Chapter 1

Sticks and Stones

"AAAAAHHHH!" A scream was heard throughout Samantha's bedroom. "The monster of Heroo is here! Run, Melanie, run!"

The great demon-like creature leapt towards Melanie, but before it landed, the harsh force of a pillow hit my face.

"Sammy! Shut up! You're talking in your sleep again!" The strong tone of my brother's voice woke me immediately. He was in the bunk above me, restlessly tossing about.

I mumbled "Sorry." Sometimes my dreams consumed me, and there was nothing I could do but speak. Every night I seemed to have a nightmare, even if I had had a good day. These were things I couldn't change, just like how my family ignored me completely. If I knew any better, I'd say they hated me! All eight of them! Except my older brother Brian, who was my only ally in my family fights.

I tried to go back to sleep, squeezing my old Christmas pillow. That pillow had always been there for me, when I needed a shoulder to cry on, and when I had the best news ever. I only wish that I could find a real person like that.

After trying to sleep with no avail, I slowly inched my way out of my torn up bed. As my feet touched the freezing ground, I came out of my sleepy trance. I remembered how I wanted to end the last chapters of my "novel", Paper Wings. I wished so much that I could get it published, but my parents didn't care about what I wanted. Or me in general.

I made my way down the dusty hall, and slowly down the black, creaky stairway. The stairs had always frightened me, even when I was little. I always thought that I would fall through them, and get trapped. Usually I walked down those stairs as gently as possible, as if not to stir a brooding monster. Today was different, however, because I had my mind set on wrapping up the last chapters of Paper Wings. I needed to hurry and get to the computer.

When I reached the kitchen, the noise level skyrocketed from my quiet, almost pleasant trip down the stairs. My younger sister was on a rampant about some unimportant issue with Dan. He just sat there, not listening. I gave him a smile to show that I knew how he felt, but he scowled at me and left the room. I hated how no one ever cared about me. Even my appalling, alcoholic father didn't think about me. My mom, on the other hand, often forgot my name and made it up by calling me Scruffy, our lost-half-the-time dog.

"Hey, Ma, look who decided to live! It's the stupid sleeper!" My brainless brother Nicky yelled.

My mom was too busy to focus on anyone. She was on the phone and was yelling incoherent cuss words to the unwitting victim on the other line. I smiled a little bit, just imagining the face of the poor person who got stuck talking to my mother.

I stuck out my tongue at Nicky, when he wasn't looking.

I tried my best just to grab a bowl of cereal with cereal in it, but Brian took the box from me. My stomach started to growl, and I furrowed my brow to show I meant business, and he returned my breakfast. I scampered through all the noise, and made it to the computer room.

The room reeked of beer, and there were empty bottles lying around. But I assumed that was the terms when I got the computer for a calming solace. There were a few scattered photos of the family, half of them with just my two oldest brothers. The computer had words all over the sides, which I had written so I didn't have to forget any descriptive words. I turned on the computer and it made the usual "glunk" sound.

I quickly started typing away, and I was looking through a dictionary on the floor. After about 5 minutes, the door burst open and my oldest brother Dan grabbed me and threw me down.

He started jabbering on and on about how he needed to talk to somebody, in private, and I just left. It's not like I could talk my way through his 200 pound body. I decided this time I would stay out until dinner. I wouldn't mind. I walked outside, into the woods in the side of our house. I went to a peaceful place, through bushes that hid a creek from our house, and there was a tent and a canoe. The canoe had names, places, and beautiful words written all over it. It was made from oak wood. I rode the canoe down a creek, Mystic Creek, (which I had named myself), and I stopped when I found where I had hidden Paper Wings. It was under a branch that covered a circle of rocks, in the middle of which was my paper paradise. I read and reread until my eyes hurt. This was the way I spent most of my days, because, the truth was, I had no friends… except my imagination.

I really had no other way to spend a lazy summer day, except by being lazy. Both of my parents worked every day, but it wasn't like they would take me anywhere anyways. Besides, my older brothers just left us here so they could go with their girlfriends, and my younger sisters and brothers went to friend's houses. So…I was stuck. Stuck between the jealousy that lingers after my little sister gets a call from a friend, and that silent happiness that comes out of my being completely alone. It wasn't that I had problems with my siblings having friends…it was just the attention. I was never paid much attention too…even when I was little. I kept to myself, and what parent likes that? My parents quickly had more kids, letting me grow up on my own. They wanted to be loved. And it's not that I didn't love them, it was that I didn't know how. I didn't know how to be the perfect child they wanted me to be. I didn't know how to be loved…I kind of missed that part of childhood: the love.

After a few hours of brainstorming and just feeling the calm that I always felt out in the woods, I started to write. Today I didn't write in pencil, which was common sense for writers. If you make a mistake, you erase it! No. Not today; today I was in that 'I can do anything and everything I want' mood. It was pleasant, feeling empowered. I didn't have the pleasure of it very often. My family life held me back; it held me back from my potential. No. Not today; today I really could do anything. Today I really felt strong. Today I felt noble, strong, and wise.

Nothing holding me back today. No sir.

Today, I wrote in pen.

She smiled. For the first time in days, she smiled. Her eyes flew open, and she laughed. It was like a new day; she remembered how good it felt to be happy. She looked at the boy. He laughed as well, amazed that his attempt to cheer her up had worked. He then pulled up his hand to wipe away her tears, but when his hand came close to her face, she pulled away. She looked at him, and shook her head. 'No,' she uttered. And that was enough. He knew. He was willing to wait. He then laughed again, and walked away. She folded her arms, hugging herself with the warmth that doesn't come from a fire. She felt good. She was happy…and she remembered how good it felt. She wanted to stay this way forever.