The Woes of Gaberiel VanWonderburg

By Mia Malkin

My name is Gaberiel VanWonderburg. I came to world on January 7th, 2154. My father and mother are unknown, as the one I came with to my new village saved me from dying almost 30 years ago. He told me the story of how I am surviving today. He said that he was extremely sad when he heard the news.

"It makes me very emotional to talk about this, Gabe," says Jonas. "I am unsure if I can tell you everything without needing to stop for a day."

"Take all the time you need. I need to know everything about my childhood for the auto-biography I am writing." I said. "If I don't know what exactly happened in the first two years of my life, it might ruin it!"

"Alright! Okay, I will tell you. You were born on January 7th 2154, the year that people in other communities started to send people to Pandora. You learned that in school, did you not?" says Jonas.

"I did, sir." I respond plainly. "Please continue."

"You were a very mischievous child. You were not allowed to be named, however my father told me that he named you anyway. Our household was allowed to keep you for a year, which was highly rare in our community. But because I wanted to run away, and you were to be released…"

"Jonas, what is being released?" I ask as an innocent look magically appears on my face.

"Gabe, they were going to kill you because you were so rowdy. As I was saying, because I was running away and you were to be released, I took my father's bike, strapped you in, and pedaled off into the dark night, adrenaline and determination pumping through my veins. After a few days in Forest, we came to a snowy hill with a wooden sled big enough to fit the both of us.

"I had trekked up the hill, with you under my coat, to finally reach our form of transportation. I easily sat down onto the sled, and pushed us down the hill. By the time we got to the bottom of the hill, I heard music. We had reached Village. I had stopped breathing. The view was breathtaking," he ends, with a calm, relaxed, and peaceful face.

"And then I aged as a normal child?" I asked, unknowing what happened until I turned the age of five.

"You had gone to pre-school with May and Robbie. Your mentor was me. In pre-school you learned how to read, be polite, play with toys in a correct manner, and make friends. By the time you had turned five, you started to age up and began Year One of school. Every year, you had become smarter and smarter," he says.

"When did you go into Forest to find Kira and Matty? You must know what I am talking about, when Matty died in Forest!" I curiously ask.

"That was when you were eight, twenty seven years ago. He was a smart boy, he was going to be a healer, only had one kiss…" He daydreams. I walk away knowing that Jonas (who in our new Village is known as Leader) needs a little bit of time to remember, as Matty was a dear friend to Jonas.

I walk back to my house, only a short two houses away, and I swiftly head to my room to change. All around my room you see pictures of me, of my best friends and me, of my wife and children, and of me and Mentor. I may have been a misichvous child, but I was also not the smartest, but I was in an easier class. I was the best in my lower class. But when some of the villagers had decided to close off the world, Mentor had been on their side. I had begun to rebel against Mentor, as the rest of my class had followed my actions. It had earned all a week's worth of detention, but we all agreed it was worth it.

However, my wife and kids are a whole other story. My wife is May VanWonderburg, and her last name used to be Quandia. She has beautiful, curly, blonde hair. On the shorter side, as I am, yet just amazing at everything. She is one of the smartest people in Village.
Our children are named Collette and Cassidy. They were born on February 30th, as the world realized there were really three hundred sixty seven days in a year, in the year 2183. Collette looks like May, with short curly blonde hair and brown eyes, while Cassidy has light blue eyes with straight brown hair. Both are mischievous like me, yet highly intelligent like their mother.

When I had first come to Village, I was shocked… Well, I do not remember how I felt only because I had just turned the age of one. Well, Jonas says I had a look of utmost shock upon my face, as if my eyes were deceiving me.

"You were about to cry. You were very scared, yes. You were not happy to be away from the people you had learned to live with so many years ago. When we arrived at Village, Matty had just arrived as well. He was only six. And it's hard to believe how everyone who was in Village knew about you and your mischief. In fact, May is the exact opposite as you. She is smart, ugly, calm… never has been like you." He says.

"DO NOT; I repeat, DO NOT say that about May! She is a beautiful woman!" I exclaim, angered at Jonas' words.

"Excuse me, I am sorry. As I was saying, she is the exact opposite as you, yet you both are perfect for each other. It is very logical." He stops talking. His mind is asleep. No sounds at all, as if it has broken down. I shall take him to the hospital right away.

January 15th, 2185 is the day my beloved "brother" died. Jonas raised me as a child, alongside Mentor. Cassidy was particularly close to Jonas. She knew him as "Uncle Jo" and he called her "Niecey Little 'C'". It was a bond broken.

"Daddy, I know Uncle Jo died. That is why you are sad." She says. Wait a moment, my house is silent except for the crying from Cassidy, she sounded as calm as a breeze when she said that.

"Gabe, its ok, calm down…" says May.

"DADDY! I! WANT! UNCLE! JO!" says Collette.

Then silence. Complete silence. I hear nothing but sobbing in my ears. What that was… my gift. In the spur of the moment, I had forgotten. I have a gift no one else has ever had. My gift is the gift of "Hearing." Jonas' was to "See" while mine is to "Hear."

I leave my house; no one follows, as I walk along an empty road. Everyone in Village has heard of "Leader's" death. It hits hard, like a bullet to the chest. Everyone particularly close to Leader, which includes Kira, walks as well. A tradition in the community is for everyone to learn of the death, and then close ones walking on the road to mourn together. Only two walk along the road, as children such as Cassidy are not allowed to walk in mourning.

"You have known Leader all of your life, correct?" Kira asks.

"He is the one who saved me. From dying. I was to be killed because I cause so much trouble." I respond, salty tears coming to my eyes, as I remember our conversation from yesterday.

"I am sincerely sorry. What can I do?" she says, trying to seduce me to make me feel better.

"Just, please, go away." I say. "I have a wife and two children."

"You know, I am trying to make… a 'new' tradition. Every time I lose a close friend, like leader, and have some fun with another mourner, to make ourselves feel better." She purrs. I dash away back to my house, and lock the doors, afraid that she will try to get in and attempt to seduce me once more.

I check to see if my children are asleep, and quietly shut the door as I realize they are in a peaceful state. I get to my room, to see my wife waiting with a book in her lap.

"Couldn't sleep?" I ask.

"Not without knowing you were safe. Was the mourning road full or empty?"

"Only one other person, Kira. She tried to get me to try her 'new' tradition."

"Which was…?" she asks.

"To seduce me and to get me to have fun with her. I dashed away before she could get me."

May sits there for a second, trying to play the scene in her head. She suddenly kisses me, fully on the lips, trying to get me going.

"She wanted to try that? She should know that you love me." She says. "You know what time of year it is, correct?"

Oh, I know the time. It is every other year that parents are allowed to make love to each other. The rule was made that you could have up to four children only a few years ago. May had promised she would have four children by the age of thirty five.

"Yes, she wanted to get me to become her baby's father. She understood that this is one of our "every other" years." I say.

"Then if today is the day that we can… Why don't we?" she says, making my heart race like a horse in first place in middle of the course. "We do not have a lot of time left."

That was all I needed to know it was all going to be ok.

The next morning, we woke up in an entanglement of limbs. Our children had let us sleep late, knowing the previous day's events. I get and change and decide to take a walk outside. Only to see Kira, once again.

"So we meet again! What a coincidence! Still need 'someone' to help you feel better?" she asks.

"One, I am only on a walk to think. Two, I never said I needed anything, or make that any 'one' to make me feel better. And three, I am feeling better as my wife and I had a very fun night last night." I say, waiting for an incredulous emotion to appear on her soft features. Sure enough, it had.

"Maybe we can go at it now, only you and me." She purrs, trying to fill me with lust, a powerful weapon only a man in love or interested in another woman could resist. "Or, you could get your wife and… where are you going?"

Before she could finish, I dashed off into the sunrise. Dashing toward Forest, I exit Village. Never to return again. I leave my wife, my children, and everything I ever knew to go find myself. Or maybe something else I can do with my life.

I last wrote over ten months ago, meaning it is now October 17th, 2085. Today is the day I try to find something to kill myself, over going back to Village. I would rather not be forced to try and decide over my wife and Kira. Every single day, it is a debate whether I go back or not. And if I go back, do I choose Kira or May? Do I choose love or sex? It is a difficult decision, and I take the easiest way out. I ran away. I had not other decision.

I built a hut in a new Forest, and made my own supplies for survival. A stove, a basket, a hatchet, spoons, forks, knives, plates, bowls, pots, and pans. I had everything a natural environment could provide for me. Including music. I had unwillingly brought a voice recorder with me. I recorded music on it, and always soothed me should I be in a foul mood.

Now that I can finally say that its ok. I always try to decide if I should try to use my gift to see what my wife is thinking.

"Oh, Robbie, I love you so much," she screams. "You are so much better than Gabe ever was."

That was enough on its own. I grab the knife, pull it to my neck. I pull swiftly, scream in pain, and die on October 17th, 2185.

FIN