breathes. Her auntie, I assume.

All commotion stops as the girl closes the door behind us. The man-her father gives me an apprehensive look and I shrink back. All eyes are on me and I am acutely aware of the fact that I am covered in dust in the middle of a pristinely kept living room. The mother is the first to speak, "what have you got here, sweetie?" Her tone is light but her eyes are narrow.

The girl who outshone the sun with her smiles when we were alone now looks sheepish. She grabs her arms and kicks the ground, "this is Sheldon" she practically mumbles. "I-I found him..."

The boy scrutinizes me, "where? He stinks." The boy holds up his arm to cover his nose and the girl's tongue slips out of her mouth but she keeps quiet.

"Slugger..." the man speaks up, his voice is calm but full of authority, "where did you find this boy?"

I look at the man in wonder, Slugger is a terrible nickname for a girl, but I am humbled by this family as they all stare me down. The girl doesn't mention the nickname but she does look up, "in a- uhm, shed."

I can feel their eyes trying to burn holes into my mind. Not that I blame them, what normal human being gets himself locked in a shed? The woman turns to me and with a gentle smile asks, "what on earth were you doing in a shed...Sheldon, was it?"

I nod and tell them what happened. I half expect the girl to perk up and take over but she never speaks once during my story. After I finish, the family exchange glances and the aunt speaks for the first time since I've been here. "You're welcome to stay for dinner," her voice is raspy and dry, "and of course you'll need a bath."

I can't agree more so I nod vigorously.

After a quick bath and dinner, the man offers to drive me home. "It's too dark for you to walk by yourself," he adds.

I am about to argue that the dark doesn't bother me but I catch a glimpse of the girl's green eyes. I was right, she is seven. A five year gap means that we probably shouldn't be friends but I decide I like her. A ride home with her and her father would guarantee I get to spend more time with her so I agree.

We ride in the truck and it is mostly silent. The girl looks out of the window and I take the time to stare. Her brown hair reminds me of chocolate and her eyes are impossibly green like leaves on a tree. I want to strike up a conversation with her but I have never been good at small talk so I remain silent. When we arrive at my house, my mother is overjoyed. She throws her arms around me and I go rigid. "Shelly I was so worried about you!" she sobs into my ear. I feel strange like I want her to stop before the girl sees me in an embrace with my mother.

When she finally lets me go, she turns to the man to thank him for finding me. I expect him to give the credit to his daughter but to my surprise he doesn't. Just as I open my mouth to yell, a small hand taps my shoulder. I spin around and see the little girl staring up at me. She beckons me to the side of the house. A few fireflies dance about and the girl stares at them, her eyes alight. "It's ok ya know, he does that all the time."

I feel like protesting and then she smiles. All of my anger at her father subsides and for once I feel at peace. The grass doesn't bother me, being outside away from my textbooks and beakers does not nag at the back of my mind. All is right in the world. "Aren't they pretty?" She asks, pointing towards the bugs. I sit beside her in the grass and glance at the fireflies. They have never really interested me until now. I have never really understood their appeal and yet this one little girl with chocolate brown hair and large green eyes has made me wonder if maybe I should give fireflies a second chance.

I nod, "yeah I guess they are kind of pretty."

The girl smiles again and opens her mouth...beep! beep! beep! beep!

...

I sit up straight, my blue blanket falling slightly out of my grasp. I don't have to glance at my clock to know what time it is. It is Saturday. I get up, grab my robe and head to the kitchen. I prepare a bowl of cereal and sit down for my Saturday morning episode of "Dr. Who" on BBC. The memory-dream has been plaguing me for quite some time now. Though the memory itself has been at the back of my head since that day, I rarely call upon it. Unless in times of stress. Though since the latest addition to our apartment building has shown up, I find myself dreaming of that day more and more. The dream itself isn't particularly disturbing. Nor the memory it stems from for that matter. No, what is most disturbing is that that day I met the most amazing, charming, strong and beautiful girl I have ever met. My eidetic memory can bring it up perfectly every time except for one thing. I can never truly remember her name and-therefore, I can never truly see her again.

Author's note: I've had this idea in my head for awhile...not sure where it came from and I most likely won't continue it. Just a cute little one-shot that needed to come out. I hope you like it!